With record-breaking temperatures and unbearable heat, your air conditioner proves to be one of the most dependable appliances year after year. But with continuous operation, your AC unit can also stand out as a demanding fixture during each summer.
Yes, your air conditioner or AC unit provides quite a bit of value throughout the year but especially during the hot summer months but can require quite a bit of investment. The investment for your air conditioner can come upfront but it will certainly also be ongoing. If you have had to purchase an air conditioning unit, you know how much of an investment it is initially. But you also know how much you must allocate each year to continue to run your AC unit and obtain the right level of comfort from the appliance.
But that is not all. You must ensure to maintain the AC unit regularly.
If you don’t maintain your air conditioner, it can present different air conditioner-oriented challenges on an ongoing basis. From insufficient cooling to excessive condensation, you can run into a variety of problems that turn an already difficult season into a consistent struggle.
To help you run your air conditioner without unnecessary issues, here’s a lowdown on maintaining your unit in an ideal way. By following these tips, you can ensure to enjoy optimal temperatures with minimal problems to boot.
Remember that you can always count on us to deliver air conditioner maintenance service. We offer professional air conditioner maintenance among a slew of other services to keep you warm and cool throughout the year. If you are looking for cool air from your AC unit or if you are looking for heating solutions, our professionals at Pauls HVAC will certainly be here for you. If you find that you have issues with your air filter or that you cannot obtain cool air, then reach out to us and we would be glad to offer professional air conditioner maintenance and much more solutions.
Focus on the Filters
In an air conditioner, the air filter will keep the circulating air clean of dust and grime. This provides your household or office space with refreshing temperatures without being exposed to excessive contaminants.
But over time, these air filters can also fall prey to buildup from these contaminants. When that happens, your air conditioner reduces its efficiency to cool the surrounding air. It can also open doors to a variety of issues that include but are not limited to overheating water leakage, and increased energy usage.
In essence, you do not want to have a dirty air filter for too long.
You can steer clear of these air condition systems problems by simply keeping your filters clean. Even when you have air conditioners, the process is easy to follow and just requires you to take out the AC unit filters before cleaning them off. In addition to dusting the AC unit filters, you can also run them under water to clear them of any dust buildup. You can then place them back in your air conditioning unit and see the difference.
In other cases, air filters that have lived out their age don’t perform well even after cleaning. But the solution to this issue isn’t difficult either. In such scenarios, you can purchase new air filters to replace the older ones and enjoy optimal cooling from your AC unit for the duration of the season.
Clean the Coils on the AC Unit
The metal coils on your air conditioner are yet another pressure point. In your indoor unit, these are known as evaporator coils. In the outdoor unit, they are referred to as condenser coils. In both cases, these bent coils are accompanied by metal linings or fins.
When you keep your air filters clean, you can boost the performance and longevity of the evaporator coils on your indoor unit. However, these coils will still catch dirt throughout their operation. Without proper maintenance, this is bound to affect your air conditioner’s performance.
In a similar fashion, the condenser coils on the outdoor unit also collect dirt and debris with a continuous function. While you cannot block out all exposure to these contaminants due to the placement of your outdoor unit, it is still important to deploy regular maintenance for it.
Keeping this in mind, it is recommended that you clean or service your air conditioner coils at least once a year. If you live in an area that is prone to dust, you can repeat this action twice a year. This ensures that your air conditioner keeps performing to its full capacity.
Maintain Coil Fins
The fins that are placed right beside the coils also need your proper attention. In an indoor unit, these fins are located just beyond the air filters. In an outdoor unit, they are visible from the get-go and placed behind a metal grille.
Similar to coils, these fins are also prone to collect dust and debris over continuous operation. If these fins are not cleaned over time, they can also bend easily and block airflow throughout the unit. This causes undue pressure on your air conditioner and also affects its ability to cool the surrounding air.
Since these fins are very delicate, it is advised that you leave intricate tasks to the professionals. But you can still carry out maintenance tasks such as using a special fin comb to clear debris build-up from in between these metal linings. This ensures that your air conditioner fins perform as intended and steer clear of airflow issues.
While you might be inclined to deploy measures such as power washing to clean these fins, it is important to remember that such an action can cause these fins to bend. Due to this reason, you should only use a fin comb to gently run it between the fins and not deploy any strong measures against this part of your air conditioner.
Check the Drain
The drain in your air conditioner plays an important role in flowing excess moisture that is produced through condensation. Keeping your air filters clean can help with excess condensation and prevent the formation of extensive moisture. However, bacteria that build up over time can still clog your air conditioner drain.
When this happens, your air conditioner starts showing draining problems and releases the produced moisture through the indoor unit. This can damage your walls and floors, while also leading to moisture-related issues such as mold formation.
In order to steer clear of these problems, you should keep checking your drain to ensure that the moisture is passing through without any issues. For proper maintenance, you can carefully run a wire through the drain to ensure that it remains clear of any bacteria. Along with cleaning your air filters, this activity can go a long way towards maintaining your air conditioner.
If you keep checking your drain for issues but still find excess moisture build-up around your indoor unit, it would be time to do an inspection again. More often than not, clearing the drain buildup with the aforementioned tip can resolve the issue. Otherwise, you might need to call a professional for targeted repair.
Get Regular Maintenance Through Professionals
While these tips can help you run your air conditioner without excessive problems, you would still need professional maintenance services at least once a year to ensure that your air conditioner is working properly.
This makes sure that if there are any leakage or parts issues in your air conditioner, they can be repaired properly before you run your unit for the season. Additionally, it also ensures that you have a properly maintained air conditioner that only needs minimal DIY maintenance to perform to full capacity afterward.
At Paul’s HVAC, our qualified technicians can help you keep your air conditioner in optimal shape. Besides allowing you to enjoy cooler temperatures in blistering heat, getting professional assistance also reduces the burden on your energy bills.
To see how our solutions can help, don’t hesitate to contact us for a free quote today. We will be glad to understand your concern and deploy the perfect solution for your needs right away. Reach out to us at Paul’s HVAC today for your air conditioning systems. If you need to make sure that your air conditioners stay running during hot seasons, make sure to give us a call right away.
We know how important cold air and a working air conditioning system are to our clients and we make sure to conduct AC unit or conditioner maintenance to increase the reliability and durability of your cooling system.
