Toni Dimaano Tech 10.19.2022 21:Oct PM EDT

Here’s How to Properly Maintain Your Air Conditioner

An air conditioner needs regular maintenance for the unit to function at its optimum capacity, ensuring effectiveness and efficiency through its service.

By neglecting necessary maintenance, your air conditioners might see a steady decline in performance, even consuming more energy than you may have preferred.

With that said, here are seven tips on how you can keep your air conditioning units in tiptop shape, to keep your comfort at home:

1. Consider The Unit You Are Using

According to Family Handyman, air conditioners are carefully sized based on a room's need per cubic feet, which is why the size matters when you are planning to install a unit at home.

With this, it is important to consider that air conditioners will work too hard if the space they are cooling us in is bigger than it should be, wearing its system out as it fails to meet demands.

2. Change Your Air Filters Monthly

The most important maintenance task in air conditioning might be the routine inspection and cleaning of the unit's filter.

The Department of Energy writes that dirty filters can reduce the efficiency of a unit by obstructing air flow and impairing the coil's insulation capacity.

You should remove the cage fan and fasteners using a screwdriver or wrench, lift the cage or fan grill away, and clean debris that obstruct your unit from the inside, HGTV advises.

3. Keep The Coils Clean

It is also necessary to dust off the evaporator coil, and to clean it out on a drain pan with soap, hot water and a little bleach.

Over time, the coils become insulated and strained by all the dust or debris, which is why they should be checked every year and cleaned when necessary, the Department of Energy writes.

4. Fix Your Fins And Pads

Sansone Air Conditioning also says that you should regularly check the fins to make sure that they have not been bent.

Bent fins can cause insufficient air flow, that is why it is advised that you realign bent or crushed fins with gentle pressure from a dinner knife or a fin brush, Family Handyman says.

If your central air conditioning system is installed on a concrete pad, you should also check if there are any strains on the copper coolant tubes and electrical lines.

5. Regularly Inspect The Drain

The condensation and evaporator drains are also integral to the effective functioning of an air conditioning system, so it is important to periodically check them with a stiff wire.

A clogged drain in the channels can prevent a unit from reducing humidity, which may result in excessive moisture and AC water overflow.

6. Prepare It For The Seasons

In the winter, you should cover your air conditioner or remove it for storage as it will protect the unit from the harsh winter weather and the debris that may come with it, HGTV says.

Come the warm season, you should also make sure that it is in good working condition to keep your space cool when it gets hot outside.

You can use the HVAC system checklist to assess your unit that can be accessed through this link.

7. Schedule Professional Maintenance Check Ups

While it is important to check up on your AC unit from time to time, an air conditioner needs more than just a regular maintenance sometimes.

Sansone Air Conditioning believes in the importance of cleaning the entire AC, inspecting and tuning it, and ensuring that it is functioning at optimal levels without any issues.

A well-trained technician might help you test refrigerator leaks, measure air flow and thermostat accuracy, and verify the correct electric sequence to control your system among others.

As a homeowner, the air conditioning system might be one of the most important and expensive investments you might have, which is why it is important to make small efforts to maintain it.