After Diwali, the mood of the weather has started to change. The sun is setting early. Days are getting shorter and nights are getting longer. Now the effect of morning-evening cold is also being seen. Day temperature is also decreasing. Fans, coolers and air conditioners (AC) have been reduced or stopped in most homes.
AC is off for several months in winter. In such situations, sometimes it gets worse. It costs a good amount of money to repair it again.
However, if some precautions are taken in time then your AC will work in the next season and you will be able to use it without any problem.
So let's go today'work news'Let's talk about what precautions must be taken before switching off the AC in this winter season. You will also learn that-
- What types of mistakes should not be made before switching off the AC?
- What should be considered while covering AC?
Expert: Shashikant Upadhyay, Power Electronics Engineer (Ahmedabad)
Question- What should be considered before switching off the AC in winter?
Answer- As soon as winter starts, the use of AC stops. Most of the people turn off the AC by covering it, but when it comes to using it in summer, the AC does not work well. Prolonged shutdown may damage the air filter. So just covering the AC is not enough. Some other precautions are also necessary. Understand this from the following graphic.
Let us understand the points given in the graphic in detail.
It is necessary to clean the air filter before switching off the AC Keeping the AC off in winter can cause dust or dirt to build up in the filter. Which may require more effort to clean up later. Apart from this, this dirt also affects the cooling capacity of the AC. Therefore, the air filter should be covered only after cleaning it thoroughly.
Do not allow water to accumulate in the AC Before switching off the AC in winter, it is necessary to remove the accumulated water in it. Accumulated water poses a risk of corrosion, which can damage the internal parts of the AC. Also, dirty water can cause bacteria to grow in it, which can cause illnesses.
Disconnect the AC plug from the main switch Many times there is a risk of damage to electronic items in the home due to short circuit. So, after covering the AC, the plug must be disconnected. Due to this no power is supplied to the AC and it remains completely safe.
Service it once before shutting it down Before switching off the AC in winter, servicing should be done once so that the efficiency of the AC is maintained for a long time. Apart from this, if you get the AC service done in the off season, the cost is also less compared to the summer.
Remove the battery from the AC remote AC is not used during 4-5 months of winter. Therefore, during this time, the battery should be removed from the remote. If not used for a long time, the battery may leak and damage the remote. New AC remotes are also very expensive and it is not easy to operate the AC without a remote. So, don't forget to remove the remote's battery.
Q: Can covering a switched off AC cause any damage? Answer : Not at all, it is completely safe to cover switched off AC. It does not cause any damage to its body and internal parts. Covering not only protects the AC from dust and dirt, but also prevents water from entering the unit.
Q- Should outdoor unit of AC also be covered in winter? Answer- Yes, absolutely. Covering the outdoor AC unit during the winter months prevents dust and dirt from accumulating on it. Apart from this, there are many other benefits of covering the AC in winter. See the graphic below –
Question- What are the things to be considered while covering AC? Answer : Outdoor unit of AC should never be covered with normal polythene. Because of this, moisture from fog or rainwater can enter the outdoor unit of the AC, risking rusting or damage to the unit. Therefore the outdoor unit should always be covered with a waterproof hard plastic cover. This cover protects the outdoor unit from water and dust.
Q- Should the AC be turned on intermittently during the winter months? Answer- Shashikant Upadhyay says that during winter you can run the AC for a short time once a month.
However, this is not necessary if you have properly covered the AC after servicing. With good servicing and proper maintenance, it doesn't matter if the AC is off for a long time.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
