Maintaining Your Air Conditioners Leave a comment

An air conditioner’s filters, coils, and fins need frequent maintenance for the machine to perform successfully and efficiently during its years of operation. Neglecting basic maintenance assures a continuous reduction in air conditioning performance while energy usage progressively climbs. Check out our Energy Saver 101 Infographic: Home Cooling for additional methods to help increase your comfort and the efficiency of your air conditioners.

The most crucial maintenance chore that will preserve the performance of your air conditioners is to frequently replace or clean its filters. Clogged, unclean filters lower the quantity of airflow and dramatically impair a system’s efficiency. In addition, when airflow is impeded, air may skip the filter and deposit dirt straight onto the evaporator coil and damage the coil’s heat-absorbing ability. Replacing a filthy, clogged filter with a clean one will cut your air conditioner’s energy usage by 5% to 15%.

For central AC, filters are normally positioned anywhere along the return duct’s length. Common filter sites include in walls, ceilings, or in the air conditioners itself. Room air conditioners feature a filter located in the grill that faces into the room.

Some kinds of filters are reusable; others must be changed. They are available in a range of sorts and efficiency. Clean or replace your air conditioning system’s filter or filters every month or two throughout the cooling season. Filters may require more regular care if the air conditioners is in continual use, is exposed to dusty circumstances, or you have fur-bearing pets in the home.

The air conditioner’s evaporator coil and condenser coil gather dirt throughout their months and years of usage. A clean filter prevents the evaporator coil from soiling fast. In time, though, the evaporator coil will still acquire dirt. This dirt limits airflow and insulates the coil, limiting its capacity to absorb heat. To prevent this issue, inspect your evaporator coil every year and clean it as required.

Outside condenser coils may also get highly filthy if the outside environment is dusty or if there is flora nearby. You can plainly examine the condenser coil and detect whether dirt is gathering on its fins.

You should reduce dirt and debris around the condenser unit. Your dryer vents, falling leaves, and lawn mower are all possible sources of dirt and debris. Cleaning the space surrounding the coil, cleaning any garbage, and pruning foliage back at least 2 feet (0.6 meters) provide for proper airflow around the condenser.

The metal fins on evaporator and condenser coils are readily bent and may restrict airflow across the coil. AC wholesalers provide a product called a “fin comb” that will comb these fins back into practically original shape.

Occasionally put a strong wire through the unit’s drain channels. Clogged drain channels prohibit a unit from lowering humidity, and the ensuing excess moisture may discolor walls or carpet.

At the outset of each cooling season, test the seal between the air conditioners and the window frame to verify it makes contact with the unit’s metal casing. Moisture may destroy this barrier, enabling cold air to escape from your residence.

In the winter, either cover your room air conditioners or remove and store it. Covering the exterior unit of a central air conditioners helps protect the unit from winter weather and debris.

When your air conditioners requires more than normal maintenance, such as when it does not drop the inside temperature to a tolerable level, engage a professional service specialist. A well-trained expert will detect and rectify faults with your air conditioning system.

• Check for proper quantity of refrigerant
• Test for refrigerant leaks with a leak detector
• Capture any refrigerant that must be evacuated from the system, instead of unlawfully releasing it to the atmosphere Check for and plug duct leaks in central systems
• Measure airflow via the evaporator coil
• Verify the right electric control sequence and make sure that the heating system and cooling system cannot function concurrently
• Inspect electric terminals, clean and tighten connections, and apply a non-conductive coating if necessary Oil motors and inspect belts for tightness and wear
• Check the correctness of the thermostat.

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