Air conditioner systems will work for many years with very little trouble, if you keep your air conditioner well maintained. However, this is not peculiar to home air conditioning systems. Nearly everything we do these days can be done with the aid of a mechanical or electrical device. However, some things are non-user maintainable and will break down after a while.
Home air conditioner systems are designed to last a long time, as long as they are correctly maintained. If you are loathe to do this maintenance yourself, you will have to call in a air conditioner maintenance professional, but there is a lot of maintenance anyone can perform. Even the most ham-fisted klutz. If you carry out these straightforward cool air conditioning tips, you will only require a professional’s help once every two years, which will save you a fortune. There are three basic varieties of fixed home air conditioner units: central air conditioners; split air conditioners and room air conditioners. There is also a fourth type, the portable conditioner, but there are too many kinds of these to generalize.
Central Air Conditioners – this is made up of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. You can clean or change the air filter in the indoor apparatus according to its type. Wire filters can be washed, glass fiber filters have to be replaced. You ought to do this monthly during the hot season in order to maintain maximum performance and air quality.
You should also clean any dust or grease from the fan blades of the air conditioner. Lightly oil the fan shaft and any bearings too. If your air conditioner unit is belt driven make sure that the belt is not worn and that it is neither too taut nor too loose, which means that there should be some give, but that it should not be so free as to slip. Like a car’s fan belt. Degrease and cleanse the coil of tubing.
The outside unit or the air conditioner should be cleaned in the same way as the inside unit, but you should also clear any undergrowth or rubbish from around it to allow an unobstructed airflow. If it is in direct sunlight while in operation, put up a lean-to to give it shade as well as shelter from rain and snow in the winter.
Split Air Conditioner Systems – the outdoor component should be serviced as above, but the indoor air handler is different as there is no fan pushing air through a structure of ducts. At least once a year, take out the internal filter and wash it or clean it according to the manufacturer’s handbook. If you do this often enough, you will not have to clean the air conditioner coil. If you overlook a few maintenance sessions, clean the coil as above. Service the outside box as above as well.
Room Air Conditioners – take out the grille and wash or replace the filter at least once every summer. Filters can normally be washed three times and then ought to be replaced. If you fail to do this, you will have to clean the coil, as above. In the winter, cover the grille with cling film or a tarp, to stop cold drafts.
