Whether it’s a split system unit or a full-on ducted air conditioning system, air conditioning will make a massive difference during Queenand’s scorching hot summers. While an average air conditioner should last approximately 12 years, that doesn’t mean it will stay at its best, unless you take some important steps to keep your unit in peak condition.
When it comes to any air conditioning, you must ensure that it is being looked at by a qualified professional at least once a year. Other vital steps also include cleaning the area around your unit to prevent dust and mould build-up, not overusing your aircon, and insulating your home so your device doesn’t have to overwork to correct the temperature. Here are 9 essential maintenance tips for prolonging the life of your air conditioner.
- Ensure The Unit Was Properly Installed
The very first step of prolonging the lifespan of your air conditioner is to make sure that it was installed by a fully qualified and experienced professional. With a poorly installed aircon, not only will your device not be functioning at full capacity, but you could be facing increasing energy costs and a device that disturbs the peace and quiet of your home with smells, noises, and leaks.
Here are a few signs you may have a poorly installed air conditioner:
- Whirring or Grinding Noises: Loud noises from your air conditioner can be a sign that there is a component loose inside the device, a bracket or fitting was not properly tightened, or it could indicate an issue more serious and the unit should be switched off.
- Water Is Leaking: Your device will cause condensation, but there should not be any leaks in a well installed aircon. If your unit is leaking, it could mean there are issues with the condensate drain that usually collects the water.
- It’s Working Too Slowly: If after you’ve switched your device on it is taking a few minutes to begin working, it may be because there is either too much or too little refrigerant. With too much refrigerant, the aircon compressor will be worn out and with too little, the device will be ineffective.
- The Unit Is Blowing Warm Air: Any fault in your air conditioning’s internal system will interfere with the general cooling process, or there is a problem with the coolant due to poor installation.
- Maintain The Right Temperature
If you are relying solely on an aircon for all your temperature control, then you will be overworking that unit, and will severely reduce the amount of time your device will last. To make your air conditioning unit last, be sure to properly insulate the room or property and generally protect your premises against the weather.
Do not leave any doors or windows open when the air con is on, as this will force the system to overwork to compensate for the change in temperature. If the room temperature is the same as the one you have set for the aircon, turn your unit off.
- Book Routine Maintenance Checks
With a qualified expert’s help, you can maintain a healthy and powerful HVAC system for its entire shelf life. Routine maintenance checks for your aircon will include cleaning out or replacing the air filter, cleaning the coils and other vital pieces, checking components like the thermostat and refrigerant line, and more. With Routine maintenance checks, a high quality air conditioning expert will be able to quickly identify any possible issues your device could be having, or even prevent an issue from appearing in the first place.
LCMB Electrical & Air Conditioning recommends you have your system serviced at least once a month.
- Consistently Change The Air Filters
An air filter is a protective surface placed inside your temperature control device that shields vital components from dust, dirt, hair, and other contaminated substances. Over long periods of time, the air con filters will begin accumulating a sizable amount of foreign substances, which can start to block your devices air flow, cause mould and mildew to grow, create strange smells in the room and possibly affect you and other residents’ health. A dirty air filter will not only negatively affect your aircon’s performance, but your unit may begin to deteriorate and have a severely shorter lifespan.
Routinely changing or cleaning a split system or ducted air conditioning filter is one of many benefits of ensuring you have booked regular maintenance checks. LCMB recommends checking on your filter once every 15 days, cleaning your air filter yourself once a month or more during your peak usage periods, and booking routine maintenance checks to ensure your device will last for as long as possible.
- Don’t Keep Your Air Conditioner On All The Time
To really prolong the life of your aircon, it is best that you only use it when it is necessary, like during the extreme peaks of summer or winter. By keeping your device on when it isn’t necessary, or by overusing it, you will accelerate deterioration of your equipment and cause damage to vital parts even if you are taking care of it, as well as inflating your electrical bill needlessly.
If you are not at home, if the temperature in the room is well regulated, or you can take advantage of other forms of cooling, it is recommended to turn off your device. Keeping your aircon usage to bursts or only when necessary will greatly increase the longevity of your unit.
- Regularly Clean Your Ducts
If you are using a ducted air conditioning system, then repeated use of your HVAC system will cause your ducts to gather grime and other substances that may disrupt or corrupt the air flow of your unit. A ducted air conditioner should have the ducts clean to prevent damage, increase functionality, and improve the general air quality.
- Clean The Area Around Your Unit
It is not just the air con that needs to be properly cleaned or maintained. While an air filter is capable of syphoning off debris, keeping air quality high, and prolonging the lifespan of your unit, by keeping the area or room around your air conditioner clean and hygienic, there is much less dust, grime, or hair the filter will need to catch, letting your unit function more healthily for a longer period of time before it needs maintenance or a new air filter.
- Regularly Clean Parts of Your Air Conditioner
There are many parts of an air conditioner that are delicate and should only be cleaned by a qualified professional, however, if there is any surface area or durable but vital component of your device that you can clean, then you can help extend the lifespan of your unit even before your routine checks.
- Keep Your Unit Out Of Direct Sunlight
Your HVAC unit is designed to maintain a certain temperature. By placing it in direct sunlight, there is unnecessary heating added to the device that can affect temperature control and increase the strain on your air con, as well as possibly causing heat damage.
Professional Gold Coast Air Conditioning Maintenance
Are you looking for a fully qualified and experienced air conditioning professional on the Gold Coast? At LCMB Electrical & Air Conditioning, we have over 15 years of combined experience in the electrical and solar industry.
