Air Conditioner Maintenance (room)

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 below are the three recommended routine maintenance tasks for your room air conditioner.  

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 Maintenance Task #1:  Replace or wash air filter

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.

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:

• 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.

• 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.

 Maintenance Task #2:  Clean the outside portion of the condenser unit

Cleaning the outside portion of the condenser unit involves four activities:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Check to be sure the drain holes are clean so that condensate water can escape properly (see your user's manual).

4. Lubricate the fan motor as described in your user's manual.

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.

 Maintenance Task #3:  Cover (and uncover) the outside portion of the condenser unit

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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