Just like any complex pieces of machinery or mechanical systems, air conditioning units require regular attention and servicing. Even if your home air conditioning unit appears to be in good working condition, keeping it well maintained is essential to keep it that way.
There are various different reasons why you need to service your air conditioning unit. This includes things like improving the quality of the air, boosting performance, minimizing the spread of bacteria and viruses, improving efficiency, and increasing the lifespan of the air conditioning unit.
While some things regarding your air conditioning unit should be left to the professionals to do, suh as an ac tune up in Frisco, TX, there are some things that you can attempt to do yourself – if you feel comfortable enough to do so that is. There are also things that you can do with your air conditioning unit to save money and greatly increase its lifespan.
Read The Manufacturer’s Instructions
Any air conditioning that you purchase will come with either instructions or an owner / user manual that contains all of its key features, instructions on how it works, and how best to look after it. For instance, it tells you how to get access to and change the air filters, along with other important components.
In addition to this, the manufacturer’s instructions also detail how to operate your air conditioning unit correctly, including what settings should be used. By following these instructions, it helps to boost its lifespan, as well as save you both time and money. You should read this regularly so that the information stays fresh in your mind.
If you no longer have or can find the manufacturer’s instruction manual, most times they are available to download directly from their website.
Regularly Check and Clean the Filters
A highly effective way of maintaining your air conditioning unit is by regularly cleaning the filters. Doing this is also very important for maintaining a healthy environment within your property. This is especially true for ducted air conditioning systems.
A filter is there to stop pollutants, grime, dust, or any other harmful airborne particles from circulating in the air in your home. If these things are not caught by the filter, it can lead to a build up of mold and dirt within the air conditioning unit itself. When this happens, moldy air flows into each room of your property, potentially causing serious health problems for anyone breathing it in.
In addition to the potential health problems that a build up of mold can cause, it also makes your air conditioning unit have to work harder, thus reducing the overall lifespan of it, as the various components inside of it wear out much faster. This will also greatly increase the cost of your utility bills.
To know when a filter need changing out, hold it up to a light bulb and if you are unable to see through it then it either needs cleaning or replacing if it is a disposable filter.
Regularly Check and Clear the Condensate Drain
A common sign that your air conditioning unit needs a service is a blocked condensate drain. This part of it is connected to either the tray of the indoor unit or the drain pan, and runs out into a collection point on the exterior of your property. It lets the condensation that is produced during the cooling process to be taken away.
However, from time to time, blockages can occur through a build up of mold, slime, and / or algae. Also, insects like cockroaches or beetles can climb up into there, get stuck and die, blocking the drain. There is also the possibility that some of the components on the indoor unit can break away and get caught up in the drain, blocking it up.
Blockages have the potential to cause a flow of water somewhere else – somewhere that it should not be flowing, eg. through an air vent or out of a light fitting. In the worst possible case, a blocked condensate drain can lead to an entire ceiling to collapse.
The problem with water leakes is that they are not always immediately obvious and can remain hidden within the indoor unit for some time. The way that you check for a blocked condensate drain is by doing a visual inspection of the condensate tray. If there is water collecting there and is not draining away, this is a sign that the drain is blocked.
The drain tray is situated underneath the indoor evaporator coil within the wall splits units. You will visibly be able to see whether or not there is any pooling of water happening when taking out the air filter.
The condensate drain may run into a drain, down piper, or gutter. However, sometimes it just runs off into your yard. Where you have easy access to the very end of the condensate drain, you should use a dry / wet vacuum cleaner to suck out the blockage. Doing this should fix the problem and allow the drain to function correctly once again.
If a water leak still persists after taking this action or if ice begins to build up, this may be the sign of a more serious underlying problem that requires the expertise of a professional to fix.
Listen To the Indoor Unit
It is helpful to pay good attention to the normal operating noise that your air conditioning unit makes, so that when it starts making an unusual sound, you can quickly pick up on it and begin to resolve the issue.
Clanking or banging are the types of noises that you will hear when a part has either come loose or is broken. This may be something like an out of balance fan barrel or an indoor blade / motor. Depending on the exact location of the party and the severity of the damage, it may require looking at before the air conditioning unit can be used again. However, it could simply be a case of continuing to monitor the air conditioning unit and allowing it to run up until the point of failure where it is already near the end of its lifespan.
A squealing noise may be an indication of a faulty component, like a bearing or as the housing of an indoor fan. However, in some air conditioning units, this noise can be quite normal when it is starting up.
Chattering or rattling noises can be indicative of a wide range of problems with an air conditioning unit, such as a failing fan or contactor. It may also be caused by things like loose bolts and / or screws. If left untreated, these things can potentially damage other components within the unit. In order to avoid this from happening, the air conditioning should not be used until the issues are fixed.
Apart from when the air conditioning unit is initially starting up, a humming or clicking noise is not normal and may be a sign of a problem, such as a defective or failing electrical component. This may be the wiring or even the thermostat. The noise could also be coming from something like a loose part.
An air conditioning unit can potentially make a wide range of noises and sounds that are an indication that something is not quite right with it. By knowing what the normal operating sounds are, it allows you to quickly and easily identify any problems.
Do Some Gardening
Where an air conditioning unit is close to flora and natural habitats, there is the risk that it may be damaged by wild or domestic animals. Those animals that are most commonly associated with damage to air conditioning units include possums, rodents, frogs, snakes, lizards, cockroaches, ants, and geckos.
For this reason, it is important to get green fingered and start looking after organic items, such as vertical gardens, potted plants, grass, weeds, trees, flower beds, foliage, bushes, that are close to your property. While you can still have these things, it is best to try and keep them as far away as possible from your external air conditioning units.
It is not just organic items on the exterior of your property that you need to be concerned about, you also need to think about house plants or anything similar that you have growing within your property, as they may be home to small creatures and insects. There is the potential for these living things to get into the air conditioning unit and cause serious damage, erespeicslly to the circuit boards and other elecrticsl components.
Regularly Perform Warranty Checks
A valuable part of maintaining your air conditioning unit is by completing regular warranty checks. The owner / user manual details all of the things that must be done to care for the unit to keep the warranty intact. If you fail to do these things then your warranty will be void. This means that if anything happens to your air conditioning unit that is the fault of the manufacturer, you will not be entitled to have the unit fixed or replaced free of charge.
It certainly pays to do regular warranty checks of your air conditioning unit not only to keep it in good working condition, but also to keep the warranty in place should something more serious go wrong with it and it needs to be replaced or fixed.
Listen To the Outdoor Unit
It is worthwhile getting to know the sounds that the outdoor unit makes as it works normally. This way, you will easily pick up on any unusual noises that it starts to make which may be a sign of a problem inside of the unit.
A clunking or banging sound is a clear sound that there is a loose or broken part within the outdoor unit. It may be something like an out of balance motor or a fault fan blade. It may also be an indication of a problem with the compressor, something which is a very big problem that needs to be looked at by a professional.
Squealing is a clear sign of a faulty component, such as a fan motor. However, for some types of outdoor units, a little bit of squealing when it is first starting up is actually normal. This is exactly why it is important to know how the outdoor unit typically sounds.
Buzzing is another noise that you may experience and can actually be a sign of various different issues. It could be a dirty condenser coil, loose blades, a loose outdoor fan motor, out-of-balance fans, a gas leak, or loose refrigerant pipes that are rubbing together against one another. Also, if an outdoor unit begins to ice up, it too can create an air conditioning buzzing sound.
There are so many different noises that an outdoor unit can make when it is not functioning the way it should. By knowing how it should sound, you are able to pick up on any issues early on so that you can prevent them from becoming major problems.
Test And Inspect the Controller
Giving the control unit a regular visual check and making sure that all the functions on it work is a good way of maintaining the overall working condition of your air conditioning unit. You can do this every time that you use it so that any issues are identified right away.
When doing this, check each of the flaps, covers, and buttons to make sure that they are working as they should. Loose buttons will not only result in the controller any longer being fully functional, but if they come off completely, they can be a potential choking hazard should a small child find one and put it in their mouth.
Also check the wiring on the buttons and that all of the pixels on the screen are working. You should change the batteries in an air conditioning controller every year to prevent them from leaking inside of it and causing serious damage.
