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Complete Guide to Inverter AC Problems and Solutions

February 14, 2022
By Swetha

Similar to normal ACs, inverter air conditioners also encounter some problems. Sometimes, we may not be aware of what exactly what is affecting the AC’s performance.

If you are facing similar issue, then this is the right article. Here, we shall discuss the common problems you are likely to face with your unit.

You will also learn about basic troubleshooting techniques. You can try these on your own instead of seeking the help of a professional. And you will also know when to approach a technician for repair.

Now, let us look at the common problems with the inverter AC units and the possible solutions for them.

Inverter AC Problems

Inverter air conditioners are similar to every other air conditioner that is available in the market if you look at its basic working principle. But, the only difference in the inverter air conditioners is that it is powered by an inverter compressor which is somewhat more complicated in design and tends to create various problems down the road.

The common problems of inverter air conditioners mentioned here either affect the air conditioner’s performance harshly or completely render them useless. Thus, it becomes necessary to get rid of the problem as soon as possible.

Today, we will be covering the most common inverter AC problems from PCB issues to internal part problems. Therefore, you can get a nice idea about the problem that you are facing right now, or might face in the future after buying an inverter AC.

Most Common Inverter AC Problems

Problem 1: Insufficient Cooling Performance

The cooling performance of an air conditioner is already present with the model. Most of the brands also provide necessary information such as possible coverage areas which should give you a better idea of the cooking performance.

In case you are not getting sufficient cooling performance from the air conditioner, you might have an insufficient capacity option according to your room. Other than that, the refrigerant can also be degraded over time, reducing the coefficient of performance of the AC.

How to solve: First of all, make sure the rated capacity of the AC is sufficient for your room size. If you were previously satisfied with the performance but started facing the issue recently, call the engineer and get the refrigerant replaced.

The degradation of refrigerants can be caused by leakage or even by damaged air filters.

Problem 2: Hot Air Coming Out of AC

In the case of split inverter air conditioners, you will have 2 units installed in your home. Out of which, the indoor unit is supposed to push cold air in the room while the outdoor unit needs to push hot air outside. The case is reversed in the winter seasons if you are using the heater mode on the AC.

But, if you feel hot air coming out of the AC in normal mode, it can be a problem related to the heat exchanger. The refrigerant is not coming in contact with the circulatory air and thus the temperature of the air is not changing to the required degrees.

How to solve: You should get the air conditioner serviced as abundant amounts of dirt might have settled on the heat exchanger of the air conditioner. This is possible in split air conditioners as the heat exchanger is present on the outside.

Problem 3: E1 Error Code on Display

Various air conditioner units come with a hardcoded program on their PCB that can detect various problems with the air conditioner and display it on the AC via a certain code.

If you are seeing an error code E1 on your AC, it represents problems with the ambient temperature sensor of the unit. Without this functionality, you cannot use the automatic mode of the AC as it cannot determine the required cooling temperature.

How to solve: All of the sensors in an air conditioner are connected to the mainboard via wires. Hence, you can check the ambient temperature sensor unit and its connection present on the top of the coil.

If you see a problem with a wire, you can try to reconnect the wires manually to solve the issue. If there is no problem with the wire, you will have to get the sensor replaced.

Problem 4: E5 Error Code on Display

If you are seeing an error code E5 on the air conditioner, it means that there is a problem with the coil sensor of the air conditioner. The coil sensor in an AC keeps track of the air temperature around the coils and manages the power consumption automatically.

Failing that, you will notice abnormal behavior with the air temperature coming out from the AC or simply the AC not being able to perform at all.

How to solve: To solve error code E5, make sure the coil sensor is properly placed at it’s designated location so that it maintains contact with air. After that is resolved, pay attention to the wire connecting the sensor to the mainboard and examine for problems.

If you do not see a problem so far, the sensor itself might have been damaged and needs to be replaced.

Problem 5: F3 Error Code on Display

The F3 error code comes up on the display when there is a problem with the connecting wires between the indoor and outdoor units. The 4 core or 3 core wires that transfer power and feedback from the indoor unit to the outdoor unit and vice versa might have been disconnected or damaged.

This will stop the air conditioner completely as both units are codependent on each other and both are required to be in a constant loop.

How to solve: Cable related problems on the AC are probably the easiest ones to solve as you can easily inspect the said cables and get to the root of the problem immediately. For this error code, either one or more cables have been disconnected from the port and causing loss.

To resolve it, simply get the wires separate and connected with their designated ports and AC should start working again.

Problem 6: F7 Error Code on Display

The F7 error codes relate to the problem in the outer unit of a split air conditioner. If you are facing this error code, you should not interfere with the indoor unit as this code relates to the suction and discharge sensors that are present in outdoor units.

These sensors work simultaneously to maintain the ideal flow of refrigerant throughout the system. Without any information from these sensors, the compressor cannot transfer the refrigerant through various stages of the cycle.

How to solve: Similar to every sensor-related problem, the F7 error code will most likely suggest a replacement of the suction, discharge, or even both sensors.

But first, you should check the sensor’s placement and connectivity as it can also affect the performance of the sensors.

Problem 7: F8 Error Code on Display

The last error code that we are covering today is the F8 error code that relates to the exhaust fan present on the outer unit. This error code also represents a critical condition where air purity goes out of order.

The reason behind that is the outer exhaust fan which is responsible for exhausting the hot air outside has stopped working. This can be happening because of some external interference with the fan’s rotation or an internal connection problem with the motor.

How to solve: The F8 error code can be easily resolved by inspecting the exhaust present fan on the front of the outdoor unit. Here, if you see any external element like rock, stem, or dirt obstructing the rotation of the fan, get it cleaned as soon as possible.

If the fas are not working after that, examine the motor which is coupled with the fan and check if it has proper connections available.

Conclusion:

We hope that after reading the most common inverter air conditioner problems and their solutions, you have found the root cause of the problem in your ac and found a way to resolve it.

Here, you can find a detailed analysis of various problems that have been observed in most inverter air conditioners. This will give you a better idea about the problems as well as help you to avoid them in the future.

While solving basic problems in an air conditioner is quite easy, we will still recommend you to get professional help to get a permanent solution.