Air Conditioner Madness!

[laislica]

Hi, we have a Panasonic AC in the bedroom.

About 4 years old and used 4-5 months over the period December to April.

Recently professionally serviced.

Over night the temperature is usually set to 26 or 27 C.

We don't like it too cold. The fan is on auto so I can see that the unit does not need to run the compressor for long periods.

It can easily maintain the set temperature.

Yesterday morning we switched it to s/by with the remote as usual.

In the late evening the remote would not switch it on again.

Tried the controller on another unit in the next room and it worked as it should so no controller problem.

Switched the mains off and back on, nothing.

This morning I tried again, nothing.

So I turned off the mains for 2-3 hours.

Tried again and it worked!

What might cause this crazy behaviour?

Do I need to get the experts back?

Cheers

[lostinisaan]

Recreational drugs, perhaps?

[GinBoy2]

Sounds like the logic unit in the AC is fried. Turning it off is letting the capacitors discharge so it regains it's senses. If it keeps happening a call to a Panasonic service center is going to be needed

[Crossy]

Even aircons suffer the Blue Screen of Death (OK, lock up).

As GB2 says if it starts happening regularly get the man in

[laislica]

Recreational drugs, perhaps?

A great post - Hope you get better soon.

Cheers

[Pib]

When you say controller I assume you mean the remote control. Remote controls do go bad...and weak batteries in the remote controls can cause strange things to happen like the remote control intermittently working...don't automatically think there is something wrong with the A/C on the wall when the remote may be the problem.

Be sure the remote control has a good set of batteries in it....batteries don't like heat and as it has got quite a bit hotter since the cooler months the batteries can fail quickly....I have to change my A/C remote control batteries about once a year upstairs where it gets hot during the day....but the batteries in the remote downstairs where it is always cooler live a longer life.

Don't know if you have an identical remote control for your other unit...if so, try using it next time. Just be sure to try to firt rule out a bad remote control or weak remote control batteries if possible before calling Somchai the A/C Tech.

[laislica]

When you say controller I assume you mean the remote control. Remote controls do go bad...and weak batteries in the remote controls can cause strange things to happen like the remote control intermittently working...don't automatically think there is something wrong with the A/C on the wall when the remote may be the problem.

Be sure the remote control has a good set of batteries in it....batteries don't like heat and as it has got quite a bit hotter since the cooler months the batteries can fail quickly....I have to change my A/C remote control batteries about once a year upstairs where it gets hot during the day....but the batteries in the remote downstairs where it is always cooler live a longer life.

Don't know if you have an identical remote control for your other unit...if so, try using it next time. Just be sure to try to firt rule out a bad remote control or weak remote control batteries if possible before calling Somchai the A/C Tech.

Thanks, as I said in the OP:

"Tried the controller on another unit in the next room and it worked as it should so no controller problem.

Switched the mains off and back on, nothing.

This morning I tried again, nothing.

So I turned off the mains for 2-3 hours.

Tried again and it worked!"

Batteries are new.

My wife finally got in touch with the air con man (Songkran lol) and he said we should switch off at the mains for a while and all will be good.

(I'd already found that out).

It seems to be a known phenomena?

BTW. I know that Thai electricity is not the same as in my home country!

Things like a good earth connection, even when specified as required by the safety breaker, are not required in Thailand.....

Even when you are paying the man to do the installation, he will not do it any way but the Thai way!

Like safety belts in public vehicles, to attempt to wear one will insult the driver and risk the wrath of the Gods!

[Pib]

Have you tried using the controller "from" the other A/C unit with the A/C unit that is acting up?

I'm not sure what you mean by "tried the controller on another unit." To me that implies you just took the controller into another room to try it on another other A/C unit. And on that other A/C unit it just might work which makes a person assume the controller is fine...that can be a wrong assumption.

Now if mean you tried "tried the controller from another identical unit" then never mind. And I'm assuming you have two controllers and both your controllers will work on either A/C.

Just want to ensure the controller is eliminated as the possible problem as a controller (remote) can go bad in such a way that where it use to control your other identical/very similar A/C units it will not anymore...instead it now only works with some of your A/C units.

[laislica]

Have you tried using the controller "from" the other A/C unit with the A/C unit that is acting up?

I'm not sure what you mean by "tried the controller on another unit." To me that implies you just took the controller into another room to try it on another other A/C unit. And on that other A/C unit it just might work which makes a person assume the controller is fine...that can be a wrong assumption.

Now if mean you tried "tried the controller from another identical unit" then never mind. And I'm assuming you have two controllers and both your controllers will work on either A/C.

Just want to ensure the controller is eliminated as the possible problem as a controller (remote) can go bad in such a way that where it use to control your other identical/very similar A/C units it will not anymore...instead it now only works with some of your A/C units.

Yes, we have identical units in several rooms.

I tried the remote on the dodgy unit on other units, all worked well.

I tried the remote's from other units on the dodgy unit, nothing worked.

All batteries are new.

The remote's were not the problem.

Removing the mains for a substantial period seems to be the answer as I found out and was later told to do by the Thai man.

[Gonsalviz]

Samsung here. After about 2 months use at night only, in the morning we tried to turn it off and it wouldn't. Turned it off with the c/b and called the service man. I reset the breaker and it worked fine for him. It has been working fine since. About 3 months.

Had to leave the breaker open for a long time. Just to open and close it did not do the trick.

[billd766]

Have you tried using the controller "from" the other A/C unit with the A/C unit that is acting up?

I'm not sure what you mean by "tried the controller on another unit." To me that implies you just took the controller into another room to try it on another other A/C unit. And on that other A/C unit it just might work which makes a person assume the controller is fine...that can be a wrong assumption.

Now if mean you tried "tried the controller from another identical unit" then never mind. And I'm assuming you have two controllers and both your controllers will work on either A/C.

Just want to ensure the controller is eliminated as the possible problem as a controller (remote) can go bad in such a way that where it use to control your other identical/very similar A/C units it will not anymore...instead it now only works with some of your A/C units.

Yes, we have identical units in several rooms.

I tried the remote on the dodgy unit on other units, all worked well.

I tried the remote's from other units on the dodgy unit, nothing worked.

All batteries are new.

The remote's were not the problem.

Removing the mains for a substantial period seems to be the answer as I found out and was later told to do by the Thai man.

I had a similar problem at home with our 2 bedroom air cons.

Remember that the controller is in fact a "sender" and in each a/c there is also a "receiver".

If the remote on the dodgy a/c works OK on a different a/c and a different remote also doesn't doesn't work on the dodgy one then the problem is likely to be the receiver which will need to be replaced.

One of my a/c had the receiver problem and they didn't have the correct remote for it so they simply hard wired a new controller into place and the a/c works great now. The only drawback is I have to get up and physically turn it on and off and adjust the temperature. I look at that as my daily exercise.

[laislica]

Have you tried using the controller "from" the other A/C unit with the A/C unit that is acting up?

I'm not sure what you mean by "tried the controller on another unit." To me that implies you just took the controller into another room to try it on another other A/C unit. And on that other A/C unit it just might work which makes a person assume the controller is fine...that can be a wrong assumption.

Now if mean you tried "tried the controller from another identical unit" then never mind. And I'm assuming you have two controllers and both your controllers will work on either A/C.

Just want to ensure the controller is eliminated as the possible problem as a controller (remote) can go bad in such a way that where it use to control your other identical/very similar A/C units it will not anymore...instead it now only works with some of your A/C units.

Yes, we have identical units in several rooms.

I tried the remote on the dodgy unit on other units, all worked well.

I tried the remote's from other units on the dodgy unit, nothing worked.

All batteries are new.

The remote's were not the problem.

Removing the mains for a substantial period seems to be the answer as I found out and was later told to do by the Thai man.

I had a similar problem at home with our 2 bedroom air cons.

Remember that the controller is in fact a "sender" and in each a/c there is also a "receiver".

If the remote on the dodgy a/c works OK on a different a/c and a different remote also doesn't doesn't work on the dodgy one then the problem is likely to be the receiver which will need to be replaced.

One of my a/c had the receiver problem and they didn't have the correct remote for it so they simply hard wired a new controller into place and the a/c works great now. The only drawback is I have to get up and physically turn it on and off and adjust the temperature. I look at that as my daily exercise.

The problem was resolved by the mains switch set to OFF for a while.

As Crossey suggested, there is maybe a capacitor that needs to discharge and reset it's self.

The AirCon Man confirmed this "Cure" too.

All batteries are new.

All controllers/remote's work with all identical units.

Any way, all good now.

Perhaps this could serve as a heads up for someone else who's aircon refuses to work?

Switch off the mains for a while and try it again.

Cheers everyone

[Pib]

Are you saying the Cure was the A/C man replacing a faulty capacitor and he has replaced it already?

Or, the problem can be fixed temporarily (until next time) but just turning the A/C off for X-hours which allows some capacitor to discharge? If so, that's a circuit design problem or faulty capacitor which means the problem will likely return (on the hottest day or night).

[laislica]

Are you saying the Cure was the A/C man replacing a faulty capacitor and he has replaced it already?

Or, the problem can be fixed temporarily (until next time) but just turning the A/C off for X-hours which allows some capacitor to discharge? If so, that's a circuit design problem or faulty capacitor which means the problem will likely return (on the hottest day or night).

Yes, just turning the A/C off for X-hours.

Time will tell how temporary this fix is.

From what the Thai AC man said, it's a well known problem.

[laislica]

Samsung here. After about 2 months use at night only, in the morning we tried to turn it off and it wouldn't. Turned it off with the c/b and called the service man. I reset the breaker and it worked fine for him. It has been working fine since. About 3 months.

Had to leave the breaker open for a long time. Just to open and close it did not do the trick.

Thanks.

So the fix has been good for 3 months so far.

I wish I had heard about this "cure" temporary or not before.

It would have saved moving all the bedding to the other room.

Only to have to move it back again the next day after the "Cure" 555

[Litlos]

If you get a brownout or blip in the power that seems to cause settings to go awry on electronics. First step is power off for a minimum of 15 seconds, if that doesn't work give it 5 minutes.

For some reason it seems to upset my satellite decoders mostly, and they have their own little power pack which logically should isolate the unit from the mains.

Cheers

[laislica]

If you get a brownout or blip in the power that seems to cause settings to go awry on electronics. First step is power off for a minimum of 15 seconds, if that doesn't work give it 5 minutes.

For some reason it seems to upset my satellite decoders mostly, and they have their own little power pack which logically should isolate the unit from the mains.

Cheers

Ah ha!

This looks like a great candidate for the cause of the problem.

Yes we do get the odd brownouts here.

No problem for the computer cos I use a laptop.

Thanks.