With summer comes the heat. People’s air conditioning turns on to enjoy comfortable temperatures inside all kinds of spaces. Normally, usage of air conditioning is for a few weeks in hot weather, but that does not mean you have to ignore it the rest of the year. To avoid scares and breakdowns, it is best to carry out air conditioning maintenance throughout the year. Here are several tips to keep it always ready.
Change and Clean Air Conditioning Filters
Air conditioning filters need changing every several months, but it all depends on how the air is used. If used for many months, then it is necessary to replace them every few times. If only used a few weeks a year, you replace them every couple of years and clean them every few months. In this way, you ensure that they are in good condition, and you extend their useful lives for a few months.
Changing air conditioning filters and removing them for cleaning are fairly simple and quick processes. In general, they do not offer complications, but you have to remove and replace them carefully so as not to break the hooks that keep them in place — the hooks of the unit and the hooks of the filters. Cleaning air conditioning filters is not complicated either, and soap and water are enough to remove their impurities and dirt.
Check the Status of the Outdoor Unit
When servicing your air conditioner, it is common to forget about your outdoor unit. However, to avoid performance problems you also have to check it. First, ensure that it is not blocked by something that fell on it or was placed too close to its front. If the unit does not have enough room for the hot air to blow out of it freely, the air condenser potentially gets blocked.
Every time the air conditioning season ends, it is advisable to thoroughly clean both the outdoor unit and the condenser. Also, review the external fans every few weeks to avoid jams and other problems. For superior air conditioning service, click here to hire the best professionals in the industry.
Check the Gas Level
Sometimes, even though the air conditioner seems problem-free, it possibly cools less than it should. Other times, all of a sudden, it starts to leak inside the house. However, after checking the water outlet and the outdoor unit, there seems to be no reason for this to happen. On the contrary, there is a reason. In many cases, the reason is that the air conditioner runs out of gas, causing it to function poorly.
Although the system works well and is a few years old, the gas in the system that allows air to cool properly possibly dropped in level. It may even have run out. Then it is necessary to call a technician to inject gas into the system to emit cold air again, ending the drips. Of course, if after a very short time the air does not come out as cold as it should, and the drips return, the system may have leaks.
In this case, it is necessary to call the ac maintenance technician, and if the problem is serious, change the air conditioner. In some models of air conditioning systems, it is possible to access the air levels and check their status to see if the air conditioner needs refilling. However, it is not the usual norm.
Check the Electrical Installation and Accessories
Sometimes a faulty electrical installation causes a breakdown of the systems connected to it. Therefore, check that the cables of the air conditioning system, as well as the plugs, are all in good condition. A cable or plug in poor condition leads to breakdowns, quite unpleasant incidents, and more bulky power consumption than necessary. Apart from this, you also have to take care of the elements that make up the air conditioning system.
Clean the Air Outlet Grilles
The grilles emitting fresh air in this type of system tend to be forgotten in air conditioning maintenance tasks. However, you do have to take care of them periodically and clean them. As far as possible, you have to remove them from the unit to do it, because doing it on the actual unit is much more inconvenient. They also do not usually come out perfectly clean.
On the other hand, if removed, the grilles get thoroughly cleaned. As with filters, soap and water are enough to remove any residue on them. Beforehand, it is advisable to remove the dust with the help of a cloth.
Perform Maintenance of the Cooling Radiant Floor
Homes with refreshing underfloor heating are becoming more common. These systems cool the rooms of homes or offices in addition to emitting heat. Underfloor heating systems require various maintenance tasks to avoid scares and breakdowns. For these systems, it is important to regulate the circuits through which the water circulates. This ensures that the pipes are controlled and regulated independently.
This is done with a flow meter, which distributes the water flow evenly in the area to be cooled. Thus, the temperature of the floor is uniform, and small obstructions in the circuit that make it difficult to distribute the water are eliminated. Check these flow meters from time to time to ensure that they work correctly distribute the water well.
Final Comments
As you see, regular air conditioning maintenance not only prevents breakdowns. It also makes it possible for the air emitted by air conditioning systems to be of the best possible quality and freshness. In addition, for underfloor cooling systems, regular maintenance makes the floors feel cool and distributes cold water uniformly.