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To
maintain the energy efficiency, safety, and useful life of your
room air conditioner, it is important that
your home maintenance program
include the proper maintenance for your room air conditioner.
Room air conditioners can be used to cool specific
spaces. They will also remove humidity from the air, thus
making the room feel more comfortable for the same temperature.
See manufacturer's recommendations for the size unit needed
to cool the space desired. See also: Central
Air Conditioning, Ceiling
Fan, Dehumidifier,
and Humidifier.
Shown in the "Maintenance" tab above are the recommended routine maintenance tasks for your room air conditioner. The "Questions / Answers" tab above shows our answers to related questions. And the "Articles" tab above provides links to related informational articles and sources.
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Maintenance
Task #1:
Replace or wash air
filter |
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How do you replace
or wash air filter of
a room air conditioner? |
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This task involves
removing the air filter and either replacing it or washing it
(see your user's manual). Ensure that the filter is placed
in the correct direction of air flow. |
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Why is it important to
replace or wash the air filter
of a room air conditioner? |
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Your room air conditioner
draws air from the outside of your house which carries dust,
pollen, debris, etc. There are two reasons for replacing
this air filter:
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As a filter gets
dirty over time, it begins to clog with dust, pollen, etc.
A dirty filter means the fan motor of the air conditioner
has to work harder to move air through it, which means it
has to consume more energy, and is therefore more expensive
to operate.
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The filter helps
to clean the circulating air, which makes room cleaning
easier and less frequent, helps improve indoor air quality,
and helps to provide relief to allergy sufferers for your
home health.
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How
often should you replace
or wash air filter of
a room air conditioner? |
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The
air filter should be replaced every month during the cooling season
(April through August). |
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How
does Home-Wizard rate the costs and benefits for this task? |
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The
cost of this task is relatively low. It is estimated
that this task should only take about 15 minutes to complete,
and the task is relatively easy to do. No specialized tools
are required. However, you do need to purchase the appropriate
filter for your air conditioner's air handler in advance. |
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The
benefits of this task are moderate, as a dirty filter requires
more energy to operate your air conditioner. Also, if people
in your house have respiratory problems, then this task becomes
more important. |
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Overall
Home-Wizard benefit-versus-cost rating (one 'hat' = low and
four 'hats' = high): |
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Maintenance
Task #2:
Clean the outside
portion of the condenser unit |
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How do you clean
the outside portion of the condenser unit
of a room air conditioner? |
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Cleaning the outside
portion of the condenser unit involves four activities:
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Remove leaves,
debris, spider webs, etc. from the outside of the unit.
You can use a vacuum cleaner attachment to gently clean
between the fins. Oily deposits should be removed
using a solvent.
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If any of the
fins are bent, you can use a special tool called a "fin
comb" to straighten and clean them. Be careful
though, these fins are very fragile.
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Check to be sure
the drain holes are clean so that condensate water can escape
properly (see your user's manual).
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Lubricate the
fan motor as described in your user's manual.
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Why is it important to
clean the outside portion of the condenser unit
of a room air conditioner? |
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The purpose of this
maintenance task is to help maintain the energy efficiency of
the condenser unit. A dirty unit is less efficient at
doing its job, which means that your air conditioning unit has
to work harder which causes it to consume more energy and shortens
its service life. |
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How
often should you clean
the outside portion of the condenser unit
of a room air conditioner? |
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The
outside portion of the condenser unit should be cleaned every
April before the cooling season. |
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How
does Home-Wizard rate the costs and benefits for this task? |
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The
cost of this task is moderately high. Cleaning the
outside of the unit only takes a few minutes. But cleaning
inside the unit and oiling the motor is much more difficult, and
straightening the fins requires a special tool. This part
of the task is probably best left to a trained professional. |
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The
benefits of this task can be somewhat high because this
task helps ensure the energy efficient operation of your air conditioning
unit, and it helps maintain its useful life. |
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Overall
Home-Wizard benefit-versus-cost rating (one 'hat' = low and
four 'hats' = high): |
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Maintenance
Task #3:
Cover
(and uncover) the outside
portion of the condenser unit |
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How do you cover (and uncover)
the outside portion of the condenser unit of a room air conditioner? |
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Covering the outside portion of the
condenser unit involves placing a plastic or cloth cover over
the unit (see above picture middle). This cover can be purchased
pre-made, or you can "do-it-yourself" by taping together
plastic trash bags, or a plastic drop cloth, etc. Room air
conditioners can also be removed from the window and stored for
the winter. |
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Why is it important to cover (and
uncover) the outside portion of the condenser unit of a room air
conditioner? |
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The purpose of covering
the unit when it is not in use is to keep leaves, dirt, freezing
water, etc. away from the condenser unit. Keeping the
unit clean helps to maintain its energy efficiency and extend
its service life. |
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How
often should you cover (and uncover) the outside portion of the
condenser unit of a room air conditioner? |
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The
cover should be put on in September, after the cooling
season is over, and then be taken off in April, before
the cooling season. You should also turn the outside electrical
switch to "off" when the cover is put on, and then turn
the switch to "on" when the cover is removed; this is
so you don't operate the air conditioner while the cover is on. |
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How
does Home-Wizard rate the costs and benefits for this task? |
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The
cost of this task is low from an investment of time standpoint
(assuming that your units are on the ground floor, otherwise you
will need a ladder to access it, if your window mounting does
not allow access from the inside of your home). However,
you will have needed to purchase the appropriate cover for your
unit in advance. |
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The
benefits of this task can be somewhat high because it
keeps cold air from coming into your home through the air conditioner
unit. It also helps ensure the energy efficient operation
of your air conditioning unit, and it helps maintain the useful
life of a relatively expensive piece of equipment in your home. |
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Overall
Home-Wizard benefit-versus-cost rating (one 'hat' = low and
four 'hats' = high): |
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| QUESTIONS
& ANSWERS from "Ask-a-Wizard":
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QUESTION from James
on 8/5/2008
Window airconditoning units: Do they need maintaining?
ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD.COM on 8/5/2008
Dear James:
Yes, window air conditioning units do require regular routine
maintenance to help ensure that they operate properly and energy
efficiently, and it will help them to extend their useful lives.
There are three key maintenance tasks that you should do for
your window air conditioning unit:
1) Replace or wash the air filter (once a month during the cooling
season).
2) Clean the outside section of the condenser unit (once a year
in April, prior to the cooling season).
3) Covering (and uncovering) the outside condenser unit (before
and after the off-season).
You can find more information on the Air Conditioning (Room)
webpage of the Home-Wizard.com Maintenance Library at:
http://www.home-wizard.com/maintenance/roomairconditioner.asp
Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com
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