Last Updated on November 23, 2023 by Admin
Nothing beats the brutal Australian heat other than your trusty air conditioner. Face it; you would never get through sweaty and hot days if not for it. You wouldn’t feel comfortable and fresh in your home too.
Moreover, with its usage and service in your home, it’s only suitable for you to take good care of your air conditioner. It’s also crucial to perform constant inspections as conducting maintenance keeps it running efficiently and cost-effectively. You could even expect a well-maintained air conditioner to have fewer breakdowns.
If you want yours to have a longer lifespan, here are five steps to help you:
Turn the Power Off
You put yourself in a risky situation by cleaning your air conditioner without turning it off. Maintenance of your air conditioner entails having you poke around the unit and open up the entire system. If you’re cleaning your air conditioner with the power on, you may be at risk of an electric shock or fire.
Locate the service panel on the exterior compressor to turn the power off. This area is where a shut-off box would typically be located. If you’re having difficulty finding it, you could even deactivate your entire air conditioning system in your breaker box. Another option would be to check your air conditioner’s manual for a guide on turning it off.
Using a manual makes instructions more in-depth as it’s about the model you have. However, if you’re having issues even before you turn your air conditioner off, it’s best to check for any problems or unusual noises inside the appliance.
Hence, you must ensure that your air conditioner is always working in its prime to avoid incurring additional expenses when buying a new one, especially with its rising demand. In 2020, 90% of American homes had been using air conditioning units to keep days cooler. Moreover, Americans are using their air conditioners even more as summers grow hotter.
Such is the same for Australians, as there is one air conditioning unit within 4.6 million Australian homes. This has become common since heat waves are a natural hazard down under. Thus, there is a growing need for efficient air conditioners. Moreover, issues in your air conditioner pose issues in alleviating such heat, making repair air conditioner in Newcastle, Sydney, or Perth an absolute necessity.
Inspect the Outside Unit
Gradually, dirt, leaves, or grass clippings get built up in your outside unit, so it’s inevitable for this to get dirty. However, it doesn’t have to remain unclean since this decreases the capacity of your entire system to run smoothly. It could even increase your energy bills since your system would need more time to absorb and expel heat.
When inspecting and cleaning the outside unit, you can use water to wash out the debris gently. You could also start at the top and work your way down slowly. It would help if you also remembered not to use a power washer since using one could bend the fins on the coil and ultimately damage your air conditioner.
Likewise, it would be best if you took this time to trim any growing plants and weeds near the outside unit. You should also ensure a clear space around your unit to prevent anything from impeding its airflow. Lastly, you should dry your outdoor unit before closing and bolting it back.
Clean the Air Filters
Upgrading or cleaning your air filter is one of the essential maintenance tasks. With a good filter, you can expect clean air to circulate in your home since it helps block dust or pollen. It also traps bigger dust particles from your air conditioner and saves it from possible damage.
A clean air filter is even more critical if you have family members with asthma problems or allergies, a dusty or humid living region, or pets. Of course, if you have a reusable filter, you could always wash and clean it monthly. However, you could even opt to go for a change and buy new ones, especially if you’re experiencing bill spikes or a persistent allergy.
Check the Wiring
The next step would be to check your wiring. Here, checking your wiring ensures a smooth-operating air conditioner since internal connections make or break its system. You could remove the access panel and look for signs of overheating in its wires – this could include blackened or burnt wires or melted insulation.
Additionally, you could check any electrical connections to ensure they’re secure. You could even check the unit’s capacitors using an electrical test meter (if you have one). However, if you aren’t too keen on checking the wiring, you could even contact an expert to do the work for you.
Test Your Thermostat
Although a thermostat has a lifetime of 10 years, it’s never wrong to test your thermostat for any problems. Likewise, since you’ve already cleaned most of your air conditioner’s parts and given it time to dry, it’s time to turn on the power and test your cooling unit.
Once you turn your unit back on and adjust the temperature, you should instantly notice cool and refreshing air kicking in. There should be a noticeable change in the cold air blowing out the vents to ensure they’re working correctly. If you want, you could even test out your thermostat for any issues. For example, you could set it in different temperatures lower or higher than what you usually input.
Final Thoughts
The weather can be too hot to handle, especially down under. However, this is no problem, especially if you have a well-functioning air conditioner. Likewise, you could always follow these five simple steps for a well-maintained air conditioner, or you could even contact a professional to make your work easier. Nevertheless, regular maintenance is necessary to ensure the air conditioning system works well under the scorching.
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