Air conditioning has become a real necessity these days. It becomes unbearable especially on hot days to live without an air conditioner. Most offices and homes are opting for air conditioning to escape the heat. Air conditioning is helpful in improving the working conditions of an office. Air conditioning improves the productivity and enhances the performance of the employees. Many factories, industries, laboratories need air conditioning as a part of their operational process.

It is very important to know the size of the area to be air conditioned before setting up an air conditioning unit. The selection of the right size of air conditioning unit is very important for getting optimum performance. Window air conditioners are the ideal choice for small single room offices or small areas. On the other hand, central air conditioning is the right choice for factories, large offices or homes.

Always check the technical information of the air conditioner before you buy a unit, like the power consumption, tonnage of the air conditioner and other mechanical features.  This will help you to determine the energy consumption and your monthly electricity bills.

There are other things besides the capacity of the air conditioner that affect the cooling. Factors like insulation, number of doors and windows in the room, computers or other equipments that generate heat, number of people in the room and more.

By selecting the right air conditioner, you can have trouble free performance for years to come.

The main purpose of the air conditioning filters is to keep the system components clean. Air filters in your air conditioner provide you with clean and fresh air for breathing.  If the air filters is unchanged and unclean for a long time, it can:

•    Increase the consumption of the blower
•    Reduce cooling
•    Cause compressor failure
•    Reduce the life of the air conditioner

The most important maintenance task that air conditioners need is regularly cleaning of the air conditioning filters. Air conditioners whose filters are changed at regular intervals run more efficiently and do not consume much energy for operating.

If the air filters become dirty, they begin to restrict the air flow and even cause the evaporator coils to ice up. The operating efficiency of the air conditioner is reduced and the air conditioning unit does not maintain the desired room temperature.

You should clean the filters of the air conditioners whenever you feel that they are not working properly. There are many ways that you can maintain your air conditioner in a proper way so that it can perform at its peak level.

The frequency of cleaning your filters depends on your usage. It can range from 1 to 2 months for most homes and a couple of weeks in offices.  You should never wait for the entire filters to be matted with dust, so replace them as soon as possible.

All of us like to rest in the comfort of an air conditioner after a day of hard work. However, it can be really frustrating to know that your air conditioner is not working properly when you reach your home. This can be really annoying, especially when you have spent a considerable amount of time and money to install the air conditioner.

It might take a little while before the air conditioning technician comes out and fixes the problem. If you do not want to wait for the technician, you can check the reason behind the failure of your air conditioning unit by yourself.

By checking the unit yourself, you can help the technician to determine the problem even before he arrives so that he can fix it quickly without wasting any time.

Checking a central air conditioner is really simple. All you have to do is look for a few things to determine the exact fault.

You should check if the air filters are clean enough. If the air filters are not clean, it might prevent the proper flow of air. Check if there is any leakage in the system. Your air conditioner will not function properly if there is a leak in the unit.

You should also check if the thermostat is working properly. If the thermostat is not working properly, your system might consume a lot of energy unnecessarily.

If the unit is making a lot of noise, check for any loose or broken parts in the unit. These are the common problems that you might face with your central conditioner. However, you should not try to repair the air conditioner on your own as it is very risky and you can get injured. Always hire a professional air conditioning technician to repair your unit.

Most air conditioning units work properly for about 10 to 12 years. If your air conditioner is slightly old and you cannot afford a new air conditioning unit, then you should try to get the most out of it by following a few basic tips.

The most important thing to do if you want better efficiency from your existing air conditioner is to maintain it properly. Regular maintenance and servicing will ensure that you get trouble free performance from your air conditioner for years to come.

Do not use your air conditioner excessively. You should use air conditioning only when the ventilation is inadequate. Always switch off your air conditioner whenever you are leaving home. This will help you in saving considerable amount of energy. Whenever you operate an air conditioner unit, keep all the doors and windows closed. Try to avoid cooling rooms that are unoccupied.  By minimizing the indoor humidity and using an exhaust fan, you can save on your electricity bills. If your air conditioning unit has an outside air option, you should use it sparingly.

By using ceiling fans and setting the thermostat at a higher temperature, you can save a lot of energy. For every degree you raise on the thermostat, you can save 3 to 5 percent on the cooling cost. Regularly clean the air filters of your air conditioner. Always ensure that the filter of your air conditioner does not get very dirty as it can impede air flow. You should hire a professional for inspecting your air conditioner every 2 to 3 years or more frequently if you use it more often.

A thermostat is one of the most important components of an air conditioner. With the help of a thermostat, the temperature inside a room can be controlled easily. It controls the flow of heat energy out or into the system. Every air conditioning unit is equipped with a thermostat that can be operated either electronically or manually. However, you should know how to use a thermostat properly to be able to control the temperature inside the room. If you use the thermostat properly, you can have the right temperature inside your room and also save on the energy bills.

You may save around seven to ten percent of the total cooling costs if you use the thermostat at the right setting. The ideal temperature inside a room depends upon the weather and temperature outside the room. You can also use the ceiling fan if you set the thermostat perfectly.

By using a thermostat, you can get the right temperature in your room and also save on your energy costs.

In case of a central air conditioning, there are two fan settings; auto and on. When the unit is at on the fan will run continuously, but in case of auto setting, the fan will work only when the cooling cycles is on. If you keep the settings at “on”, the fan will keep working even when not required and hence consume unnecessary energy. By keeping the setting on auto, you can save a lot of electricity.

Most of us are worried about the rising electricity bills. Air conditioners require a lot of electricity and are the major contributors to the increasing energy bills. If you want to lower your electricity bills to a certain extent, you can follow these few tips:

-    It is important to keep the thermostat in a place where it can give accurate readings. It should not be kept near a device that produces heat or a device which is cold as it can affect the readings of the thermostat.

-    If the unit is not in use on a daily basis, the thermostat should be kept on low readings.

-    The installation of a thermostat timer will help you save money. The timer can be set in to keep a check on the temperature automatically.

-    It is important to keep the windows closed to prevent the heat from flowing out during winters and cool air from flowing out during summers.

-    Maintaining proper humidity is important. A dry room can be uncomfortably cold even at normal temperatures.

-    For proper cooling of the room, it is better to aim the vents of the air conditioner in upward direction as cold air will naturally settle down and eventually cool the room.

-    The outer portion of the air conditioning unit should never face the sun directly or be blocked to ensure that there is no blockage of free air flow.

-    Switch off any devices that produce heat as the air conditioner has to work harder to cool the room in such cases.

Cleaning an air conditioner can be a difficult task. It is therefore important that you hire a professional air conditioner maintenance company to clean or service your air conditioner.

You might get sick if you clean your air conditioner by yourself. The air conditioner contains harmful bacteria, fungi and dust which can escape in the air and can enter your lungs while cleaning the fan coil. You should therefore be extremely careful while cleaning the fan coil.

Air conditioner uses the air in the room and circulates it again in the room after cooling. A blower is used to push the cooled air into the room. The blower pushes the air with the help of fan coils. Over a period of time, a layer of dirt settles on the fan coil and affects the performance of your air conditioner. Your air conditioner will not work properly if the dust is not removed. This also leads to higher power consumption and higher electricity bills.

You should always call a professional technician for cleaning your air conditioner. You should always ensure that the service contractor does not use a brush or a vacuum cleaner for cleaning the blower and fan coil. This is to prevent the dust from loosening up and polluting the air. You can wear a filter mask while cleaning the air conditioner, be it yourself or through a technician.

Air conditioners these days are of much better quality, so many users think it is not necessary to pay much attention to them as long as they draw cool air comfortably. They do not service it regularly, which is a mistake.

To maintain an air conditioner at your home or in office in good shape, it is important to regularly clean it. It is important to keep all the parts dirt free, be it the condenser or any other part. It is a must to keep a regular check of the air conditioner as it not only affects the health of your family but also increases the life of the AC.

You will require a technician if there are compressor issues. The refrigerant often enters the compressor crankcase and produces sound when the compressor starts up. Also check if oil level in the compressor is low.

You may think that you can get the cleaning and maintenance job done in-house and save cost. However, it makes sense to outsource this job to a professional air conditioner maintenance technician.

At times, the water from the air conditioner starts leaking. If it is a window mounted air conditioner, the leakage may even damage the walls. There are a few solutions to avoid water leakage from your air conditioner.

First, it is important to locate the cause of the leakage. It well could be the clogging of the drain line of the air conditioner. The drain line needs regular cleaning. It releases the condensation that collects in the pan. It gets blocked and overflows, thus resulting in leakage. A regular maintenance of the air conditioner must comprise the drain line cleaning to keep it unclogged.

In case of a window air conditioner the drain line could be placed outside and could be flushed easily from outside, even from a garden hose pipe. If your air conditioner has a condensation pump, the pump might need a replacement at times.

The water in the air conditioner with the pump needs to be piped from the unit to the pump. One needs to check the pump, if it still is overflowing. It maybe time for replacing the pump.

Central air conditioning unit provides cool air, which moves throughout the room. The days of huge window air conditioners are gone because of the central air conditioner. A central air conditioning unit is installed on the roof of the office or apartment or in the backyard of the compound. The installation of central air conditioning system is done in the same manner like a heater.

The servicing of the air conditioning system should be only done by professional technicians. Central air conditioning system makes less noise as compared to other air conditioner units.

Central air conditioning must be placed in a safe area, away from any items which can fall and damage the unit. Any obstruction can affect the air circulation which can cause the unit to not work properly.

Proper maintenance like oiling the parts that are movable will add many years to the air conditioning units. Central air conditioner units should be kept away from the direct sunlight, which will help in preventing the unit from overworking.