cooling Archives - Foreign policy

How to Maintain your Aircon Units

Published on October 23, 2019

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

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

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

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

Published on April 8, 2019December 12, 2019

House/Technology

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

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.

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.

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.

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.