Maintenance of Air Conditioners
Air conditioners should be maintained on a regular basis to perform at an optimal level and ensure efficient operation. Negligence in maintaining will lead to inefficient working condition of the air conditioner. Read this article to know which parts of the AC should be maintained on a regular basis.
Filters: These are the most important part of the air conditioner and it has to be maintained for effective functioning. It needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. Filters that become dirty, blocks the airflow and has a great impact on its functioning. Cleaning or replacing the filters can reduce energy consumption by 5% to 15%. Some filters should be replaced and some can be reused. Clean your AC filters once in two months. If the air conditioners are used regularly, filters should be cleaned more frequently.
Coils: All the parts are inter related to each other. If filters are not clean, it effects the evaporator coil. A clean filter keeps the coil away from becoming dirty. It still collects dirt there by reducing the airflow and the ability to absorb heat decreases. This problem can be avoided by checking the coil every year and clean it required. Coils that are outdoor can also become dirty. Outdoor coil can be easily notice and if any dirt is accumulated it can be cleaned.
Coil Fins: These fins are made of aluminum. They are located on the evaporator and the condenser coil, they bent easily and can block the air flow. By replacing these fins by a tool called fin comb these fins will start working in their original condition.
Condensate drains: If the drain channels are blocked, humidity reducing capacity of the unit decreases that results in excess moisture. Moisture can effect your interiors of your house. It leads to discoloration of walls and carpets. So for cleaning the drains of the air condition, pass wires that are stiff to check whether the drain channels are blocked or not.
If required, call a technician: More than maintenance, some air conditioners need extra care, so it is better to take help of a technician.
A technician checks for the following things:
- Functioning of thermostat
- Whether the airflow from the coil is proper
- Puts oil in the motor if necessary
- Examines the refrigerant by leak detector
- Checks the electric wires and tightens the connections
- Checks for leakage from the ducts
- Checks whether the refrigerant is working properly
- If required, applies non-conductive coating