maintaining your air conditioner
DESCRIPTION
It is a common misunderstanding that when one purchases and has a new Air Conditioner installed, that the job ends there.TRANSCRIPT
Maintaining Your Air Conditioner
It is a common misunderstanding that when one purchases and has a new Air Conditioner installed, that the job ends there. Frequently, the home owner uses their unit, with no regular maintenance, and when is stops working, the fateful call for the repairman is made. In truth, with regular, easy, commonplace maintenance, the function and life of an AC unit can be extended many years.
Maintaining Your Air Conditioner
To understand the care required, one must first understand the basic parts of the unit, and how each can be monitored, how preventive care is done, and thus the need to assess malfunctionwill occur much less frequently. Overall, this will decrease the cost of running an AC unit, as well as the maintenance costs needed over time.
Maintaining Your Air Conditioner
The Filter
All AC units have a filter which cleans the air flowing into the unit from particulate matter, dust, hair, etc. It is critical that these filters are checked and cleaned or replaced on a regular schedule. One must locate the filter, usually in the duct in a wall or ceiling. There are now many different types of filters, with different filtration power and lifespans. Different filters have different maintenance schedules, and it is a wise choice to check them more frequently than recommended, especially if in older, dusty homes, and in homes with shedding animals. Aggressive maintenance will decrease the cost of running the AC, as well as increase the unit’s efficiency. A very basic tenet is to check and/or replace filters every one to two months during warm weather.
Components of Your Central AC unit
Maintaining Your Air Conditioner
The Coils, Fins and Drains
Air travelling through the filter then is carried to the evaporator coil and condenser coil. These parts get clogged up with soilage over the course of the use of the AC unit. Eventually, regardless of the filter’s status, these will get dirt and debris on them over time. Dirt in these parts will cause them to lose heat, and decrease the overall functionality of the unit. It is also critical to have these parts checked on a yearly basis for damage and soilage. Outdoor units must be free from trees, leaves, and dust. Keeping the area that is around your unit clean from debris will give extra added life to your unit. Over the coils lie fins which easily get bent and damaged, hence obstructing the unit. Since these fins are a soft metal, they can easily be brushed into position. It is also important to assure the patency of the drain, as moisture easily backs up and causes mold and other property damage.
Maintaining Your Air Conditioner
Other Safety Recommendations
In order to get maximum performance from your AC unit, preparing for each season is critical. After summer, AC units outdoors should be secured and covered to protect them from damage during inclement weather. Prior to the warm season, the units need to be uncovered, inspected for damage, and all parts mentioned above inspected and updated. If any question or uncertainty, the best option is to call your local HVAC repairman, and not put yourself in harm’s way.
Maintaining Your Air Conditioner
This article is penned by Lora Davis for All Leaks. All Leaks is a heating and air contractor that provides all kinds of repairs, maintenance, installation services in Bergen County NJ and other nearby areas. In case you need a air conditioning contractor Bergen County NJ then give them a call at 201-898-1795 today and say goodbye to your AC problems.
