The keys to prolonging the useful lives of home devices are regular cleaning and preventative maintenance. The air conditioning unit in your house or place of work is no exception to this rule. Similar to how you might get checkups regularly to ensure everything is fine, maintaining your air conditioner can tell you if it is operating at its best. Indoor cooling will be much more difficult if you don’t. Amid a South African summer, this is hardly an optimal situation. In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of keeping your air conditioner clean and in good working order, as well as what you can expect from a professional cleaning and maintenance service on your unit.
Why You Should Maintain and Clean Your Unit
The Productivity of Air Conditioners
Maintaining your air conditioner regularly is essential if you want it to perform at peak efficiency and keep you cool in the summer (or warm during the winter months). If you just let your air conditioner run, it will eventually get blocked up with particles and dust, and the frequent wear and tear will reduce its cooling ability.
Cost and Use of Electricity
Next, we’ll look at how improper AC upkeep can affect your monthly utility costs. If the unit isn’t in good working condition, it will devour much more electricity than it should, which will increase your monthly utilities bill just like it would with any other broken household appliances.
A further implication is made that environmental damage is caused by using too much electricity. Most people today are conscious of the devastation that greenhouse gas emissions and wasteful practises having wreaked on Earth. Let’s avoid adding to that number!
Heavy Costs of Repairs and Replacements
When the price of regular maintenance is weighed against the price of having to replace a broken air conditioner, the value of routine maintenance becomes clear. Spending money on a handful of servicing sessions might appear to be an “unnecessary” cost, but in the long run, you’ll save a lot of money because your machine will last a lot longer. Maintaining a regular cleaning schedule is also beneficial.
Quality of Inside Air
You and your family will enjoy better air quality thanks to regular air conditioning maintenance, which is often overlooked. Air conditioners that aren’t maintained properly get filthy and stop working. Moist air is produced, which can carry a variety of unpleasant odours as well as various types of particles and dust. You can maintain an environment free of mould, bacteria, and fungi by scheduling routine maintenance.
What You Should Expect From a Professional Air Con Cleaning Company
Getting the Air Conditioner Ready for Cleaning
As scheduled, your technician will assess the current state of your air conditioning unit and offer suggestions for improving its operation. According to GreeDirect, a company specialising in air conditioning units and maintenance, “They should be industry specialists that are professionally trained and qualified and are familiar with the many parts and operations of your air conditioner.” Cleaning should not begin until the “chill factor” and airflow have been checked.
Standardised Aircon Inspection
Standard maintenance from most companies involves verifying the pressure levels, cleaning the air filters, and performing a visual check of your AC unit. This is a fantastic method for identifying issues early on before they escalate.
Filter Maintenance
The filters in your air conditioning unit should be cleaned every time you service it. Cleaning once a year with a household vacuum and then a sponge with soapy water is insufficient. For cleaning, many businesses today rely on specialised pieces of machinery.
Purifying the Entire AC System
Clean the coil, the drain, the scroll fan and the surrounding area, and any electronic parts like PC boards with a dry cloth. Both the plastic fascia and the controls for the TV and stereo must be cleaned thoroughly. Ultimately, if your outdoor condenser unit is located on the ground, they should clean it for you. Condensers installed on rooftops or other exposed locations clean themselves automatically.
Risk Knowledge
Your air conditioner’s outer casing may look uncomplicated, but once you open it, you’ll find a maze of intricate wiring and moving parts. It’s also important to note that air conditioning units need electricity as well as gas to function. These are potentially lethal if used by someone without proper training. This is what the professionals will have a look at and they will know how to work with these harmful things.
They Will Look at It and Clear It Out if Necessary
Your air conditioner’s drain empties the evaporator coil of any compensation that has accumulated. It’s simple to forget about this system whenever you’re cleaning the appliance. Algae and colds thrive in damp environments and can quickly clog drains and ruin the user experience if they are not regularly cleaned. Here are some warning signals that may indicate a clogged drain:
- A musty, mouldy odour
- Problems with the air conditioner
- Any liquid that escapes from the units
- Water damage that can be seen with the naked eye
Put the Fins Back in Order and Give Them a Good Cleaning
The fins are susceptible to blockage just like the rest of the AC. They’re pliable and soft, so they can be bent to open spaces. Environmental debris, such as sticks and stones, can dent or otherwise damage the fins and prevent the unit from dissipating heat as efficiently as possible.
Verifying Adequate Levels of Coolant
The efficiency with which your unit chills your household depends heavily on the amount of refrigerant it contains. Insufficient levels can cause your system to freeze up or overload itself as it tries to compensate. The opposite is true, however, and excessive refrigerant levels can speed up the deterioration of your system. In any case, having an expert inspect these settings as part of routine AC maintenance allows for any necessary adjustments to be made on the fly.
Checking the Air Blower’s Rotor
The blower wheel pushes air through the coils of your air conditioner. This wheel is crucial to the smooth operation of your air conditioner, and any imbalance or damage to it can result in serious complications. That’s why it’s so important to have a professional check it out and make any necessary adjustments regularly.
Thermistor Verification
The thermistor keeps track of the temperature within your air conditioner, allowing you to control the amount of energy consumed. Overheating or unnecessary energy consumption could result from a malfunctioning of this part. This is why they must be checked at every service visit for the air conditioner.
Listening for Strange Noises
Loose parts or malfunctioning bearings could be to blame for the strange sounds coming from your air conditioner. An expert inspection should be scheduled as quickly as possible to catch problems early and fix them before additional damage occurs.
Tightening Any Moving Components
Vibrations during operation can loosen screws and other internal moving parts, causing your air conditioner to malfunction. If not addressed, this could lead to diminished performance and early component wear and tear. Having these fasteners tightened at regular intervals during AC maintenance visits will help your unit last longer and function more reliably.
Run Final Tests on the Air-Conditioning Unit
Finally, after completing all required maintenance duties, a reliable AC servicing company must always conduct a test of the unit. If you do this, you can rest assured that any issues with your unit have been fixed and that it is operating at peak performance.
Summary
You can see that there is a lot involved in maintaining an air conditioner. However, you need not worry about a thing if you hire a professional air conditioning service. Make sure to keep your unit in tip-top shape all summer by scheduling regular maintenance checks.