Title:
Off Season Air Conditioner
Maintenance: Why Should You Keep It
Covered?
Author: Jackie Kent
Article:
Although the air conditioners are built strong enough to endure
snows, winds, heat, rains or biting cold, it needs regular
maintenance like all things good or bad. The filters, the coils,
fins, hoses et al must be kept in a fine condition to help the
whole unit run smooth and easy all around the year for as long
as you have it. Especially the coil of the condenser needs
better maintenance since it's exposed out in the open, unlike
the coil in the evaporator. The exposed condenser coil gets
dirty far too often due to the dust and pollution or because of
trees near or above it. Anything coming in contact with the coil
can have an insulation of sorts--dust particles, grease, dirt,
soot, dry leaves, seeds, corrosion, bugs and even microorganisms
like bacteria can be an impediment to the much needed heat
transfer from the refrigerant to the outside air. Unwanted heat
needs to be given out from the refrigerant.
The amount of refrigerant used in an air conditioning unit
determines whether the makers would get the highest SEER level
of efficiency or not--the lesser, the better. The units are
designed in perfect balance, and so the slightest hindrance to
the heat transfer usually conks out the balance and deteriorates
the functioning of the unit. If dust or dirt accumulates on the
coils, the right amount of heat doesn't go out, thus increasing
the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant going into the
compressor to abnormal degrees. Consequently, the compressor
stresses itself to work more on the cooling of the 'abnormal'
refrigerant, thereby drawing more amperes of electricity. As a
result of this fiasco, the cooling capacity of the air
conditioner obviously dwindles and the mechanical parts wear
out. So a dirty coil simply boils down to three
things--insufficient cooling, fagged out machine parts and a
higher cost for functioning.
Over time, if you keep the coils unclean, they get choked with
seeds and dirt and restrict proper airflow. And if the airflow
is impeded on a hot day, the head and cylinders of the
compressor automatically gets too much hot. Next, the oil will
start breaking down and fail to lubricate. This fosters decay
and allows contaminants into the air conditioning unit. If that
happens, the pistons, rings and cylinders indispose and as a
result, the compression lowers, valves leak, metal debris float
in the oil. Finally, total failure of the compressor nears. Air
conditioners function in a closed circuit system. It is not at
all an easy and simple procedure to replace the full lubricant.
The oil used in air conditioning units is originally quite
resilient but impurities in it or into the system and regular
neglect accelerate the end. The result is same as trying to
drive a car without changing its engine oil for a decade. In an
air conditioner, when the compressor stops working, there's no
way out other than to throw it away and replace it with a new
one. And this of course means opening the system, removing the
refrigerant and the oil, and filtering dryers to tidy up the
unit. Moisture and acid sets in as you open the system or when
the system fails. Evidently, this is a very time-consuming and
expensive process. And the worst news is that, many air
conditioners, at this point, are not in a condition that's worth
the trouble.
The advantages of cleaning the coils regularly are as follows:
*More heat gets out of the room, cooling is faster and the
system functions at quite a low temperature.
*Electricity costs remain low as a clean system always draws
minimum amperes.
*The compressor can operate stress-free, at ease and with
optimum efficiency.
*All the components remain healthy and thus ensure more
reliability and a longer life for the unit.
For all these reasons, it is always advised to keep the coils
free from dust and dirt with the help of an air conditioner
cover when you are not using it, like in the winter months.
