Whether it’s a large central system on the side of the house or a small unit in the window, with proper care and maintenance, your Olympia air conditioner should last for a decade or two. 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 just set a unit in the window and trust the sash to hold it in place–make sure it is fastened properly according to the directions;
- Don’t think it will run forever without cleaning the fins, vents and changing the filter at least once a cooling season;
- 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 install the central unit on the ground–there are pre-made pads or mix up a little concrete
- 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.
Your Olympia air conditioner is a pretty reliable device, but a little attention goes a long way to ensure years of comfort. To schedule a maintenance appointment today, give Sound Heating & Air Conditioning a call!