Just a few easy steps in caring for an air conditioner(ac) can save money and extend the life of an air conditioner. Like most home devices, air conditioners need basic maintenance to reduce cooling costs and to stay comfortable in hot weather.
The ideal time to do maintenance is when an air conditioner is not in use; in the springtime or early fall. Like plumbing, it is best not to wait until a pipe freezes to fix a problem that could have been prevented. If you can avoid calling a company like AC Repair Atlanta when your unit goes out, you can save yourself a lot of headache, discomfort, and money.
There are two main components to an air conditioner; the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. The outdoor unit is composed of the condenser and the compressor. The indoor unit contains the evaporator. Most parts are located in similar areas of an air conditioner but the manufactures manual can be quite helpful.
Maintaining the outdoor unit can be done by cleaning any dirt and debris that has collected over the year. There are coils that will probably need cleaned as well. The best way to clean the coils is with a industrial coil cleaner that can be found at most hardware stores. But make sure to turn the air conditioner(ac) off before any maintenance is done. In cleaning the fins it is of utmost importance to be extremely careful because they can be damaged quite easily. A soft brush, vacuum, or fin comb can be used to gently clean the fins.
There are several steps for maintaining the indoor units. One of the most important steps is cleaning or replacing the filters. A dirty filter not only clogs the system and puts strain on the system it also can encourage bacteria and mold to grow. Ideally, filters should be checked every 30 days for cleaning.
The coolant levels should also be checked for leaks. If a leak is suspected it is recommended to call a Freon specialist due to government guidelines. Other good maintenance practices are adjusting the thermostat to assure the air conditioner is not being overloaded and checking the belts to see if they need replaced.