Air conditioning units do so much more than provide comfort to your home on a hot summer day. When used regularly, these cooling machines can aid in filtering your home’s indoor air and remove any pollutants in your surroundings.
It regulates the circulation of new and old particles and helps in preventing allergy and asthma attacks. However, due to its heavy-duty task, when left unclean and neglected, it’s more prone to damage and need for repairs.
To keep this from happening, you should schedule regular cleaning and check-ups. However, sparing time and money to arrange an appointment with expert repairmen and aircon servicing can be quite expensive.
So, instead of mainly relying on annual visits to maintain your air conditioner maintenance, you can do it yourself by inspecting the condenser coil, cooling fins, evaporators, and more. Here are some top tips to help you out:
1.Understand How AC Works
To determine which parts of your AC unit will need immediate cleaning, repair, and check-up you need to understand how the cooling system works. Firstly, an air conditioning system circulates the air around your house, until it reaches the appropriate temperature of your choosing.
It does this by sucking in hot air from inside the house and releasing it outside, while reintroducing filtered, and cooled air into the different ducts of your home.
This makes the filters and ducts the most susceptible to dust build-up and clogging. It’s also important to note, that an air conditioner does not introduce air from the outside, but instead processes the air from the inside. You won’t have to worry about pollen or allergens entering your home, overall improving the indoor air quality.
2.Keep Clean
One of the signs that your air conditioning requires cleaning or check-up is when it’s already blowing in hot air. A reason could be the lack of refrigerant, but unless you’ve detected a leak in your home, chances are, the filters have been clogged and it needs to be cleared out.
An average service for cleaning and air conditioner repair in Winnipeg will cost you less than ignoring its need for cleaning, which can later lead to damage and high power consumption.
However, if you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and do the job on your own, you’ll probably save more. As long as you have the proper tools, namely a screwdriver, fin comb, rags, vacuum, rags, motor oil, and coil cleaner, then you’re good to go.
Each air conditioner model will have its own specific design when it comes to opening it, so it’s better to do some research first.
3.Check/Fix AC Foundation Pads
AC foundation pads are commonly made of concrete or reprocessed composite, which sits right below your central air conditioner. It’s usually found outside the house and above the ground. This is to prevent pests from getting inside and to reduce ground vibration.
As time passes by, these concrete pads often sink, which could lead to your coolant tubes and electrical lines getting wet and damaged. So, once you’ve noticed the signs of settling, it’s best to reinforce it with a plastic pad or stronger material suitable for your home’s environment.
4.Purchase Programmable Thermostat
When you’re in a rush to leave home for work or to run an errand, you may forget to turn off your AC. Unfortunately, doing so can result in your electric bills skyrocketing and your air conditioner unit working at prolonged hours, which could lead to overheating.
So, to make sure that your AC is in sync with your activities, try updating it by making the thermostat programmable and reachable through your smartphone. This way, even when you’re not at home, you’ll be able to monitor and control your AC unit.
5.Unclog Condensate Drain Tube
Clogged drain lines and tubes can result in the internal AC to flood or leak. As this drain line plays a crucial role in regulating the humidity, moisture is bound to gather there. If something is blocking the way, be it dust or dirt, it could lead to poor humidity regulation performance and mould growth.
This mildew can spread and destroy your walls, stain your floors, and cause allergies. It can also weaken the structural integrity of your home, as the moisture infiltrates it. So, if you have a suspicion that your drain tubes are clogged, call an air conditioner repair emergency right away and have it fixed.
6.Schedule Replacement of Filters
HVAC units need their air filters replaced regularly. As the first one to sieve out dirt and dust, this AC component is bound to get worn out and broken.
Experts suggest that you should replace them every 3 months or 90 days. Don’t worry about the hassle, because a regular cleaning and replacement will only take about 30 minutes.
7.Check Insulations
AC insulation is crucial in ensuring your AC’s performance efficiency. It is responsible for limiting the heat loss and gains that it experiences while in operation. However, this lining can rot or get damaged over time, as they are constantly exposed to high temperatures.
Before it completely breaks down and causes the AC to overheat, make sure to check it regularly and replace them if needed.
8.Check for Air Leaks
Air leaks inside your home can greatly affect the performance of your AC. Since it’s all about controlling the energy and heat coming in and out of the infrastructure, you should cover up any crevice that may cause major heat leakage or entry. Having an exposed one will lead to an overworked AC unit.
9.Don’t Cover the AC with a Tarp
Protecting your condenser from outdoor exposure and weather is a good thing. However, completely covering it with a tarp or cloth can lead to disastrous results as condensers will tend to heat up. Prolonged covering of non-breathable material could lead to combustion or fires.
10.Schedule Professional Maintenance
When all else fails, and you feel like you can’t deal with the AC maintenance on your own, call a professional. Specializing in its electrical and mechanical components, the experts can offer you free advice on how to better maintain your AC for the future.
They’ll also be able to do the job faster and more thoroughly. So, if you think you can’t repair the unit on your own, schedule a bi-annual maintenance appointment.
Maintenance of AC units is not as difficult and menial as one might think. As long as you know how each component works and how it functions, you’ll be able to deal with the minor repairs and cleaning on your own.
Investing time, money, and effort in your air conditioning unit’s maintenance and repair will allow you to prolong its lifespan. Entrusting the maintenance to the experts is a sound investment so make sure to get in touch with them for AC installation or repair. Contact Abundant Air by dialling (204) 674-4568. We are available for you 24/7.
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