air conditioning

How to Maintain your Aircon Units

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Nowadays, the use of air conditioning systems is getting more and more common, especially in urban areas. Whether it’s for cooling or heating, aircon units are the preferred solution to unpredictable weather conditions. Just like any other appliance, aircon systems also require proper maintenance, and performing it regularly will ensure long-term use.

In addition, maintaining your system up and running smoothly requires proper care and service. Therefore, we have compiled a quick list of the steps you should take on in order to keep your unit safe from breakdowns that will cause headaches and unwanted expenses.

Simple Steps to Maintaining your Aircon Units

Image source: 4.bp.blogspot.com

Shut off your aircon unit before maintenance

First off, whatever you decide to do with your air conditioning unit, always remember to shut it off. This will prevent any accidents that can possibly occur, and it will also protect your equipment and the unit itself. Most importantly, you’ll prevent any type of electrical shock. For this reason, you should check whether you have successfully turned off your system before performing maintenance.

Perform regular cleaning

Image source: joysairconditioners.com

A major role in the efficiency of every unit, cleaning the condenser unit outside at least once a year, will benefit the maintaining of its condition and will protect your investment in the long run. As it is a simple job, you may not want to hire a contractor and do it yourself. In both cases, you should bear in mind that cleaning the condenser can save you from a lot of trouble later in time.

What’s more, the evaporator coils should also be kept in perfect condition. They help in the process of cooling, but they also remove the moisture in the air that causes humidity. However, these coils are almost always moist from the condensation and can easily collect dust and dirt, which may prevent your central unit from working properly. Luckily, they are pretty easy to clean.

Make sure your unit is leveled

Most people are unaware, but the proper installment of an air conditioning system includes leveling it so as to prevent any refrigerant leaks. For this reason, you should be very wary if you decide to move your unit. When performing your regular maintenance, always ask the contractor to check if the air conditioner is leveled, as the surface level under your unit is constantly changing and settling.

Inspect the unit frequently

Image source: joysairconditioners.com

First and foremost, you should come to terms with the fact that just like your dressers and countertops, your A/C air filter and conditioner also collect dust. So, it’s obvious that not cleaning them will result in clogging, which may prevent the airflow from doing its job. Eventually, this can cause further clogging, which may result in increased power consumption, and some parts can even burn. Fortunately, this can all be avoided if you change and clean your filters regularly and on time.

Apart from the usual inspection of the filters, it’s advised that you regularly check the unit’s components, including the wiring, switch, and condenser fan. Fan blades are replaceable, and you should change them as soon as you notice any cracks. Also, you should check if the motor bearings need oiling. Another tip is to check the thermostat’s condition and check for any signs of overheating.

Hire professionals

As mentioned above, some of the common problems with maintaining your aircon unit are minor and can be easily fixed without getting additional help. However, keeping your system running smoothly and efficiently requires competent and consistent maintenance and service. Moreover, some issues cannot be fixed that easily and therefore require the attention of a certified technician. Such specialists usually have the required knowledge as well as experience in the field and can properly diagnose and fix your system so it can run safely.

Final Thoughts

To conclude, if you ever consider hiring a professional, there are tons of websites that offer lists of local aircon servicing companies. As it’s vital to keep your air conditioning unit is a perfect condition at all times, it’s always better to rely on a competent person who can perform the suggested maintenance checks regularly and properly. A good home improvement website, SGHomeNeeds offers a list of aircon servicing companies for homeowners in Singapore.

All you need to know about air conditioning

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During the summer, our air conditioners are our best friends. On those hot and sunny days, nothing can help us relax more than some fresh, cool air. Having an air conditioner is pretty much mandatory these days, as summers can sometimes be crazy hot.

Since everyone owns at least one air conditioner in their home, we decided to write an article that will explain some things about them, so if you are ready to learn some more about AC’s, keep reading.

All you need to know about air conditioners

source: popularmechanics.com

There are a few things that you need to know about your air conditioner, especially if you are the kind of person who wants to fix the problems by himself, in case they occur sometimes.

For example, having dirty, unchanged filters, can kill the efficiency of your AC, so making sure that you install one every couple of months will be a smart decision when it comes to maintaining your AC up to its fullest potential and functionality.

Next, cleaning the ducts will also be pretty important. This is how to find and fix leaks in your air conditioning system. You can find and identify the leak by using the good old “smoke trick”. This is probably the most old school way of identifying the air conditioning problem, but it works perfectly, so people are still sticking to it. If you are unfamiliar about what this term means, we’ll explain it right now.

source: pinterest.com

The smoke trick can be done just like this. Light up incense and hold it where your unit and the window frame meet. If you are using a central AC, you can hold the stick near the place where the duct connections are. If the smoke from the incense happens to be blowing around, it means you’ve got a leakage. For Ductwork, you can use the foil tape to seal all the small gaps, and you can use duct mastic for the larger ones. If you are using a window AC unit, you can simply stuff foam between the device and the frame of the window, and you can even tape it if needed.

source: actronair.com

The person who installed your AC probably will put you on the yearly cleaning schedule that needs to go beyond just cleaning the filters. You need to schedule this checkup before the summer seasons start when you will mostly be using your AC. You don’t want your cooling unit to give up in the middle of the warmest days, so make sure that you regularly check if everything is working the way it should.

source: kintoreair.com

A very useful tip that not many people know about is that you actually should not have all of your doors and windows closed while your AC is working up to its maximum potential. Everyone seems to fully “seal” the house while their system is cooling, but this is a mistake. You are reducing the maximum potential of the AC by completely eliminating all of the airflows in the house. Instead, if you want some privacy, but still allowing your AC to work the way it should, leave the curtains on or simply open the window just a little bit opened. In the very end, it’s crucial to have a good and reliable extension cord for your system. Such cords can be found on sites like myhomemyglobe.com.

Everything About Capacitors And Should Your AC Have One

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Capacitors are small devices that are in charge of your AC’s daily functioning. Without one, your AC will fail to start up even if you’ve taken extra good care of your unit over the years. Capacitors are these small parts that play a vital role in the efficiency of your AC unit during those hot summer days. So it’s important that we talk about everything there is to know about these parts.

In this short and informative article, we are going to discuss everything about capacitors and should your AC unit have one.

To answer that question straight off, yes. Your AC unit needs a capacitor so that it can function properly to keep you cool over the summer.

What is a capacitor?

A capacitor is this small and very clever device that is made out of two metal conductors which are separated by an insulating material. Capacitors look differently on AC units, something like large and cylindrical batteries whose job is to store electors. Capacitors store these electrons so that they can provide your AC unit with the much-needed start-up energy. Every time we start our AC unit, the capacitors build up a charge with electricity.

Img source: hvacr.tv

But what do they actually do?

As soon as we start our AC unit, the energy it requires for it to properly start-up cannot be offered through your home’s wiring. So this is the reason why AC units have these small devices. They provide extra electricity to the circuit, giving them your AC a quick jumpstart every time we use it.  AC Run Capacitors are vital for your AC to run properly, without them your AC would never run. Some AC units even use more than one capacitor. There can be one for the motor run, the outside fan motor, the indoor fan, and the start capacitor.

Common reasons as to why capacitors fail

It’s a very common thing for capacitors to fail over time. Capacitors are put under a lot of pressure every time we start our AC unit, so it’s common for these devices to fail, even on a daily bases. But what are the reasons they fail?

•    Heat Exposure

If you live in a hotter place, this is the main reason why your AC capacitor fails. The heat is the most damaging element for all AC unit capacitors because they are exposed to immense temperatures that shorten the device’s lifespan. The heat can also cause a lot of damage to your AC unit in general. Some ways to solve this problem is to shade your AC unit and keep it constantly clean so it can do its job properly.

Img source: UrbanClap.com

•    Voltage Rating

All AC capacitors have a voltage rating and remember, there is more than one capacitor on your AC unit. Homeowners tend to lower the costs by replacing these devices themselves. This can be the real problem why they fail so much sometimes. If you’re inexperienced and don’t really understand what you’re doing, then do understand that you are shortening the lifespan of these devices by doing the repairs yourself. But, if you’ve made out your mind on repairing it yourself, do know that you cannot undersize the capacitor. If your AC unit is a 370-volt unit, then bumping it with a 400-volt capacitor is bound to solve the problems.

Can You Repair Your AC Yourself

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Nowadays, you need to know a lot of things in order to live comfortably. No matter which country in the world you live in, each day you have the opportunity to at least observe someone working on something, but if you tried to fiddle with certain things by yourself, for example, you would notice that it is not always easy.

If you have just watched a clip on YouTube on how to fix a residential cooling system, and you are fired up to get cracking, stop for a moment. Imagine how all skillful handymen would be out of work if this was that simple, right?

You need to understand that applying knowledge, in reality, requires constant practice. On the other hand, there are a small number of people who know how to repair their home air conditioning system, but in the end, even they need to call the professionals if the problem is more serious. But whom to call?

Finding the right company to fix your unit could be more difficult than it seems, and is best avoided if at all possible. Here are some tips that might help you out.

The most common mistake that people tend to make is to assume their AC is broken when in fact it might be something much simpler. One example of this is when the system is just dirty. Excellent and thorough cleaning of the machine is a must to ensure this most frequent cause for problems is eliminated. The fan blades and the debris can be carefully cleaned from the outside unit. Be certain that the system is off when cleaning it, and be mindful that additional caution needs to be taken with blades and fins as they are easy to break or bend. And according to Toronto Air Conditioning & Furnace Repair, the absolute first thing you need to check when something goes awry are the filters.

Img source: mydds.co.za

A typical misconception is that unclean filters only lead to an expensive furnace repair, but this is certainly not the case because the mechanisms are actually interconnected. That is why a lack of air-flow can not only cause a lack of cooling efficiency, but also result in the indoor evaporator coil or lines to the outdoor condenser freezing up. So a malfunction can all come down to something very basic; that the filter is dirty and clogged. This can be the primary factor for many issues with your unit, and that is why a little preventative maintenance in the regular changing of filters can save you lots of money in the long run by avoiding having to pay an expensive HVAC technician by the hour for a service call.

There are also a number of cases when an air conditioning unit just doesn’t start cooling. Check if the breaker has been tripped because this might also be a quick, easy and most importantly, inexpensive correction that is required. Being aware of this fairly typical occurrence may spare you the cost of a visit by a professional to solve such a simple task. Many of us have been here before, unfortunately. After learning from the school of hard knocks, I always check the breaker panel first when I expect to hear a nice humming and start to get a chill, and instead I hear crickets and get zippo coming out of the vents.

Another super easy remedy for an improperly functioning unit is to check the batteries in the thermostat. Believe it or not, a problem could often be solved from something as easy as buying new batteries from your local store and replacing them with the old ones. After making the swap, set the thermostat on different temperatures to check if everything is working properly. This is a perfect way to constantly examine your thermostat in the unit, and again something that is a breeze to do on your own.

We hope that with these tips you will lower the number of calls to your local AC serviceman until you really need his assistance.