Window Air Conditioner Maintenance?

September 2, 2016

Window Air Conditioner Maintenance? Yes, believe it or not, now is the perfect time to perform routine maintenance on your window air conditioner before storing it away until next season. Often we think of window air conditioner units as appliances which require no maintenance. We kind of just plug them in and forget about them. However, for optimum performance, window air conditioners do require some maintenance, and now is the perfect time of year to take care of it. Have no fear; it’s a short checklist that will take you about 30 minutes to accomplish:

Clean the Air Filter: The air filter is a spongy rectangular sheet which rests on the face of the air conditioner or is attached to a tray that you pull out of the air conditioner. Remove the filter, wash it in soapy water, rinse, let it dry and then re-install it.
Clean the Exterior Fins: The exterior fins are sometimes protected by a grate, which you may have to remove. Dirt build-up can plug the slotted openings, seriously impacting the unit’s ability to operate optimally. To clean the fins, a dry paint brush is ideal. Just brush them gently until the dirt is eliminated.
Straighten Bent Fins: Sometimes the fins become bent and the air flow becomes restricted, causing the air conditioner to operate less efficiently. To straighten the fins you’ll need a fin comb. which can be purchased at many home improvement or hardware stores. Insert the comb where the fins are not dented and comb downward and carefully through the dented fins to straighten them.
Oil the Motor: Some fan motors contain oil, however, others are factory sealed and need no oil. If your air conditioner contains oil, you will want to oil the fan motor prior to storing it, and then oil it once again before the start of the next summer season.

Taking care of these quick routine tasks will ensure that your window air conditioner is in good shape and ready to cool off your space the next time the mercury soars!

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