Your air conditioner is one of the most important investments you can ever make for your home. It is the device you rely on to ensure that your home remains cool and comfortable, especially during a hot summer.
Like any other appliance, your air conditioning unit requires regular maintenance if you want it to function efficiently. You need to ensure that its filters, fins, and coils are in good shape.
Regular maintenance ensures that the performance of your air conditioner does not decline with time. Moreover, it also helps you save your money and avoid unnecessary headaches when a major breakdown occurs.
What are some tips you can use to keep your air conditioner in good shape for a long time without having to spend much?
Inspect the Placement
Where you position your air conditioner will affect its overall performance. You should avoid placing your room AC unit where it can get hit directly by the sun. Instead, install it in areas where there is a shade or enough covering from the sun. If next to a window, you should try to reduce the solar heat gain by using curtains and blinds.
Additionally, you should also install it away from objects that generate heat, such as a floor lamp or TV. It helps to prevent the thermostat in the system from sensing the heat and running longer than it should.
Changing Your Air Filter
How often do you change your air filters? For the most part, the efficiency of your air conditioner depends on the cleanliness of the air filters. It would help if you employed a habit of routinely cleaning or replacing them. If the filters are clogged and dirty, they will restrict the normal airflow and affect the air quality in your home.
Additionally, if the air that goes through the filter carries dirt, the dirt may reach into the evaporator coil destroying its capacity to absorb heat. Depending on the type of conditioner, there are different areas you can find the filter of an air conditioner.
The filters of the central air conditioners are mostly along the length of the return ducts. You may also find the filter in furnaces, walls, or even your house ceiling. Room air conditioners mostly have their filters in the grills that face the room.
Not all filters can be cleaned; for some, you must replace them. Either way, you need to clean them or replace them at least once or twice in a month when the weather is cool. Pay close attention to your filters, especially if you live in a dusty environment.
Ensure that The Coils are Clean
Air conditioning coils are essential in your AC system since they help you absorb the heat in your house and leave it feeling cool. When you use your air conditioner for several months or years, both the evaporator coil and condenser coil collect plenty of dirt.
While the filter may help to prevent the evaporator coil from collecting dirt, it does not prevent the dirt from accumulating with time. The dirt reduces the ability of the evaporator coil to absorb heat.
The only way to avoid this problem is to inspect the evaporator coil and clean it when necessary occasionally. Apart from the evaporator coil, you should also ensure the condenser coil is clean as well. They pose an even bigger risk of collecting dirt fast, especially if they are outdoors.
Since they are easy to see, you can quickly tell if the fins are dirty, allowing you to clean when necessary. You should ensure that any debris or dirt does not cover it by clearing the area around the condenser unit.
Inspect the Coil Fins
Every AC system has an evaporator and a condenser. Both of the coils have aluminum fins that help with the regulation of the temperature. It is common for the fins to bend over time, leading to insufficient airflow.
If you want your conditioner to function properly, you need to ensure that the fins are always in their right shape. If you find them bent in any way, you can seek the help of a professional ac technician. You may also purchase a fin comb that you may use to straighten the fins back to their original position.
Carefully Check the Condensate Drain
As the air conditioner operates, condensation occurs inside the system. The resulting water drains from the system through the condensate drain. However, with time, the condensate can block preventing the water from not draining correctly. The result is an increase in humidity that tends to discolor carpets and even walls.
You need to occasionally sift a wire through the drain channels to unclog any obstruction. You may also get a handyman’s services or contact your local AC Company if you notice any problem with the drainage.
Get the Help of a Professional
As you go on with your daily duties, it is easy for tasks such as air conditioner maintenance to be left out. Not because of your ignorance, but possibly since you have a full plate of other things to worry about.
It would help if you found a professional that you can hire to find and fix any ac problem that you may have. You can schedule a visit for the professional twice every year, where they have to perform preventative maintenance and ensure that the system is operating efficiently. If you are near Anthem, you can hire a professional from http://fivestar-airconditioning.com/anthem-az/
The professional should check the drain pan and drainage system, vacuum the blower compartments, flush the coils, and inspect the system’s voltage, amongst other tasks. The best time to take care of any air conditioning issues should be in spring so that you can catch the problem and take care of it before the hot summer.
