As an Air-conditioner installer and repairer at Camtec we always recommend our customers to do regular maintenance on all their home appliances, especially their air cons. When regular cleaning and maintenance are not done on your AC units harmful bacteria and other materials can build up in your unit and pump them back into the air affecting you and anyone else who lives with you, not only that but it can drastically reduce the effectiveness of your unit. The best and easiest way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to follow our extremely easy air conditioning maintenance checklist.
This list covers all the important areas to look at when cleaning large AC units in any home or office:
- Condenser Coil- Your condenser is generally at the back of your unit and needs to be cleaned regularly. A dirty condenser coil raises the refrigerant pressure higher than needed and therefore increases your electric bill.
- Refrigerant charge- This component of your unit is checked by superheat/subcooling method and gen erally it would be best to get it checked by a professional. If this is not checked it can increase operating costs up to 30% and an improper charge can cause the compressor to shut down.
- Controls and safeties- A quick inspection or test does the job, as controls and safeties that do not functions properly are the more common reasons for an increase in operating costs and other components failure.
- Relays and contactors- Ensuring that there are no worn contacts or loose wire connections can prevent motor or compressor failure which is the main outcome of these faulted parts.
- Crankcase Heater- Is an electrical component in a compressor of an air conditioner, and faults with these parts generally lead to compressor failure.
- Unit’s wiring- By physically checking and making sure no wires are worn or loose can prevent issues such motor, control or compressor failure. So be sure to check all the wires inside your unit, especially if it is housed outside.
- Temperature and Pressures- When testing your unit keep an accurate record of your equipment data, things such as temperature levels and pressure levels, by doing this you can identify any potential problems with your unit.
- Capacitors- Bad capacitors generally lead to compressor and motor failure, so regularly testing can ensure your unit runs more smoothly during summer.
- Unit disconnect- A disconnect is the fuse box for your air con and contains the controls or the main energy supplier of the air conditioner. If a worn or ever-heated disconnect blows fuses it can be dangerous to you and your home.
- Belts and pulleys- Loose belts and worn pulleys decrease air flow, increase operating costs and shorten the compressor’s life.
- Air filter- A restricted air filter can cause your air conditioning unit to waste energy and shorten the compressor’s life due to dust build up.
- Thermostat- You should check and calibrate your thermostat every year, as issues with this component cause the unit to run longer than necessary and increase usage costs.
We hope this checklist helps and shows how much care a unit needs. If you would like to get your air conditioner serviced you can stay online or give us a call on 08 6258 0000.