Air conditioners require care and attention throughout the year, whether it’s in the middle of summer when they are working their hardest, or during the coldest points of winter when they are hardly used at all. That is, if you want to get the average 15 to 20 year’s of service that many air conditioning systems are designed to remain in operation.
During winter, while your air conditioner is switched off or just not used as frequently, moisture, debris like leaves, dirt and even snow (depending where you are and how fortunate/unfortunate your part of the country is) can build up. Many homeowners make avoidable mistakes with regards to the upkeep of their AC during winter, make sure you don’t make any of these mistakes by following the handy tips below.
Always Make Sure It Is Clear
As rain, snow and any leaves start to fall during autumn and winter, you need to make sure that you keep your AC unit is clear. When snow is allowed to pile on the AC unit base it gives moisture the chance to make its way into the system and cause rust and deterioration. It could mean that the unit will hard to work harder when it is switched back on throughout the summer time and you may start to notice a hike in your energy bills. A good way to prevent this from happening is to by getting into the practice of cleaning around the outside unit of your air conditioning system when you shovel the snow and sweep the leaves around your garden.
Avoid Covering It Completely
You will notice in many shops that sell covers for air conditioning units, they are often shown to cover the whole thing. However, this is usually ill-advised because if you cover the unit too tightly you could actually encourage the build-up of condensation and moisture which can then lead to rust developing.
Rather than covering over the complete unit, you should give it some space to breathe. It is also a good idea to place either a piece of thick board or plywood on top of the AC unit, so that the cover isn’t sitting directly onto it. Doing this will allow for some air to pass so that moisture has a way to escape during the colder points in winter.
Have Your Air Conditioning Unit Tuned Up Every Spring Time
After every autumn and winter, it is good working practice to arrange for your air conditioning system to be tuned up and had maintenance checks run on it. You can hire a professional to do this. For instance, at ADK.co.uk, based in Wembley and servicing that immediate area and throughout the city, have a full team of expert HVAC technicians who you can book to come out and inspect and repair your air conditioner as required. They will also dry it off if it needs it and ensure that the compressor is working properly.
These checks are crucial for ensuring that it is kept in sound working condition and that it will run smoothly when you first need to turn it on as the temperature starts to rise. A comprehensive and professional tune-up carried out in the spring time on your AC can help to extend its life-time, while ensuring it will work efficiently and effectively for the entirety of spring and summer.
It is best to do this during the colder months so that there is no downtime when the warmer months of spring and summer come.
Although it can feel very stressful dealing with the upkeep and maintenance of an air conditioner, particularly during the months you are not even using it – by putting the tips into place you can make sure you get the very best out of it, for as long as possible.