A window air conditioner works well in summer months in lieu of central air conditioning. While a window unit should not be a replacement for a central unit, window units do a good job of cooling off individual rooms of a dwelling. To maximize their efficiency, however, they do need some maintenance and upkeep. Window air conditioners can become extremely costly without proper maintenance and usage. Before purchasing a window unit, size the area of the room. A large unit will not always be the right fit to make a room cooler. Buying a unit that is too big will drastically decrease efficiency. An air conditioning unit has a certain amount of BTUs, or British Thermal Units, that directly correlate to the size of a room. ENERGY STAR has a recommendation of certain BTUs for certain size rooms. It does matter whether a room is heavily shaded or sunny. The BTU usage should increase by 10 percent for sunny rooms, and decrease by 10 percent for shady rooms. ENERGY STAR also advises that one should add 600 BTUs for each person beyond two that regularly spend time in one room.

Before installation, ensure that the air conditioner properly fits on the metal casing surrounding the window. Air leaks surrounding an air conditioner will decrease efficiency, and will ultimately affect the cooling of the room. If needed, use plastic to ensure that there are no air leaks. After approximately one month of use, check air conditioning window units to see if they may need some maintenance or cleaning. Three main areas regularly need attention on window units. These include the filter, the coils, and the fins. The air filters on a window air conditioning unit need cleaning often. The air filter has a design to provide clean airflow into the room, but after hours of usage, the filter becomes clogged with debris. An air filter that has a debris clog performs the opposite task of its intention. A dirty air filter will push dirty air back into the room and decrease the efficiency of the appliance. Most air filters on air conditioning units are removable for cleaning and are reusable.

Remove the front of the unit with a utility knife. Remove the filter and rinse it with warm, soapy water. If there is mold, use a bleach solution to fully clean the filter. All air filters need replacement once per season, regardless of cleaning. Air conditioning coils do not need as much maintenance as filters, but they still require cleaning once per season. Locate the coils underneath the air filter. Scrub them with warm, soapy water and a brush. Give the same attention to the coils at the back of the unit. Make it a habit to reduce debris outside, near the air conditioner. Dryer vents and drain pipes are sources of debris and can cause mold and poor air quality in the air conditioner without regular cleaning. Condensate drain channels need cleaning once per season as well. Push a solid and stiff wire through the drain channels to rid the drain of debris. Clogged drain channels leak condensation, which may cause excess moisture and staining to areas such as carpet. The fins surrounding the coils should be straight at all times and require some cleaning.

Straighten the fins with fin combs if they need realignment. If fins remain bent, they can block the airflow coming from the unit. Clean the fins with warm, soapy water at the end of each summer season.4 or 5 ton ac unit All air conditioning units need removal prior to the fall and winter months. split ac system for saleLeaving air conditioning units in windows will allow cold air to come through during cooler weather. good works auto repair tempe azThis will lead to expensive heating bills as well as a marked drop in heating and cooling efficiency. Store the air conditioning units in a cool, dry place when not in use. Use the basic and advanced search functions to search for the proper air conditioner that will fit your room size. Search for a seller with experience, and a long history of feedback to ensure a quality transaction.