You've upgraded your room with a new air conditioner. It's been installed, and you'd like to see if it's up to par. Like most others, you agree that the air conditioner is good as long as it provides adequate cooling. After all, you bought a 5-star rated air conditioner from a reputable brand, and you expect it to function well, save power, and last a long time. However, the enthusiasm is fleeting. Inadequate installation procedures, as well as poor post-sale servicing or maintenance, might cause problems after the installation. With this post, we will attempt to give you with some crucial points to consider when installing and servicing your air conditioners.

The quality of the installation work and the location of the installation.

Typically, people have no notion where the best place to install an air conditioner and rely on the installation technician's recommendation. It is necessary to be knowledgeable of the installation requirements and to be able to speak with and question the installation professional.

The following are crucial considerations:

Split-system air conditioning

The site for the outdoor and indoor unit installation should be determined. The preferred site is

• Make sure the installation expert leaves enough space between the wall and the outdoor unit for the condenser fan motor to produce enough airflow across the condenser.
• It ought to be easily accessible for cleaning and servicing from the balcony, window, or surface platform. Ensure that the outside unit does not receive direct sunshine, as this will affect the condenser's effectiveness. If it is inevitable, a sunshade should be placed on top of it.
• The condenser from the indoor unit must be gathered in the drain pad and flow freely; otherwise, water leaks and wall damage may occur, necessitating significant repairs.
• The indoor unit must be mounted on the wall so that the airflow is directed away from the room's main door, rather than sideways, or the room's leakage of cold air would rise.
• The outside unit is connected to two refrigerant pipelines, one providing the air to be cooled and the other removing the cool air to the indoor unit. You may have seen black foam type insulation known as Rubatex, and in most cases, the installation professional does not assure the insulation right from the pipe, leaving a piece uncovered as shown in the image below. Otherwise, condensation and water-dropping during service, as well as a loss of efficiency, should be monitored and ensured.

In case of Window AC

• All the window air conditioners should be put on the top of the window so that cold air settles downhill as it cools, creating its own cool airflow cycle. If an aperture in the wall has already been provided for its installation, it is preferable to use that place.
• The air is pulled in from three sides for condenser cooling, and if the gap is not suitable as specified by the manufacturer, the condenser's efficiency would suffer. On the right and left, Hitachi suggests 200 mm, and on the top, 100 mm. If you look about at air conditioning systems, you'll notice that this criterion isn't always followed.
• The AC installation has an inclination to have a gap of 10mm up at the front-bottom for smooth condensate movement to the drainpipe. If you don't make sure the condensate flows smoothly to the drainpipe, you will have rust problems in 3-5 years.
• Always do avoid, allowing the direct sunlight to fall on the condenser during peak summer months, since this can reduce the efficiency of the condenser and result in inadequate cooling. A parasol on top of the window AC is preferable for this. It is preferable to fix the sunshade on the top of the window for this purpose. Keep in mind that pigeons may utilize the space to build a nest on occasion.
• Several of the brands have kept their window sizes the same, while the others have shrunk them. In this instance, before purchasing or receiving the window, it should be modified by inserting an aluminum/wooden panel to ensure that attachment is secure on all three sides. Otherwise, the installation professional will place it on two sides and use cardboard to fill in the space on the third side for insulation. In the future, this could become a source of vibration.

How you should be cautious when having your air conditioner serviced:

Observe the cleaning job while scheduling maintenance to ensure the coils are cleaned to the highest possible standard. The technician must fill out a stipulated preformat detailing the job performed and his observations of the various measurements made, particularly the current drawn by the unit when the compressor is functioning and when it is not. Make care to fill out the form completely so that it can be compared before and after the next service. Apart from cleaning, there is no further preventive maintenance for air conditioners.

Maintenance of the Air Conditioning System

Cleaning and testing for current it draws to show whether the gas pressure is as it was originally filled are the key reasons for AC maintenance. Inadequate maintenance might result in less cooling and higher electricity usage.

Soundproofing:

Maintain the insulation of connected pipes, since a lack of insulation can result in lower cooling, increased electricity usage, and water drops from the AC. Request that the technician inspect the insulation every time it is serviced.

Leakage of gas:

The rubber mounting and rubber parts used for any securing purpose may deteriorate after 5-6 years of service, and a check should be done when the service is completed. If there is degeneration, vibrations may occur, and the brazed joint may fail, allowing leakage to occur.

Conclude

It is critical not only to purchase the correct product but also to ensure that the installation is completed correctly and that the product is properly maintained. A well-installed and maintained air conditioner can provide adequate cooling while using less electricity, but if it is not properly installed or maintained, it can lead to disappointment with a good buy.