When living in Florida you need a working Air Conditioner or AC as we call it. Before you know it your AC will need repaired. What if we could change the repair to just a little maintenance? With the way the market is we need to save as much money as we can. We have some basic tips that will not only help you save money, but get a longer life span out of your Air Conditioner.
Have your Owner’s Manual in Hand
The first thing we always do is review the owner’s manual so we fully understand what we are going to be doing. If you do not have your manual, Contact the air conditioner’s manufacturer, or contact Superior Appliance Parts. We will be happy to find a replacement users manual. Please do this first. Even if your not having problems, you should make sure you have your manual handy. For when you do really need it.
Turn the POWER OFF!
Turn the power off on the AC unit, Some homes have separate breakers just for the AC. Please double check to make sure that the power is turned off. Check the panel of switches. If you can, unplug the unit from the house. You can all ways turn off all the power to the house it this helps your piece of mind.
Let Check the Power Cord
Inspect the power cord, is it Frayed or Worn? If yes, then time for a new cord. If the cord looks ok then pull out your volt-ohm-milliammeter (VOM). You can pick one up at Home Depot or radio shack for around $30.00. Set it to RX1 scale and test the plug prongs. if the meter reads Zero then Great cords ok. If higher then 0 then time for a new cord.
Burn Marks
You should already have the control box unscrewed and open after inspecting the power cord. So we will check the control panel, dose it look like anything shorted out? dose any selector switch have burn marks? If they do Time to Replacements.
Filter you mean this Gray thing?
All AC’s have a return and should have a filter in front of the return. The filer should be cleaned every 30 days. Some filters say 3 moths but with all the dust in the air or if you have kids or pets, i would change it every 30 days. If you have a Washable Filters you can carefully scrubbed with mild detergent, rinsed and let dried completely before putting it back in it’s home. If you never want to replace your AC filter again, Order the last filer you will ever have to buy, Here! I like to vacume off all the vents in the house once a month to remove any dust that could start to clog the air flow.
Clean evaporator & condenser coils
This should be done monthly as well. This can be done with a house hold vacuum. Just be carefull not yo push to hard and bend or crease your AC coils. If you do its not the end of the world. Get a fine tooth comb, and CAREFULLY straighten out the fins.
CONDENSATION
When its humid your AC is going to sweet. that’s why it has a drain. If your drain is clogged it can course backup spillage or even mildew, yek! You can clean drain out with a snake (tool plummers use). If it was me, I just unhuck the drain pipe and blow as hard as I can. I know it sounds grows but it dose the job. Sometimes air conditioner have more then one drain ports, so check to see if there is more then one and do the same to any others you fine.
I can’t hear you the Fan is to loud
For something that works so hard we never take the time to even think about the fan of the AC. If your fan is fan makes a lot of noise or is just sitting there (not turning), try cleaning the poor thing. Open your AC unit and vacuum away dirt. Then wipe with a soft cloth (sham-wow style or not your call). Once clean, check for any loose fan blades. Tighten if needed. You may also need to tighten the fan on the motor shaft. Use a long-blade screwdriver for this. If the fan housing is loose then get your wrenches out. Some fan with well have oil port. If they do, oil them every month with a couple drops of 20-weight non-detergent motor oil.
When to call in the Big Guns
If any thing ever becomes to much, call your local Repair company. If you do all the steps listed above you will not only save time but you should have a good idea whats wrong before you ever pick up the phone. We are starting to set up a directory of Local Appliance Repair Companies. Check them out or if you would like to be added to the list, Head over to our contact page.
Hard Work Pays Off
Any one of these things will help you cool off your house. Not only will these tips save you time and cool your house off, but will help you save money. When your AC dose not have to work as hard, weather that is pulling air in easier because the filter is clean or running the fan on the out side easier because it is all tightened up. When things are taken care of they tend to last longer. So do a little extra to get a better life span on your AC.
