Most electrical items will develop faults and breakdown at some point, and unfortunately, air conditioners aren't any different! However, some air conditioning repairs can be fairly straightforward. A regular fault that can afflict many air conditioners is when they appear to be working ok, but they just aren't cooling us anymore. If you find yourself in this situation, then the good news is that it most likely only needs cleaning. It is pretty straightforward to clean the air conditioner yourself, but as with any electrical item, care must be taken. You'd be well advised to thoroughly examine the owner's manual before you start.
Before you begin any maintenance on your air conditioner, make sure the power is switched off! The shut off panels are normally located on the air conditioner, but if you are having trouble finding then just shut off the power to your home. Also be sure that there's no debris near the condenser.
Now you're ready to see what the problem is with the air conditioner. Firstly, take the grill cover off the condenser. Then gently clean the fins with either a brush or a cloth. The fins can be easily damaged, so you will have to be careful. After you've finished brushing them then it's time to vacuum away any lingering dust. Now you need to unscrew the cover and lift it carefully off the grill. Now we're done with the cleaning, we have to hose the fins; however you'll need to protect the motor with a waterproof covering. This is also an opportune time to see if the motor might need greasing. Alright, you've finished cleaning you're air conditioner. Good job!
When you've reassembled the unit, you can turn the air conditioner on and see if your maintenance as helped. When you've turned it on, let it run for a couple of minutes and then put your hands on the pipes that run to the condenser, one pipe should feel hotter than the other. If the air conditioner still doesn't work, then there's a good chance the refrigerant needs recharging and a technician will need to be called in.
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