One of the reasons for having to regularly call in technicians for the appliances in your home is due to negligent maintenance. An air conditioner system is one of the appliances that tends to be overlooked until a problem crops up. Usually by the time it is malfunctioning, the issue has become exacerbated and results in expensive repairs or complete replacement of the unit. To avoid these inconveniences and unnecessarily burning a hole in your wallet, you should embark on regular maintenance checks of your air conditioning system. Here are some handy tips to keeping your unit in optimum working condition.
Regularly changing the indoor filter
You air conditioner uses its filter to ensure the air that you breathe is free from contaminants. However, what most homeowners do not realize is that depending on the amount of dust and foreign debris in the air, your indoor filters can become dirty really quickly. If this dirt is not cleaned out, the airflow in the unit is impeded, thus forcing the pressure on the coil to decrease. This in turn makes the unit's compressor work harder in order to ensure that the optimum pressure is reached. Over time, your unit begins expending more energy when it is in use, thus steadily decreasing its efficiency. To ensure this does not occur, it is advisable to change the indoor filter regularly.
Keep the outdoor unit free from dirt and debris
For your air conditioner to work appropriately, there should be a free flow of air to the outdoors. To check if it is working optimally, you could place your hand atop the outdoor unit. A functional unit will give a blast of warm air indicating the air conditioning unit is working properly. However, if you feel like the air being emitted is too hot, then chances are there is debris that is blocking the airflow. These blockages will affect the capacity of your unit meaning it has to work for longer to achieve the appropriate temperature that you have set. If you notice there is dirt that has accumulated on the coil, the first step would be to disconnect the AC unit then proceed to take off its top. Do not attempt to hose water into the outdoor unit, as you will simply push the dirt further into the unit. Additionally, do not attempt to pull any of the wires present as this could cause a system malfunction. Once you are done cleaning the unit, ensure all the water has drained from it before you reconnect the power.
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