Air conditioners
During late spring, summer and early fall a properly maintained and operating air conditioner is essential in apartment living. We have a program in place to replace 5- 10% of our air conditioners annually. And one of our maintenance men is certified by the Province of Manitoba and Manitoba Ozone Protection Industry Association Inc in the repair and maintenance of air conditioners and refrigerators. In order to reduce landfill our policy is to repair a broken air conditioner and to replace it only if it can't be repaired. Air conditioners are designed to operate when the outside temperature is above 15 degrees Celsius. You can damage the compressor and motor if you operate the air conditioner when the outside temperature is below 15 degrees Celsius.
It important that all tenants help keep their air conditioners working properly. The most important maintenance task to ensure the efficiency of your air conditioner is to routinely clean its filter. A dirty filter blocks normal airflow and reduces efficiency significantly. Washing a clogged filter with dish soap and water will lower your air conditioner's energy consumption by 5% to 15% and keep your suite cooler. Your filter should be washed every month to help cool your suite. If your filter is torn, please let us know and we can replace it for you.
There is one control on the air conditioner that allows outside air to mingle with the cooled air. That control should be set to closed to allow the coldest air to circulate in your apartment.
Air conditioners condensate water when they are running. The condensate should flow to the outside and not down the wall into your suite. Please let us know if you see a wet wall below your air conditioner.
We install 10,000 to 12,000 BTU air conditioners which are designed to cool 500 – 600 square feet of your apartment. If you want the cool air to reach the bedrooms you will need a fan to blow the air down the hall.
The sun causes solar gain. Solar gain or solar heat gain increases the temperature in a room. The amount of heat increases with the strength of the sunlight but you can reduce solar gain by keeping your curtains closed during sunlight hours.