If you live in an area where the temperature can go up considerably, then you might be in need of a good air conditioner in your house.
Some people might consider air conditioning to be a luxury but that opinion is changing more and more these days.
With the increasing shift in climate today, having an AC unit is now becoming a real necessity.
Functions of an AC- While cooling down the temperature or raising it is the function of the air-conditioner that comes to our mind when we hear its name - in reality it does more than that.
It is also used in removing unwanted humidity from the air, as well as in taking out dust, soo,t and other solid particles.
How The AC Works- It would help a lot for a homeowner to have some basic understanding of how an AC unit actually works.
The AC does its job by moving heat that can be found inside a house to the outside.
It takes the heat out from the air that it circulates inside it.
Inside the AC unit are a set of coils which are filled with chemicals called refrigerants.
The chemicals draw the heat to them as they move through the coils and they release it as they are taken to the outside coils.
This way the air that goes out of the unit is colder than what it has drawn to it.
What Could Go Wrong- The AC unit is a mechanical device that is dependent on a motor to keep the condenser running.
This means that there are moving parts of the device that needs to be maintained regularly.
When these moving parts break down they can affect the performance of the device or even cause it to cease to function altogether.
Another cause for the unit not to function properly is when there is too much inside for it to handle properly.
These devices are designed to handle a specific load only.
The refrigerant used for the device can also leak and that is a common issue.
Filters- As mentioned earlier, one of the main functions of an AC unit is to remove solid particles from the air.
To do that, these devices are equipped with filters.
When these filters become filled with dirt and debris then that can affect the way that it draws in fresh air from the outside.
Saving Energy- It is no secret that an AC unit consumes a huge amount of energy, which is one of the reasons why some people think twice about using it.
You can take certain steps in ensuring that the device which you use will be energy efficient.
Simple steps such as ensuring the right load, keeping the filters clean, and cleaning the coils would help a lot.
Maintenance- You can do some simple maintenance on your AC unit.
Probably the most important step that you can take is to replace the filter on the device.
For other maintenance needs, it would be best if you leave that to professionals since they can handle that a lot better.