To maintain your AC, the best thing you can do is regularly vacuum the air filter. If it’s really grubby, give it a light scrubbing with water and dish detergent, and rinse it clean. Always let the filter dry before reinstalling it.
It’s not uncommon for a couple of fins on the air conditioner’s back to get mashed or bent as you’re handling the appliance. To straighten them, use the edge of a plastic putty knife or credit card. Insert the knife or card into a space above the bent fin, and slide it down to the bent area. If the fins are severely bent, use a fin straightener tool.
If your AC starts to let out a rattle, investigate. It could be anything from a rough window sill to a wobbly pane. Should the sound be too much, foam insulation strips and sound-dampening rubber sheeting can help quiet the noise.
Most of the air conditioners here operate very comfortably on a 15-amp branch circuit (a branch circuit consists of all the wiring and devices that hook up to a single circuit breaker or fuse). These circuits support up to, naturally, 15 amps of current draw. If the AC runs at 6 amps, the circuit still support another 9 of current.
However, even an energy-efficient air conditioner draws a substantial amount of current–sometimes two or three times the amperage it usually runs at—when its condenser turns on to pump its refrigerant through its closed loop. This may cause the circuit breaker to trip.
If that happens, look around to see what other loads are operating on the circuit. Maybe somebody’s running a vacuum cleaner or other high-current appliance. Shutting down other loads frees up electrical capacity and allow the air conditioner to run as it should.
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