How to Maintain Your AC During Summer for Maximum Cooling

In the last month of March, various parts of Kerala have recorded an average temperature of 35 degrees Celsius. Air conditioners in your home and commercial spaces will be working over time. On the other many people have begun to compare the one ton ac price in Kerala with others before the peak summer season, very few think about something equally important which is the AC maintenance. Air conditioners are prone to wear and tear, and damage when not given adequate service in specific intervals of time. Most of us switch on the AC in March and don’t think much about it until something goes wrong. And by the time something does go wrong — a weird smell, weak airflow, increased electricity bills – the damage is already done. A little bit of regular maintenance can save you a lot of money and a very sweaty summer.

Here’s a simple guide to keeping your AC, whether it’s a split AC, inverter AC or window AC in good condition through the hottest months of the year.

1. Clean or Replace the Filter

This is one of the most important actions that you should take. The air filter collects dust, animal hair, and everything else suspended in the atmosphere inside your home and outside through the outdoor unit. If it gets clogged, the air conditioner needs twice as much effort to force air through and yet you sweat. If you are from Kerala, especially from the coastal area or in a dustier environment, changing your air filter every two or three weeks during the peak of the summer season would be an excellent practice. It will only take five minutes for you to pull out the filter, rinse it with water, dry it, and reinstall it. A dirty filter filled with dust and other particles blocks the air from entering which leads to increased energy consumption.

2. Checking the Outdoor Unit

Most people don’t pay much attention to the outdoor unit. This component stays outdoors either protruding from a wall or a balcony, where it attracts all sorts of dust, leaves, and other types of particles. When the condenser coil gets clogged up, your air conditioner will not be able to dissipate the heat generated. Check the outdoor component once per month. There should be no objects obstructing it neither any growing greenery nor any bags filled with waste nearby or even any bird nests. Maintain a space of 50 centimeters around the outdoor part. Wash the exterior grids with water in case they appear to be visibly dirty. Try to choose copper ACs so that the copper tube condenser could be washed with pressurized water, thereby ensuring a clean channel.

3. Keep The Drainage Pipe Clear

As your AC unit condenses, it forms by product, which is essentially water. This water should be drained effectively, otherwise, when the drainage tube gets blocked, it will form a pool of water in the AC. You can detect this through dripping water or even molds that produce musty odors. To prevent this from occurring, you should pour a little amount of water or diluted vinegar once every month in the drain tube. It helps to keep the pipe free from accumulation of algae and molds that may develop. In case you are detecting a musty smell from your AC, chances are high that it’s because of drainage problems.

4. Use Fans Along with AC

This helps in circulating the cool air distributed by the air conditioners, which will help in reducing the work load on the air conditioners. You will get the entire room cooled without making the AC work overtime, thereby reducing the energy consumption and reducing electricity bills.

5. Set the Right Temperature – Save Energy

There’s a common practice of turning the AC down to 16°C, believing that this would cool the room faster. This belief is utterly false. The room will cool at the same rate, yet you’d unnecessarily make the compressor strain more than required. The best temperature range for optimal performance is from 24°C to 26°C. With a fan operating together with the AC system, the one set at 26°C would feel as cold as when set to 22°C, so you’ll be paying far less in electricity bills. If you’re using an inverter air conditioner, it will make all the difference because the working of the compressor depends on the desired temperature.

6. Get a Professional Service On Regular Intervals

There are certain actions that you can do by yourself, but there are other services that could only be handled by a professional. Professional air conditioning services will comprise of coil cleaning, refrigerant gas inspection, inspection of electrical connections and performance test. It is always best to have this conducted just before summer season, preferably in the month of February or even in early March. This is because many individuals often delay having their annual check-ups until when they experience difficulties with their air conditioning during the summer months of June. It’s better to be late than never.

7. Seal The Space Which Is To Be Cooled

Containing the cool air in the room increases the ACs effectiveness. Most of the ACs have inbuilt sensors which sense the room temperature and from the inputs from the sensor the temperature is adjusted automatically by the machine. So if you have room which is not sealed, like having gaps in the window panes, open air holes or ventilators etc. the cool air makes the way outside through these spaces and the room will not reach the required temperature and the air conditioner works for long time than needed, which results in increased electricity consumption.

When You Should Think Of Replacing The AC

In case your AC system is older than 8-10 years, requires frequent refills of gas, produces abnormal sounds, or just does not function efficiently — it may be time to replace it, regardless of how many times it was fixed before. Old units also use much more energy than modern inverter models. In some cases, it is simply more profitable to buy a new unit than repair an old one. Nowadays most people buy AC online just by looking at the price, as AC needs regular service, the post-sales support provided by the brands must also be taken into care.

We have a wide selection of split ACs and inverter ACs available at Kannankandy, manufactured by reputable brands, and offered at affordable prices. You can buy one of our products regardless of whether it is your first purchase or you are looking to replace your old air conditioner.