Regular maintenance of your air conditioning unit is necessary for its efficient usage. AC maintenance will not only save a lot of energy but it will save you from the heavy costs of replacing an entire AC unit. Regular maintenance can keep an AC unit working smoothly for the long run and it increases its lifespan. It also helps in energy efficiency thus saving the costs on energy.
If you can keep your air conditioner’s filter, coils, and fins clean and working in a good condition, you’ll get an effective and efficient output. Neglecting regular maintenance can decrease the level of air conditioning performance. It also increases the amount of energy consumed by the AC unit.
You can ask your Air Conditioner Installation company about the tips to regularly maintain the cooling unit.
Air Conditioner (AC) Maintenance Tips
However, here are some useful tips for AC maintenance.
Change the Filters
One of the most important and simple maintenance tasks that will keep the efficiency of your AC unit intact is regularly replacing the air filter of your cooling unit. Some filters are reusable so you can clean them up. Dirty filters clogged with dust and other particles severely reduce the flow of the air. It also undermines the efficiency of the cooling system. Changing the filter regularly reduces the pressure on the system and can save up to 15% of energy usage. Old filters can also pollute the air with dust particles which isn’t good for your health either.
You can clean or replace filters after regular intervals. In normal conditions changing the filters after two months is fine. However, if your AC is in a more dusty area you need to change it more frequently.
Clean the Coils & Fins
Your cooling unit’s evaporator coil and fins around the AC catch dirt which severely undermines the normal performance. If you regularly change the filter it’ll catch the dirt a lot less. However, over time when enough dust is collected on the evaporator coil, it works harder and consumes more energy to function. The dirt makes a layer over the coil that drastically decreases its ability to absorb heat and pump out the cool air. This is an energy-consuming redundancy. It can reduce the lifespan of your cooling unit.
In order to keep your ac unit working efficiently, you need to regularly clean the evaporator coil at the start and end of every season.
Also, clean the fins by removing the covers. Wash it out with a powerful stream from outside. Clean the inside with relatively less pressure because water pressure can damage the fins.
Straighten the Fins
Any kind of reduction in the airflow can drastically reduce the efficiency of the cooling unit. This is also true for the fins. Usually, with time, fins get bent and this reduces the independent flow of the air between them. This is why you need to straighten up the fins so that the air can pass freely without any obstruction.
You can use the normal butter knife to straighten up the fins. However, there are some tools available just for this purpose. You can buy them from AC wholesale dealers. Make sure to straighten up the fins with a gentle approach otherwise the tubes embedded in the fins might get damaged.
Keep Surrounding Area Cleaned
If you’ve grown the vegetation and shrubs around the unit make sure to trim them regularly. Often this shrubbery blocks the sides of the cooling unit and limits the airflow. Moreover, it also causes dirt and debris to gather into the fan.
Make sure to clean the fan and the area around the AC. Try to cut the shrubs around the unit to give it the required space to work properly. For the proper airflow cut the shrubbery to two feet from all directions.
Moreover, In winters when the AC unit is not under usage, it is good to cover the outside condenser with a plywood or plastic cover. It saves the condenser from dirt and debris.
Keep Your Thermostat in Check
If you work at an office you usually stay away from your house for a longer period of time every day. Try to set the thermostat at a higher temperature during the time period you are away. This will allow your AC unit to rest and work for fewer hours. In return, it can increase the lifespan of your AC.This will also provide a cushion to your utility bills. Moreover, there are modern thermostats available that can adjust the cooling according to your schedule. Use such gadgets to get the best AC Replacement for a long time.
