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Using an air conditioner in winter can help you control the climate inside your house, but you also have to make sure that they are prepared for the change in seasons. This needs to be done so they can help your home environment stay comfortable all year long.

Have you ever noticed that when the temperatures start to drop, your skin dries out, you get sick, and your body needs to acclimatise to get used to the new environment?

Well, believe it or not, the same thing happens to the appliances in your home!

Air conditioners also have a heating function on them, so as the months get colder, you may find yourself using them in the early hours of the morning, in the afternoon when the sun goes down, or throughout the night.

Some people tend to have other heating systems such as fireplaces or gas heating. If this is the case, you need to store/protect/cover your existing air conditioning unit to ensure it doesn’t get damaged from the weather/season.

AC Maintenance & Care

Preventative maintenance is a must when looking after your white goods and big appliances, such as air conditioning units. This will ensure that you don’t have any wildly costly repairs down the track.

Servicing your air conditioner at the right time and frequency can be the difference between your unit lasting long-term with minimal issues or short-term with recurring problems. Long story short, it’s always better to get your air conditioner regularly serviced (every three months) than getting it done once a year and finding out it has a never ending list of problems.

For an air conditioning unit to function effectively and maintain a long lifespan, its filters, coils, and fins require regular maintenance (at least every three months) to keep everything in check. Getting regular air conditioning care will help keep your air conditioner working in the long run, meaning less costly repairs.

What Should Be Checked When You Get Your Air Conditioner Serviced?

There is a range of things that need to be checked when you get your air conditioner serviced, such as:

  • Check to see if it has the unit has the correct amount of refrigerant.
  • Test to see if the refrigerant is leaking. If any refrigerant is leaking, make sure to extract it from the unit.
  • Check and test to see if there is any seal duct leakage.
  • Turn the air conditioner on and see how well the airflow is through the evaporator coil.
  • Turn on the remote and test to see if the heating system and cooling system are both functioning properly.
  • Check the belts and oil motors for wear and tear.
  • Test to see how accurate the thermostat is.

 

Air Conditioner Serviced

Parts That Are Significant To Ensure The AC Unit Is Functioning Properly

There are many parts of the air conditioning unit that have to be working correctly for the air conditioning unit to function properly. Below are the most essential components that need to be checked during routine AC maintenance:

  • The Filters – The filters are an essential part to be routinely replaced and cleaned for maximum function. If there is a build-up of dirt or dust on the filters, clean air won’t pass through.<.li>
  • Coils – Coils are another part of the unit that will impede the performance of the air conditioner if they collect a lot of dirt and dust over time.
  • Coil fins – These are the aluminium slats, usually external, that can be bent and squished which blocks the airflow. The coil fins need to be monitored and fixed to ensure enough air is being sucked in.
  • Condensation drains – Air conditioner repairers/experts need to ensure the condensation drains are unblocked to prevent leaking and excess moisture build-up in the air conditioning unit.
  • Window seals – Ensure all windows are sealed as this can create an issue with keeping the cold air out and warm air in.

 

If you are using your air conditioning unit during winter for heating purposes:

  • Make sure the foam pipe is in good condition and completely covers the copper tubing. Foam pipes help to protect the air conditioning pipes from harsh winter temperatures and keep the unit functioning properly, ensuring that your home is constantly warm.

 

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How To Ensure Your Air Conditioner Is Optimised For Heating

If you are thinking about using your air conditioner in winter to keep your house warm during the cooler months, there are a few things that you can do to ensure it is optimised for heating, such as:

  • Ensure you have the correct size air conditioner for the space it is intended to heat. If the unit is too small, it will be working overtime to keep the area at the desired temperature. But if the AC unit is too big, the amount of energy required to run it is unnecessary. Finding an air conditioning unit that is the perfect size will keep you, your family, and your wallet happy.
  • Shut all windows and doors that are connected to the room or rooms that you want to heat. If you have windows or doors open that are letting in cold air, it defeats the purpose of having your air conditioner blow out hot air. Even shutting internal doors that connect to rooms that you don’t need to heat will significantly improve the air conditioning unit’s efficiency.
  • Use timers or put the air conditioner on an intermittent setting. This will run the air conditioner every so often to maintain the temperature rather than constantly. This also works well if you have the air conditioner on while you’re asleep. You can set the timer to turn it off at a particular time and turn it back on when you wake up in the morning.
  • If you have other heating systems in your home, such as a fireplace, you can also connect them (and utilise the heat even more) through a ducted air conditioning unit. This is an efficient way of using the heat from the fireplace via your air conditioning unit and is a great way to keep power costs down and your family warm and comfortable.

Whether or not you choose to use your air conditioning unit throughout the winter months, it’s always best to get it regularly serviced to ensure it is functioning correctly, regardless of how much you tend to use it.

If you choose not to use your air conditioner in winter, make sure to follow the steps mentioned above to ensure your unit is covered, cleaned, and looked after properly while it’s not in use, and always get it serviced before you begin to use it again.

Suppose you choose to continue using your air conditioning unit to keep yourself and your family warm during winter. In that case, there are few things that you can do to ensure your AC unit is functioning at its optimal capacity, as well as other ways in which you can utilise your unit to ensure the parts of your house that you want to be heated are getting enough heat. If you follow the steps above to maximise the heat in your home, you are bound to have a warm and cosy winter.

After the few months of winter when the days start to get longer, the temperatures begin to rise, and you don’t feel as cold at night time, it will mean that it’s time to crank the air conditioner back up, this time, with it blowing out cold air.

So, when it comes time to start using your air conditioning unit again, contact the team at Air-Rite to come and perform a service.