Servicing and Maintaining your Air Conditioner

Why servicing your air conditioner is important?

Air conditioning systems are fairly complex pieces of machinery, with various parts working together to control the climate. If a machine is regularly used and expected to last for longer than a few years, it must be serviced to keep it working correctly, and to prolong its life. This includes your car, boat, bicycle, smoke alarm, hot water system, furnace, and air conditioner.

Servicing your air conditioner has the following benefits:

• It will last for longer—by keeping the air conditioner clean, intact, and with the correct refrigerant levels, it won’t need to work harder than required, and as a result, will lengthen the life of its parts.

• There will be fewer breaks—regularly servicing your air conditioner helps to keep its parts in good condition, and running smoothly, resulting in fewer breakages.

• It will reduce your electricity bills—an air conditioner that doesn’t need to work harder than necessary will use less electricity, and lower your bills.

• Your health may be improved—air conditioners collect dust, pollen, mould, and other nasty pollutants. If these aren’t regularly removed, it can lead to health problems such as coughing, wheezing, earaches, stomach bugs, skin issues, irritated nasal passages, infection, allergies, and asthma problems. Servicing your air conditioner helps to improve air quality, and inturn keep your health intact.

• Your air conditioner may be quieter—unserviced air conditioners are much more likely to develop problems, which can lead to rattling, grinding, cracking, gurgling, popping, and a host of other irritating sounds. These can often be fixed with a service or a repair.

How often should you get your air conditioner serviced?

It’s recommended to service your air conditioner once a year, as well as cleaning your filters every few months.

How to maintain your air conditioner

Cleaning the filters (split systems)

Many air conditioners have removable filters that should be regularly cleaned. Usually, you can open the front cover of the unit, remove the filters, and vacuum them clean. For any stubborn dirt, you can soak the filters for a few hours in a solution of one-half cup of vinegar and one-half cup of water, giving them plenty of time to dry before refitting them.

Cleaning the louvres (split systems)

Louvres are the oscillating blades that direct the airflow from the air conditioner. You can clean them with a vacuum cleaner, and a damp cloth for any stubborn dirt.

Removing debris from the outdoor unit

The outdoor unit will often become soiled with dirt, leaves, and other debris, and should be removed if so.

Still have questions? Contact us to discuss your air conditioning needs and how we can help.

References

• Air Conditioner Electricity Usage & Costs Explained, Canstar Blue