# DIY Fault diagnostics

- Type: article
- Topic: Air Con Faults
- Locale: nl
- Canonical path: /nl/topics/154-air-con-faults/articles/598-diy-fault-diagnostics
- Canonical URL: https://aspanishlife.com/nl/topics/154-air-con-faults/articles/598-diy-fault-diagnostics

<p>&nbsp;Just a few tips on possible problems that may affect your Air Conditioning.</p>
 <p>&nbsp;</p>
 <ul>
 <li>Unit isn't heating&nbsp;</li>
 <ul>
 <li>Make sure you have selected the&nbsp;heat mode on your remote as well as turning the temp up. Depending on make/model, the display could simply say&nbsp;'heat' or show a 'Sun' (look carefully as the 'Snowflake' for cooling is very similar.</li>
 <li>Give your unit time to swap from cool to heating mode (up to 15 mins).</li>
 <li>Listen to your outdoor unit. There&nbsp;should be two different sounds, one from the fan motor and a deeper sound from the compressor. If you can't hear them both, then it may be a capacitor which acts like a starter motor. Its very rare for a compressor to burn out so always get a second opinion if thats the suggestion.</li>
 </ul>
 <li>Does&nbsp;my unit need Gas
 <ul>
 <li>Domestic units should not lose gas and are unlike cars because they don't have any rubber seals to dry and crack.&nbsp;</li>
 <li>Normally lost gas is caused by a faulty installation&nbsp;causing&nbsp;a leak. The leak needs to be found and rectified before&nbsp;the gas is replenished.</li>
 <li>You really need pressure gauges to determine if your unit has lost gas although a tell tale sign of low gas is&nbsp;if the interconnecting pipework freezes up.</li>
 <li>If its lost all of its gas then the pipework will not change appearance&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>
 </li>
 </ul>
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 <p>mark&nbsp;</p>
