How To Keep Your Air Conditioner In Good Condition

Air conditioners are absolutely crucial during the hotter months. Not having air conditioning can have a seriously negative impact on your life, you will constantly feel fatigued and you will not be able to sleep properly in the scorching heat. Air conditioners are very intricate machines and need to be kept in good condition. So, it is important that you keep your air conditioner in good shape with routine maintenance. In this article you will learn about some easy home maintenance strategies that you can do to help keep your air conditioner running smoothly.

Safety first

First thing’s first, before you work on an air conditioner make sure you take all the necessary safety precautions. Make sure all the wires are disconnected and that the unit is completely turned off.

Filters

This is probably the most important part of home air conditioner maintenance. Air conditioner filters get clogged and dirty very quickly. A clogged and dirty filter severely reduces the efficiency of your air conditioner. Because dirty filters cannot catch dirt as effectively as clean ones, you risk letting dirt get through the filter and get attached to the condenser and evaporating coils; if this happens, your air conditioner can become permanently damaged. Cleaning a filter can improve the energy efficiency of your air conditioner by close to 20%; that means a cooler house for you. If you are only able to do one thing on this list, then do this.

Most air conditioners make the filer very easy to clean. You simply remove the front grille and the filter should be easily found. Cleaning the filter usually involves washing it or vacuuming it. But, there are also filters that are just meant to be thrown out and replaced. The manual that came with your air conditioner should tell what you need to do to properly clean the filter.

Coils

The evaporating and condensing coils in an air conditioner are crucial parts of the air conditioner, as they do most of the actual heavy lifting when it comes to making your house cool. They also have an annoying habit of becoming magnets for dust and debris that have gotten past the air conditioner’s filter. The dirt and debris create an insulation effect around the coils and prevent them from effectively absorbing heat and cooling the air.

Most often the coils will be located behind the filter, so you can clean both at once. You should be cleaning your coils at least once a year, if not more. A good way to clean them is with some sort of brush, like the one that is often included with vacuum cleaners. Also, make sure you clean the area around the coils, so that the air can flow around them properly.

One other thing to note, is that the “fins” on the coil are made of aluminum and thus can be can bent very easily. Bent fins block air from flowing around the coils properly. So while cleaning, make sure you do not bend the foils accidently. If you do bend them, you need to buy a tool known as a “fin comb,” which can bring the fins back to their normal position.

Keep the external area clean

Keep the area around the air condition unit as clean as possible. Get rid of any leaves, debris, dirt, etc. Make sure you trim any vegetation that is growing around the air conditioning unit (especially near the back). Also, if the outside unit is dirty, take a few minutes to hose it down and maybe apply a bit of soap. It is very easy for dirt to get from the outside of the air conditioner to the inside.

Keep the condensation drains clear

This is more of a concern for indoor units, then outdoor ones, but it is good advice for both indoor and outdoor units. But, the drainage channel on an air conditioner can become clogged with debris, and if it gets too clogged then the air conditioner will not be able to properly deal with humidity. The excessive moisture in the air may start to damage areas around the air conditioner; walls and carpets are especially vulnerable. So, occasionally you will want to use something thin, like a wire, to clear out the air conditioner’s drainage channels.

Cover the air conditioner when not in use

This one seems obvious, but a lot of people neglect do this. When the air conditioner is not being used, throw a good, weatherproof cover of the unit. This prevents it from being damaged by the elements, as well as protecting the unit from dirt and debris.

When to bring in a professional

If during you notice any of the following things wrong with your air conditioner, then call a technician immediately, since it is very likely that the problem cannot be fixed by you.

The unit is not blowing out cool air
You notice strange sounds or smells originating from the air conditioning unit
There is a lot of excessive moisture coming from the air conditioning unit
The air conditioner has trouble maintaining a consistent temperature or strong air flow

If you notice any of these problems, immediately call a technician, they can do a lot more to fix the problem than you probably can.

The technician should:

Check to make sure that the air conditioner has enough refrigerant and is not suffering from a refrigerant leak
Check for leaks in the ducts, and seal them if any are found
Make sure that the thermostat is accurate
Make sure that the AC belt is fitted tightly and still working
Make sure that the fan motor is properly oiled
Measure the airflow around the evaporator coil

Those are just a few of the things a technician will do when inspecting your air conditioning unit. It may seem like you could do some of those things yourself, but you should always wait for a technician, they are trained and will have better tools.