As the summer heat fades, winters cold blasts begin to creep up on us, and many home and business owners are left wondering about the maintenance of their air conditioning units. Whilst portable units are likely to be stored away this is not the case when it comes to internal units typically found within the workplace. For these, there are a handful of steps you should carry out to ensure that the health of your unit remains until the warmer months are upon us once more.
Do you have a HVAC unit?
It is worth reminding yourself of the unit type within your property before the winter arrives. If you have a HVAC unit installed, you will have the ability to switch to a warmth setting, allowing the unit to benefit you and whilst conditioning the air inside your premises for a full 365 days a year.
For standard built-in air conditioning units without a heating facility, it is common to lessen the activity of the unit itself, turning it on only when the air needs a fresh circulation or to combat the temperature of the central heating during working hours. Here are the steps you should take throughout the winter to ensure your unit remains healthy.
Examine the filters
Throughout the warmer months of summer, it is expected that you will be utilising your air conditioning unit regularly. When this is the case, we would recommend that you rotate your filter every three months. However, now that the winter is creeping in, we advise that you change your filter before you lessen the utilisation of your unit. With the unpredictable UK weather, it would be beneficial for you to have your unit clean and ready to work efficiently should you need to switch it back on during an unexpected heatwave in the build-up to summer. If a filter replacement is required, please feel free to get in touch with one of our professional engineers who will carry this action out safely and correctly. A replacement can also be booked in at the same time as your annual service.
Observe the coils
The coils within your air conditioning unit must be assessed once annually, at minimum. Before allowing your unit to rest for longer periods of time over the winter, we advise that you first observe their condition. This will allow you the time to call for any repair or replacement work, cleaning or a service to assure that your air conditioning will be in healthy, working condition come the warmer months. Without this check, you may come to find that, when you next utilise the unit, your coils have collected debris which prevents it from working at its optimum, resulting in you spending more on your electricity bills to increase the strength and feel its benefit.
Check over your external unit
External units are built to withstand the weathering that comes with winter and so there is no need to worry or observe the condition of this part of your air conditioning too regularly. However, once every couple of months, you may wish to check for the following:
- That no shrubbery, leaves or branches are blocking the way of your external fan unit
- That there are no entry points for pests, birds or insects to find shelter over the colder months
Of course, if we experience a series of heavy storms, checking the unit regularly for damage or traces of debris would cause no harm.
It is important to remember that there is no need to cover the unit up as a level of protection. As previously mentioned, these units are built to stand with the elements of weathering and so covering it could do more damage than good. The role of the external unit is to reject heat, so by laying tarpaulin or another form of weatherproof covering over the top of the unit itself could result in a high pressure fault as it would struggle to fulfill its role of eliminating the high temperature present.
If you require any further information on how to protect your air conditioning units this winter, don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of our expert team here at JP Air Conditioning by calling 020 8333 1191. We will be happy to help you in any way we can.
