We are always keen to share tips and tricks to help keep your air conditioning and refrigeration unit in an optimal running condition.
However, we thought we could also let you in on some of the big no-no’s when it comes to caring for your air-conditioner. We’ve compiled a simple guide of ‘what not to do’ for your residential or commercial air conditioning unit.
Five sure-fire ways to shorten the life of your air conditioning unit.
1.) USING THE OUTDOOR FAN UNIT AS A STORAGE LEDGE FOR POT PLANTS!
It may be tempting to use the housing of the outdoor fan unit as a handy outdoor shelf especially when space is at a premium in apartment living, but please resist the urge to put anything on top of your fan unit as it could buckle the protective housing.
Also, for apartment living when your fan unit is located on a small balcony, always ensure nothing is blocking the inlet vents i.e., outdoor furniture, or clothes drying racks. These obstructions could limit the airflow and as such reduce the performance of the air conditioning unit.
2.) LETTING DIRT AND DEBRIS BUILD UP ON FILTERS
As we have said time and time again: dirty filters are the nemesis to a well-functioning air conditioning unit.
Dirt and debris that are clogging a filter reduces the airflow able to pass into the intake duct, meaning your air conditioning unit must work harder to pull air into the air conditioning unit. An air conditioning unit that is not functioning efficiently will be costing you more money to run and creating unnecessary wear and tear on the mechanical parts.
3.) TURNING THE THERMOSTAT TEMPERATURE UP AND ON DOWN WITHIN A SHORT TIMEFRAME
We’ve all done it; we walk into a room that seems really hot or really cold so we go straight to the thermostat and adjust the temperature by 10° in the hope that it will either cool down or warm up the room more quickly.
But did you know; turning the temperature up and down in a short period of time can actually trip the system and cause your unit to shut down completely?
As a guide, we suggest never setting the temperature on the thermostat below the desired temperature of the room, for example, you would never want an interior room to be 16° so don’t set the thermostat to 16° in the hope it will cool down the room quicker as the opposite may occur.
The best temperature for cooling is between 19°C and 23°C.
By keeping your cooling thermostat set between this range it will be cheaper to run as it is easier to maintain a constant temperature of approximately 21°.
21° is the optimum indoor temperature, so rather than turning the unit temperature all the way down until the room gets too cold, then turning the unit off; just leave it set to the desired temperature and let the internal thermostat do its thing.
Patience is key!
4.) RUNNING REFRIGERATED COOLING WITH DOORS OR WINDOWS OPEN
There is a huge difference between how refrigerated and evaporative cooling systems work. Chatfield OzCool specialise in refrigerated air conditioning, and with this type of technology the key is to seal the space being cooled, so that the unit can do its job.
Think of it like the refrigerator that is sitting in your kitchen; if you leave the door open of the fridge the internal contents will not maintain a constant temperature, and the fridge motor will be running constantly at maximum capacity to try to keep the fridge cool.
The same goes for an air conditioning unit; when the doors and windows of a building are open with external air flowing through the rooms that are trying to be cooled, it will be almost impossible to maintain a constant temperature, and in turn, will put the air conditioning unit under unnecessary stress.
5.) CLOSING OFF TOO MANY INTERNAL OUTLET VENTS
A great way to run your air conditioning system efficiently is blocking vents to rooms that do not need to have the temperature maintained, i.e., an office that no one is using, or in a residential space, a bedroom that no one is currently occupying.
However, be mindful that closing too many vents can have the reverse effect and end up causing your system to freeze-up.
Heating and cooling systems are designed to run with a particular number of outlet vents open, so when too many of the vents are closed, the unit will be trying to push air through with nowhere for the air to go, which will cause stress on the motor.
If you are not sure how many vents you can close before it starts to affect the operation of your heating or cooling unit, have a chat with a Chatfield OzCool technician, and they will be able to let you know what will work best with your unit.
The team at Chatfield OzCool are available to answer any questions you may have regarding your air conditioning and refrigeration equipment.
If would like to find out how we could help you, please give the team at Chatfield OzCool a call on 1300 361 186