How to care for your air conditioner: what to do and how to do it

An air conditioner cools or heats air by blowing it through the internal system. At the same time, dust, microbes, heavy metal particles accumulate in the filters and pipes of the equipment. If the cleanliness of the air conditioner is not maintained, these hazardous elements get into the home together with the air. Also, contaminants reduce the energy efficiency of the equipment. It requires more resource and longer operation to cool the air. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly care for the air conditioner. Consider what kind of work is carried out.

What is included in the care of the air conditioner

Climatic equipment is arranged for maximum autonomous operation. The casing protects the external and internal unit from the ingress of large debris. Therefore, the care of the air conditioner does not require much effort. Carry out such works:

• Clean the filters 1-3 times a month. How often it is required depends on the degree of air pollution. In an industrial, densely populated city the air conditioner is covered with dust much more often and more strongly than in a village surrounded by forest.
• Clean the internal elements of the air conditioner according to the instruction 2 times a year.
• If the climate equipment is used only in summer, it should be preserved for the cold period. Before use, it should be re-conserved.
• Control the amount of refrigerant. If necessary, it is topped up. Check the condition of fasteners and assemblies of the equipment.

Before carrying out any work, it is necessary to disconnect the air conditioner from the power supply. The manual will help to disassemble and assemble the equipment correctly. It can be found on the Internet if the original paper copy is lost.

Cleaning the air conditioner filter

In split-systems the filter is installed in the internal unit. Replaceable filters are removed and washed under running water, dried and installed back. If a deep cleaning filter is installed in the air conditioner, it is a disposable part. After the expiration of the period of use it should be replaced with a new one. Filters of any type should be periodically renewed. How often depends on the amount of contaminants in the air.

Cleaning the internal parts of the air conditioner

Signs that it is time to clean the climate equipment from the inside:

• Air with an unpleasant odor comes out when the air conditioner is turned on.
• Crackling when the equipment operates.
• Cooling is weaker and power consumption increases.
• Water drips from the indoor unit.

Hygiene of the air conditioner includes cleaning of the external unit, drainage system, evaporator, internal parts. Cleaning of the external unit is the most difficult, because it is located in a hard-to-reach place. Therefore, it is necessary to call specialists in cleaning of climatic equipment, who have equipment and experience for high-rise works.

If the air conditioner is installed on the 1st to 4th floor, you need to clean the outdoor unit every year before the season of using the equipment. At this height, there are a lot of contaminants in the air. An air conditioner located on the 5th-8th floor is cleaned externally once every 2-3 years.

To clean the internal parts of the air conditioner, it is disassembled. The elements that can be taken out are cleaned with antiseptic agent and rinsed with water. Drainage pipes can be blown with a vacuum cleaner. The evaporator is cleaned with special aerosols and foam.

To prepare the conditioner for winter, turn it on for 3 hours in the cooling mode, then for 3 hours in the heating mode. In this way the internal parts, to which there is no access, will be dried. Then the equipment is disassembled, parts are washed and dried. Remove the batteries from the remote control.