Friday, August 28, 2009

Tips on Maintaining Air Conditioners


Extend the Life of your Air Conditioner by Maintaining it Regularly

By Mark J. Donovan

An air conditioner is a godsend during hot and humid summer months. By providing periodic air condition maintenance your can extend the life of your portable air conditioner and prevent unforeseen negative surprises. Summarized below are a few simple air conditioner maintenance tips that can extend the life of your air conditioner.

Clean the Air Filter regularly. If you use your air conditioner daily during the summer months, clean the air filter once a month. If the air conditioner is used periodically then clean the air filter at the end of the summer.

Clean the condenser coils at the end of the summer season using a steel brush or by blowing compressed air onto them. Make sure the dust and dirt do not end up at the bottom of the air conditioner as this may impact the performance of your air conditioner.

If the outside air temperate is below 60 degrees, check the front condenser coils for ice buildup. If there is ice buildup, turn the air conditioner off and wait until the outside air temperature is warmer. Who needs air conditioning anyways at 60 degrees? Most folks will opt for turning up the heat at that temperature.

Do not cycle the air conditioner on and off abruptly, as this can shorten the life of the air conditioner. Wait a few minutes after shutting the air conditioner off before turning it back on.

Finally, when storing the air conditioner store it in a location where there is no chance for mice or birds to crawl into it and create nests. Small rodents can chew through insulation and wires and destroy an air conditioner in one off-season.

With these simple tips you should be able to extend the life of your portable air conditioner.

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