Air Conditioning Canberra- Maintaining Your AC
Maintaining your Air conditioning unit not only helps you save up on energy bills but is a great way to lower repair and replacement costs as well. Ever wondered how people never have to replace their cooling units? The key is a step by step easy maintenance program which ensures that your unit works as well as new, year after year.
Step by step guide to Air Conditioning Maintenance
- Before you start with the maintenance the main thing you have got to do is to shut down the power supply. Since there could be a variation in the current or voltage, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
- D not forget to turn the power off at the breaker box
- Remove the fan from the exterior portion of your unit. You would need to make use of a screw driver. Make use of a dry vacuum to remove any debris like leaves or dust particles stuck in the interior. If you don’t have a vacuum you can use your hands as well. Just make sure you wear gloves.
- When removing the outer covers use a garden hose to clean the fins from the inside and the outside as well. This helps get rid of any build up caused by dirt and debris. Never use a heavy spray as this might damage the interior. Instead a gentle stream from a garden hose works well most of the time.
- The next step is to straighten any bent fins using a small sharp knife. However make sure to use gentle movements as too much pressure might destroy the tubing. Any obstruction in the fins can reduce the efficiency of your air conditioning unit. Therefore it’s important to straighten the fins without causing any damage.
- You may need to remove any debris lying around the exterior of the unit. Also cut off branches at least at a two feet distance from the unit. This would prevent further buildup till you next maintenance step.
- During winter your unit might not be in use. It’s helpful to cover the exterior with a soft blanket to prevent buildup of dirt. Also it’s important to not cover the unit completely. Leave it open from the sides to prevent the buildup of moisture which might corrode the metal parts of the unit.
- Level up the unit. As time goes by the pad on which the unit rests might bend a bit. This is the number one cause of the condenser failing because dirt eventually starts to build up inside the unit. Always check the level of the condenser and make use of rot resistant shims to level it up again.
- Cleaning the evaporator coil is the next important step. Make use of a soft duster to clean the coils thoroughly. Spray the coil with a commercial coil cleaner. The spray would cause the foam t drop off into the drain pan. Make sure you clean the pan with a mixture of soap and hot water.
- Also make sure to clean the evaporator drain as it might be plugged with accumulated dirt.
These above mentioned steps help keep your air conditioner up and running. However, if you think you might not be able to handle it on your own, you could ask any technician from air conditioning in Canberra for help.