How to Maintain Your Air Conditioner

As a homeowner, keeping your air conditioner in a prime state is crucial, especially if you’re living in warm weather. Doing this can also save you money and increase the lifespan of your conditioning system.

If you don’t know when your HVAC system requires maintenance, you’ll have to be mindful of its performance and energy consumption all the time. If it’s not as efficient as it used to be or if it’s using more energy than it should, then you’ll have to run a maintenance check. You can do this by following these simple steps.

Coil Maintenance

One of the main reasons that an AC needs maintenance is that dirt can accumulate over the condenser coils and evaporator. In addition to this, if the air filter inside the unit also needs cleaning, the coils will be soiled. When the coils are covered with dirt, the airflow will be reduced and the coils will lose their effectiveness in absorbing heat.

If you have an outdoor condenser coil, it will be even easier for them to become covered in dirt, especially if you live in Singapore. That’s why CoolEarth specialists recommend that you perform a standard AC washing, which will clean your coils and improve your air conditioner’s efficiency. They also advise you to purify your air filter to ensure that the coils won’t become soiled as well. 

Filter Maintenance

Air conditioner owners regularly change or replace the filters in their units. If your air filters become clogged with dirt and debris, then your unit won’t operate properly.

As mentioned before, unfiltered air will carry dust and debris to the inner coils and affect their effectiveness; thus, your energy bills will skyrocket. That’s why the practice of replacing air filters routinely will likely decrease your energy bill by 5% – 15%.

There are two types of filters that you can use: replaceable and reusable filters. The replaceable ones need to be changed more frequently, especially if you’re using the HVAC unit daily. Reusable filters, on the other hand, can be cleaned then used again; however, they can be more expensive than their counterparts, but if you think about it, their value can be equal to all replaceable filters you use in a certain period. 

Clean the Fins

Like all parts of your unit, the fins can easily get covered in dirt. To clean the fins, you can simply use a powerful vacuum with a brush attachment to ensure that all the dirt gets out. After doing this, spray water using a water hose from the inside to remove any debris, leaves, or buildup between the fins. Don’t apply much pressure, though, as it can damage the fins.

If the fins are still dirty after you vacuum and clean them with water, you can use a fin cleaning spray, which can be effective against removing dirt from spots that are difficult to reach. 

You should also make sure that the fins are in tip-top shape, which means that you have to keep them straight if they’re bent. You can do this by simply gently using a butter knife or a fin-straightening tool to straighten them. In either case, make sure that you do this as gently as possible to avoid damaging the fins tubing.

Clean around the Unit

You should start doing this by removing leaves and debris that are outside the condenser. If there are branches, leaves, or vegetation around the unit, make sure that they’re 2 feet away from the unit, so that airflow around the unit is not obstructed.

You won’t use the condenser in winter months, so covering the top of the unit with a plastic or a piece of plywood to keep leaves, debris, or dust from getting in is a good practice. However, only cover the top of the unit and not the sides, as this can lock moisture in, cause corrosion, and allow all sorts of pests to build nests inside.

Always Check the Condensate Drain

Condensate drain collects condensation created within the unit and expels it outdoors to ensure maximum efficiency, but with time and heavy use, condensate drains can be clogged and prevent the drainage process, which will affect the efficiency of your unit. Therefore, you should always do regular checks on the drain and make sure that it is draining water efficiently. 

HVAC systems are high-maintenance systems, and they’re not cheap, so cleaning up different parts of your unit should ensure that it can function properly at all times and will avoid you doing costly repairs. If you can’t clean your unit on your own, you can always hire an air conditioner service to do full maintenance.