Time for Air Conditioning Maintenance
Keeping up with basic air conditioning maintenance when everything is working the way it should is a great way to save money and to keep things running smoothly. As the warm season approaches, it won’t be long until many of us hear the sound of our central air conditioning unit kicking on for the first time in months. Soon afterwards, we’ll expect to feel the first rush of cool air from the air conditioning vents and assume that all is well with our system. Well, not so fast! Have you been keeping up with the basic air conditioning maintenance required for your unit? I for one have taken an interest in air conditioner maintenance tips because the unit that we currently have cooling our house has been here since before we moved in. I’d like to make it last as long as possible.
Not many air conditioning owners take the time or interest to prepare their units for the off-season, and those who don’t probably don’t give a thought to preparing their units for the cooling season. I probably never would have either, but during a furnace repair a few years ago, one of the heating and air conditioning technicians mentioned that our AC unit was pretty old. After I found out how much the installation of new central air conditioners cost, I became very interested in keeping things running. Ignoring air conditioning maintenance can reduce the life of the unit and can prove to be a very costly mistake.
A relatively short amount of time and a little effort and expense can result in a huge savings, to say nothing of avoiding the misery of spending a day or several days in the blistering heat awaiting the arrival of the HVAC contractors or repairmen. Why not plan to take care of this chore before disaster strikes? Depending on your circumstances and ability, you’re likely to find at least some things you can do yourself .
If you were provided with an owner’s manual for your air conditioning unit, this is the time to find it and peruse the section on owner maintenance. If you don’t have such a manual, following you’ll find some very basic, general tips on what to consider. Depending on your circumstances and desire, you’ll find at least some maintenance items you can do yourself and leave the rest to a professional air conditioning maintenance contractor. Either way, don’t leave the maintenance undone. If you have no interest in keeping up the maintenance of your air conditioner, you should seriously consider paying for a maintenance service plan from the company that installed your AC unit.
Some Basic Air Conditioning Maintenance for Homeowners
First of all, to be safe, cut the power to the unit to avoid accidents. The simplest item of maintenance is to simply replace the filter. Most people realize that their furnace has a filter, but not so many are aware that filtering is perhaps even more critical to the operation of their air conditioning unit. Airborne contaminants of all descriptions are removed by the filter before they can be drawn through the evaporator or coils of the unit.
The evaporator coils are contained in a part that resembles a radiator, with many metal fins closely arranged. These fins dissipate the heat from the fluids being pushed through them. Their close spacing makes them an ideal location for the collection of airborne debris, and to the extent that you can preclude such stuff from reaching them, you will allow your air conditioning unit to function more efficiently.
You’ll find that you need a particular size of filter to fit your unit. That much is not variable. However, you will also find that there is a range of filters that will remove more or less of the airborne contaminants that find their way to its surface. Generally, those that will operate more efficiently will cost somewhat more. You may have a filter that can be washed and re-used, in which case a thorough cleaning with a garden hose in the direction of the air flow will work wonders.
Another relatively simple chore that the homeowner can perform is to clean the condenser
coil. This will be found outside in the housing for the compressor. This also can become clogged, and being located outdoors and not filtered, you may find leaves and other such stuff trapped there, not to mention just plain dirt. The bigger stuff you can pull out by hand. The finer stuff can be washed out with a garden hose. Some people think this would be a good project to employ their power washer. Be aware that the fins can be damaged and bent and doing so will result in a decrease in your air conditioning unit’s efficiency. It can also lead to needing air conditioner repair services, and you don’t want those if you can avoid them. Better just to use the garden hose and maybe a brush to remove the mess.
These are the most basic and frequently needed items of air conditioner maintenance, and easily within the abilities of most people. As household tips go, they are pretty simple, yet effective. Other maintenance items ought to be performed at least annually, and a trip from a heating and air conditioning technician is the best way to have them taken care of. If you are in doubt, contact a local HVAC company and ask them for advice before you risk damaging anything. Paying for a HVAC repair will be much more costly than making a phone call to ask a few questions. Remember that deferred or neglected maintenance is likely to end up costing several thousand dollars for repair or replacement of failed units, so don’t skimp on the inexpensive air conditioning maintenance that you can do yourself.