Air conditioners are not made to last forever. Failure to maintain your air conditioning unit could cause it to malfunction sooner than expected. Then the cycle of repair starts from there, which costs so much more than regular ongoing maintenance. And if the problem worsens into something beyond repair, you have no choice but to buy a new air conditioner.
You may think that you can save more money by installing a new aircon instead of having the existing one fixed every time it malfunctions. In truth, that might cost you just as much if not more, considering how much of your expected return on investment will be lost if you replace your current air conditioner too soon.
But why worry yourself with the cost of repair or replacement if you can keep your air conditioner in proper working order for as long as possible through maintenance? As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and air conditioning preventive maintenance is the perfect example. (https://mundonow.com/) To better understand why this is so, let’s find out what happens if you don’t maintain your aircon.
The Dangers of an Unmaintained Air Conditioner
No other home equipment affects the quality of your family’s life more profoundly than your air conditioner. Especially if you are living in Gladstone or on the Sunshine Coast, or elsewhere in Queensland where the climate is quite hot, an air conditioning system is one of the things your family can’t live without. And so when it’s not properly taken care of, bad things usually follow.
Health Hazards
The dust and dirt trapped in your air conditioner’s filter may breed microorganisms that are small enough to pass through and get mixed with the circulating air. When inhaled, these microorganisms can cause all kinds of respiratory problems.
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Dust and dirt may also clog the path of air, making it harder for your air conditioner to produce cold air, which in turn increases your monthly energy consumption.
Electrical Fire
You won’t know what’s happening inside your air conditioning unit until you have it checked by a professional technician from a trusted HVAC company like Port City Air. Neglecting minor issues such as strange noises, unpleasant odours, or even overheating components could lead to major issues like short circuiting and ultimately electrical fire.
Water Damage
The water dripping from your air conditioner’s condenser must go straight to your drainpipes or to any place where it won’t damage anything on its path.
How to Prolong the Life of Your Air Conditioner
Here are a few things you can do to keep your air conditioning system in good shape and prolong its life:
- Remove anything that might be blocking the airflow from both the vents and return air grills, such as drapes and furniture. Vacuum the filter and the surrounding area regularly to keep dust out, and if the filter is already worn down, replace it quickly.
- While you should keep drapes or blinds out of cold air’s way, make sure to put them on the sunny side of the house. Allowing sunlight into the house will only force your air conditioner to work harder and consume more energy.
- Clean the outdoor unit and its surroundings. Remove mulch or weeds growing around it and blocking the path of air. If you notice a change in the unit’s elevation or inclination, fix it right away. The outdoor unit must always be sitting level and higher than the ground.
- If you are still using a manual thermostat for your air conditioner, then you must be wasting too much energy, especially if you keep your aircon on all day and occasionally forget to turn up the temperature when things finally cool down. Consider switching to a programmable thermostat to have better control of your home’s temperature and energy consumption. A programmable thermostat takes the burden of switching your air conditioner up or down off of anyone in the family, thereby improving overall user experience.
- Keep cool air in by ensuring that your air conditioner’s weather stripping is intact. Letting it leak out only causes your air conditioner to work harder, expediting its wear and tear.
- Use a fan every once in a while. Don’t be completely dependent on your air conditioner for comfortable temperature. When it’s a cold day and the temperature in your home is quite bearable, give your air conditioner a break and use a fan in the meantime. Even machines like aircons need to cool down from time to time.
- Turn off or unplug any electronic device or equipment that you’re not using. They produce heat that might be adding to your air conditioner’s burden. This is especially crucial when you’re leaving the house.
These are only the basic practices you can do on your end to take care of your air conditioner. But you shouldn’t forget to have it looked at by a professional technician on a regular basis. There are some issues that won’t be fixed by simple clean-up. They have to be dealt with by experts so they won’t develop into something impossible to fix.
Thanks to companies like Port City Air Conditioning, residential and commercial air conditioning service covers more aspects and now includes preventive maintenance. Incorporating this service into your own maintenance practices is necessary to maximise your initial investment. Contact us today to discuss an ongoing preventative maintenance plan for your air conditioning system.