Summers are on the way and we all absolutely know what is the most important thing in summers. No not ice-cream, it’s AC. It is no wonder why AC is a very important commodity for all of us in the summer. We all want to come home from the scorching heat to a really nice cool room which cannot be possible without an AC. Hence, it is evident how important this electronic item is to us. But before using it extensively in summers we need to make sure that it works fine throughout the season and won’t cause us any more problems than we already have. AC Maintenance is a necessary task and it’s important to be aware of the basic checklist of AC maintenance.
Well, one thing that defines this is how well maintained your AC is? Maintenance is very crucial when it comes to ACs because it has a very big impact on us overall in very broad aspects.
We all have heard about the AC services but why do we exactly need them and what will happen if we just don’t go for AC repair services at all?
We will answer all these questions here.
We all know that maintenance is important but much more important than that is preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance is crucial to keep your home air conditioning system running correctly and efficiently. In warm conditions, the AC will be in heavy use so it becomes a necessity.
You may always call an AC repair service but there are several things that you can do yourself without calling a service technician. It is always preferable to be familiar with your own AC system so that you can catch problems before they start causing you some serious trouble. In the end, nobody wants the AC to fail when it is needed the most.
Why should you do AC Maintenance?
You may wonder why I should do maintenance? Well, for that we have got several reasons for you.
- Save Money
Money is one of the troubles when it comes to repairs which happen if you don’t maintain your AC well. Preventive maintenance helps in
- Preventing costly breakdowns
- Reduce energy bills
- Extend the Lifespan
- Stay protected under warranty
We all know how costly it can get to repair an AC. Preventive maintenance reduces the risk of these costly repairs by as much as 90%. If you know about electronics or any technology then it is evident that they need repair in some form and if not provided they will not provide the proper function they are designed to provide.
It also extends the system’s lifespan. If a regular AC lasts 3-5 years then your AC will be the one lasting 5 and more years. This prevents you from unnecessary expenditure.
In order to take the most benefit from your warranty, you should be having annual maintenance proof in order to claim for any repair that you want to be done in your warranty period. Many of the components in your AC are expensive and not investing in annual maintenance is a fool’s job.
- Improve Air Quality
In India, the air quality index is fairly poor in almost all metropolitan cities whether it be Delhi or Bangalore. This condition can get worse when indoors as there is no way for the pollutants to escape and the density in our rooms is 2-5 times when compared to outdoors.
This will further worsen the condition if any of your family members have a history of respiratory problems. There are several particles that we are not yet aware of but one thing is for sure that we won’t be liking to inhale any of these.
Our ACS now come with good filters that also filter a few of these harmful pollutants and they require cleaning which is provided when we opt for AC repair services. This job is better done by professionals because of the job profile.
This will ensure that your AC provides you with clean and well-filtered air as possible.
- Improve your Comfort
We all know that we depend on our AC for a comfortable summer. Regular maintenance will ensure that you get nice cool air when you arrive home. If maintenance is not provided then the system starts making noises and you may sense a bad odour. These things disrupt your comfort and once encountered are very hard to reverse entirely.
There are many situations when people tend to replace their AC systems even before they stop working and this can be avoided with good AC services. There is a lot that we don’t know ourselves and we should entrust this job to someone who can make sure that all our needs are met.
Our AC repair services focus on this entirely and our professionals provide the optimum support and comfort while taking care of your AC on your behalf while you rest in your home.
By now, you know very well that maintaining your AC is an important task but how can you do this at home? You may always call us for AC services but there are things that you can do at home too.
AC Maintenance Checklist
We have a whole checklist that you can use to maintain your AC at home by yourself. You can conduct this preventive maintenance once or twice annually to make sure your AC doesn’t run into problems. Although there may be some exceptions down the line, so make sure those are met in a timely manner.
- Maintain your Air Filter
Maintaining the filter on your AC is a very simple task and doesn’t require much time to do so. This can be done easily on any day when you feel that you have spare 15-20 minutes and you want to make sure that the air is clean.
There are different kinds of air filter most common of which are plastic and fibreglass. These are needed to be cleaned every 2-3 months. Although if your family has pets or there is a lot of dust outdoors in your region you should consider to clean it once a month.
The new models of AC have an inbuilt detection system which will notify you when you need to clean your filter. There may be a red light on the display of your AC that will notify you of it.
It doesn’t take much to clean a filter. You can use your household desk cleaning spray to clean it after removing the dust and debris that may be stuck in it.
While removing the filter make sure that the dust doesn’t fall off inside the AC as it may be difficult to take care of that. Most air conditioners have unidirectional filters and hence should be inserted in one way only. To make your job easier there will be an arrow sign to tell you where to pull off the filter and which way it should go in.
- AC Fan Maintenance
The next crucial part of your AC is your fan that blows out the air throughout your home. This fan is usually big enough to push out enough air to fill your room with a cool breeze. Failure of the fan may result in hardly any practical use of your AC. A faulty fan will cause your AC to not cool down the room temperature and hence it will work even harder to cool the room resulting in an increase in electricity and even then, the experience will not be satisfying.
To make sure that this doesn’t happen to you, you will be required to check the condition of your fan. To do so, first, turn off the power supply and then open up your AC access panel.
A normal visual inspection is often enough for the fan to detect any problems. If the visual inspection is fine then you can move forward and clean the fan off the dirt and possible debris.
After this ensure the fan is free to move without vibrating much.
Other than that, the fan belt is aligned properly and is in good working condition. A good fan belt will last you years but if now aligned and tensioned properly it can get damaged easily in months.
Although it is advised to take guidance from an expert and you should consider calling the AC services for this.
- Motor Oil and Lubrication
Other than the fan and filter the motor is the next most important AC component in the list. Lubricating the fan motor will make sure that it lasts long and functions properly when needed.
AC condenser fan motors are usually outside and are exposed to rain, dirt, debris and sun. This can result in some wear and tear for the fan motor and condenser and hence it is important to lubricate it.
Although it is not advised to toy around with such an important and vital component of your AC. To make sure that you don’t cause damage to it while ensuring that it is working fine.
You should only consider checking it for oil when you hear strange noises from your AC. If you are just discovering it then it is the best time to oil the motor.
You will be required to first switch off the power supply and then gain access to your motor via removing the back panel. It will only require removing some screws. Once you gain access to it then just apply some oil using a syringe or any applicator tube in the ports of your fan motor.
The oiling parts are the small hole on the outside of the fan motor and it is a good idea to lubricate the shaft motor too.
If you have decided to lubricate your AC then you should consider using a dedicated AC lubricating oil to make sure that you don’t run into problems. You can get them from any store near you which sells lubricating oil for electronics.
Conclusion
At last, we will still be advised that most of the AC repairs should be handled by professionals and technicians who know their job. But there are a lot of things that you can check to make sure that the system works just fine until the next AC service.
There are other parts that need inspection and care too but we have not included them here because even if there is a little mistake then it can cost you a ton of money to replace those parts or get the AC repair done. Certain things such as the electrical system and other parts of AC that you can’t figure out what purpose they serve, should be left on their own until an AC repair service professional handles it.
Other than that, inspecting and maintaining your AC will help you to become familiar with the components and when the need arises you can have a quick look to make sure that it can be taken care of for a few more days.
Thoroughly cleaning your AC without disturbing other crucial components will be the most beneficial for you because most of the problems are caused by dirt and debris and it may be caused by some foreign object that may have gotten into the system.
Doing even this will be more than enough to ensure that your AC is maintained.
Even after that, the need for professional service will be there no matter how well you take care of your AC and you shouldn’t hesitate from that. To make sure that you don’t have to call the AC repair services you should consider getting the service at least once annually from good AC services.
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