An air conditioner, be it in your home or office, runs around the clock, and due to overdrive, it’s common for your air conditioner to break down. Once it breaks down, you might have to spend a few hours or a day without an AC. Thus, you can imagine how unbearable it will be, especially when it’s one of the hottest days in Dubai.
AC technicians have shared that a little maintenance can protect your air conditioning unit from a miserable breakdown. The correct AC maintenance tips can relieve you from a sweaty summer experience and protect your appliance from major issues. In addition, you can save money as a well-maintained AC unit consumes less energy than an ill-maintained one.
Are there different maintenance routines to follow for different types of AC units? No, you can go through the following AC maintenance tips experienced professionals provide. They apply to split, window, HVAC, hybrid, or any other air conditioner available.
Let’s check out what you need to do to maintain your air conditioner:
Clean the Condensate Drain
AC technicians say that more than 50% of aircon issues are caused by a blocked condensate drain. Treating a clogged condensate drain is easier than you think. This drain lets the condensed water vapour formed within the unit pass through.
Due to moisture, it’s common for the condensate drain to indulge in breeding algae, moulds, fungi, etc. Consequently, the drain might get clogged, and the water can’t be drained properly.
If the air conditioner can’t drain properly, the humidity level will increase gradually. Hence, you will feel uncomfortable, and the air conditioner will work harder than needed. If you don’t clean the condensate drain, this might lead to a broken or damaged AC.
How can you check whether the drain is clogged or not? You have to pass a wire through the condensate drain to test if it’s clogged or not. Utilise a shop vacuum to clean the condensate drain, and you will get a clear condensate drain. After clearing the drain, you can experience cool and comfortable airflow from the air conditioning unit.
Take care of Air Filters
The function of air filters is to filter the air reaching you from the air conditioner. Therefore, air filters turn dirty and dusty with every aircon cycle. Cleaning those air filters will do most of the AC maintenance. There are several perks of cleaning and replacing air filters regularly.
First, you can keep the indoors clean and healthy with routine-cleaning air filters. Next, your air conditioner can run freely and provide uninterrupted cooling. Clogged air filters can block the cool airflow, and you might have to experience uneven cooling.
On the other hand, the thermostat feels that the room temperature is not the optimum as it should be. Consequently, it tells the air conditioner to run more cooling cycles so that the room reaches the desired temperature.
So, the AC unit has to work more, increasing the energy bills. Additionally, such overly active cycles might affect the appliance’s mechanism and counterparts.
Hence, AC technicians recommend air filter cleaning at least once a month. You can wash them and place them back in their positions when they dry out completely. However, air filters become ill-fitted and incompatible with filtering after several months. Therefore, change them with new filters and minimise the stress on your AC unit.
Inspect the Air Conditioner Fins
Understanding how your air conditioner works help in maintaining it. Your air conditioner has two components, called an evaporator and a condenser. Both these parts come with dedicated fins. With daily use and airflow pressure, these fins can bend a little.
The bending of fins can block the airflow, and you can feel insufficient cooling at your premises. Hence, you must keep the fins straight to enjoy cooling all around your home or office. You can do it yourself or hire professional help if you find that your AC’s fins are bent.
Fixing bent combs is easy with a dedicated tool. It’s better to use a fin comb to straighten them up. You can use a dinner knife to straighten those fins if you don’t have one. Make sure that you don’t put excessive pressure while fixing those bent fins. Otherwise, hire professional air conditioner maintenance to get things right.
Clean AC Coils
Coils inside any air conditioner assist the refrigerant in absorbing the heat from surrounding or collected air. So, air conditioner coils are responsible for cooling your room, and they will work fine till they are clean. Over time, dust and debris will gradually sit on the air conditioner coils.
As an outcome, accumulated debris can restrict the coils from performing their designated job. The coils fail to absorb heat properly when layers of dust keep accumulating on them. In turn, your air conditioner has to run more cooling cycles to absorb heat from your surroundings.
Apart from the evaporator coil within the AC unit, the outdoor or condenser coil can also get dirty when the environment is dusty. You might notice dust and dirt on coil fins and know it’s time to clean your AC coils.
It’s easy to clean condensers or outdoor coils. You can turn off the air conditioning unit and use a mixture of water and a compatible cleaning solution. In addition, you can trim twigs and shrubs if they are near your outdoor condenser unit.
Ensure that the condenser area is free from dust, debris, and contaminants. Condenser coils can be sharp, and cleaning evaporator coils is tricky. Hence, you should consider professional AC maintenance for better results.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
You can make your AC experience more streamlined and efficient with an advanced thermostat. Regulating temperatures manually can get hectic for homeowners. Especially when the temperature fluctuates and you must leave for work or any other purpose. Installing a programmable thermostat will tackle temperature control.
You need not hover over the thermostat whenever you change the temperature. Instead, the programmable thermostat will automatically adjust the temperature, and your AC will adapt it. Be it daytime or night, the thermostat will take care of your comfort level.
In addition, a programmable thermostat will reduce the pressure from your air conditioner. Moreover, the air conditioner will be more efficient, and there will be no extra cooling cycles. Thus, you can save on electricity bills.
You can purchase a compatible thermostat for your cooling system. Or, you can contact a professional AC technician to understand whether your cooling unit is compatible with the latest thermostat. Additionally, the expert can assist you in installing the thermostat properly.
Hire Professional AC Maintenance Technicians
A few air conditioner check-ups are easy to execute, and you can do them alone. However, you must have a busy schedule, and it’s not feasible for you to take over all the AC maintenance responsibilities on your own. Thus, you should go for a professional and reliable AC maintenance service.
On the other hand, AC technicians pay more attention to every detail and function of your air conditioner. They make sure that each part of the unit is working fine. In addition, regular maintenance routines can save your air conditioner from unexpected breakdowns and extend its lifespan. A qualified AC technician will look out for leaks, efficiency issues, and much more.
Here are a few things that AC technicians perform during a basic maintenance regime:
- Checking on the airflow via the air conditioner’s evaporator coil.
- Lubricating bearings and motors and inspecting belts for seams and tightness.
- Testing the electrical components and circuits.
- Check whether there is a refrigerant leakage by measuring the amount of the refrigerant.
- Treating the leakage if there’s any.
- Checking if there’s a leak in ducts.
- Complete cleaning of the air conditioning unit along with sanitisation.
- Testing the thermostat’s accuracy.
- Checking on the condenser unit.
Professional technicians test the ultimate result, accuracy, sensor operations, and more. In other words, you can retain your peace of mind with professional and dedicated aircon maintenance.
Book Urban Clap’s AC Maintenance for an Ultimate Solution
Apart from the above-mentioned tips, you should insulate your windows correctly so that cool airflow doesn’t leave your space. Make sure that you insulate the attic if it’s a multi-storied building. To get evenly cool airflow, keep air vents free from obstacles.
Selecting the right service vendor matters for your cooling investment. After all, it’s the maintenance service that extends your air conditioner’s lifespan, along with keeping it away from nasty repair issues. Get in touch with Urban Clap to immediately schedule AC maintenance at your home or office.