Home Repair Center Air Conditioner Repair Tips, DIY Help, and Information Maintenance Tips for Air Conditioners

Parts of an air conditioner

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• Common Questions
• Maintenance Tips
• Air Conditioner Parts

[Back to Common Questions About Air Conditioners (FAQs)]
[Back to Air Conditioner Repair Tips, DIY Help, and Information]

• Household appliances have average lifetime expectancies. Maintaining your appliances properly can extend their lifetime indefinitely.
• If you have to do any kind of repair or maintenance on this unit, make sure to unplug it from the power supply.
• Use a properly grounded outlet.
• Have the heating and cooling systems serviced annually.
• Clean and replace any filters as recommended by the manufacturer. Clean or replace the filter on your air conditioner unit twice a month during cooling season.
• Keep your appliance clean and dust-free.
• Never run your appliances off of an extension cord. Some appliances require a lot of power. Trying to run yours off an extension cord can cause overheating or fire.
• Compressors require a lot of energy to run. Running your air conditioner with too little power can seriously damage your compressor.
• Store your air conditioner in a clean, dry place when you’re not using it. It’s better to use your basement than your garage for storage.
• If you turn the air conditioner off while the compressor is running, do not turn your air conditioner on right away. Wait at least ten minutes before restarting the unit. It is important to let the pressure in the compressor equalize in the unit before restarting it.
• Clean the coils once a season or more. Remove the cover and use a soft brush, vacuum, or compressed air to clean them. If you can let the unit sit for a few days to dry, you may want to consider hosing it down. However, it is imperative to let the unit dry completely before plugging it back in. Sometimes a thorough cleaning can get a unit that was running warm to run cool again. The coils need to be clean for proper heat transfer.
• Check the coils for frost or ice build-up, especially if the outside temperature falls below about 60 F.
• At the end of cooling season, make sure you clean the filter and coils, and disconnect the power, even if you leave the unit in the window. You may also want to purchase an air conditioner cover for the unit. We carry several covers and they fit different size units.