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Energy Costs
 Are
your utility bills too high? Air Conditioning
and Heating can comprise almost 65% of your
monthly utility costs.
New systems or simple maintenance can SAVE
you up to 40% on what you are
paying Now.
>>> read more |
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 Neglecting necessary
maintenance ensures a steady decline in air conditioning performance while
energy use steadily increases.
Keeping your system properly maintained will lower energy and repair costs,
prevent breakdowns and prolong the life of your equipment. Some maintenance
jobs should be left to the professionals, but there is much that you, as a
homeowner, can do to prolong the life of your equipment, keeping it running
at peak efficiency.
Air Conditioner Filters
The most important maintenance task that will ensure the efficiency of your
air conditioner is to routinely replace or clean its filters. Clogged, dirty
filters block normal airflow and reduce a system's efficiency significantly.
With normal airflow obstructed, air that bypasses the filter may carry dirt
directly into the evaporator coil and impair the coil's heat-absorbing
capacity. Filters are located somewhere along the return duct's length.
Common filter locations are in walls, ceilings, furnaces, or in the air
conditioner itself.
Some types of filters are reusable; others must be replaced. They are
available in a variety of types and efficiencies. Clean or replace your air
conditioning system's filter or filters every month or two during the
cooling season. Filters may need more frequent attention if the air
conditioner is in constant use, is subjected to dusty conditions, or you
have fur-bearing pets in the house. If you use a disposable type filter,
it's always wise to keep several spares inside the house.
An enormous waste of energy occurs when cooled air escapes from supply ducts
or when hot attic air leaks into return ducts.
Recent studies indicate that 10% to 30% of the conditioned air in an average
central air conditioning system escapes from the ducts.
Sealing and Insulating Air Ducts
For central air conditioning to be efficient, ducts must be airtight. Hiring
a competent professional service technician to detect and correct duct leaks
is a good investment, since leaky ducts may be difficult to find without
experience and test equipment. Ducts must be sealed with duct "mastic." The
old standby of duct tape is ineffective for sealing ducts.
Obstructions can impair the efficiency of a duct system almost as much as
leaks. You should be careful not to obstruct the flow of air from supply or
return registers with furniture, drapes, or tightly fitted interior doors.
Dirty filters and clogged evaporator coils can also be major obstructions to
air flow.
The large temperature difference between attics and ducts makes heat
conduction through ducts almost as big a problem as air leakage and
obstructions. Ducts in attics should be insulated heavily in addition to
being made airtight.
Outside dirt, leaves, grass and other debris clog the condenser coils,
straining the system.
Once a month, inspect the outdoor unit to insure that nothing is obstructing
the airflow across the coil. Remember, before you do any work on your
condenser unit to turn off the power at the disconnect switch mounted on the
wall near the unit. If you don't have a disconnect switch, turn off the
breaker. If you find that your unit is becoming dirty, you can follow the
procedures below.
Performing Outside Maintenance
After disconnecting the power, if leaves or other debris have collected
inside the condensing unit, open the unit by undoing the screws on the top
panel and tipping it up. Remove any debris from the enclosure. Then, reverse
the procedure insuring the screws are replaced before restoring power. Do
not open the electrical panel cover. This is best left to a certified
technician.
Check to be sure your compressor unit is level. An unleveled unit will be
nosier, less efficient, and cause excessive wear. Check the level in both
directions, making adjustments if necessary. Be careful how much you move
the unit. It has rigid connections to the electrical and refrigerant lines.
Too much (and it doesn't take much) movement could cause a refrigerant leak
to occur.
Finally, check the condensate line for a bacterial slime that tends to grow
in condensed water. The condensate line is the drain that removes water that
has condensed from your indoor coil. Pour a 1:9 bleach-and-water solution
through the line. Find the fitting for the hose, pull it out, and flush the
line all the way to the floor drain. If the drain is difficult to reach, you
may be wiser to call your HVAC contractor to do the job. |
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