More and more people are discovering the benefits of a home air conditioning system, because prices have fallen in relation to to wages over recent decades. However, most people’s attitude is ‘out of sight, out of mind’. That is, until they get home from work on a scorching hot summer’s afternoon and the air con does not start.
The most frequent cause of this is years of no maintenance. The only way that you will get the most from air conditioning systems, as with any machine, is to maintain it according to the manufacturer’s recommended agenda and get it checked over by a specialist every two or three years, whatever the manual says. You cannot completely eliminate the professional check up, but you can carry out the basic maintenance yourself, which will save you at least two years of charges.
Here then are my most indispensable basic air conditioning maintenance tips.
If you have a central air conditioner, wash or replace the air filter approximately once a month during the hot weather season. This will help prolong the life of your air conditioning unit, increase its level of efficiency (thereby reducing running costs) and improve the quality of the air in your house.
The two standard kinds of air filters are the washable steel mesh form and the woven fibre glass type which is not reusable. These filters slide into the ductwork or blower compartment. You can further improve the performance of your central air conditioner by clearing all the grass, bushes, flowers and picking up the debris from around the outside compressor box.
Furthermore, if the outdoor apparatus is ever in full sunlight when it is in use, put up a small structure like a simple lean-to over it to keep it in the shade. Then it will not have to labour so hard. It will also keep the snow and rain out of it during the winter. Get both the internal and external units looked at by an expert every two years.
Other basic air conditioning maintenance tips are to take the ‘top’ off your blower unit before the start of the summer and grant it some attention. Gently remove the build-up of dust and grease on the blades of the fan, Then lightly oil the fan’s shaft and bearings so that it will turn more freely. If your fan or blower is belt driven, check the fan belt for wear and tear, tension and alignment. Correct as you would for a vehicle.
The motors on most modern blower units are completely sealed and self-lubricating, but the older ones have an oil reservoir which has to be refilled every year. Check that, clean the sump, if you have one and fill up with clean oil.
You can also scrub the coil, which is a loop of metal tubing. Vacuum it and then lightly clean it with a tooth brush and something like methylated spirits in order to degrease it. Mop up any spillage. All of these jobs can be applied to the outside unit too, because it too has a fan and a coil. Clean any cobwebs from the case’s vents too.
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with central air conditioning systems. If you are interested in Home Air Conditioning Systems, please click through to our site.