Whether it’s a large central system or a small on, with proper care and maintenance, your Washington DC air conditioner should last for a quite a while. Sometimes, however, people can do simple things which, in retrospect, should have obviously been avoided.
Some examples:
- Don’t block the air intake–air is vital to the process, so laying anything over the unit (a towel or clothes to dry) will significantly strain the motor. Always make sure there is enough clearance.
- Don’t block the vents–likewise in a home, it is easy to move a sofa or lay an area rug over a grate in the floor or cover an unsightly vent in the wall with a pretty painting.
- Don’t think it will run forever without cleaning the fins, vents and changing the filter at least once a heating season;
- Don’t leave the units exposed in winter–always cover when not in use for long periods of time;
- Don’t bury the condensate drain in the ground–in central units it is vital that the drain is left with a clear flow away from the house;
- Don’t steam clean or use hot water to clean the fins–damage and corrosion can easily be caused by the heat; flush with warm water or spray.
- Don’t remove the overload relay to force continuous running–VERY dangerous and a guarantee of damage.
A little attention to your Washington DC air conditioning goes a long way to ensure years of comfort. Call Polar Bear Air Conditioning if you need to schedule a maintenance visit!