EastCoaster
Premium Member
- Model Number
- SL24N30B
- Brand
- -major brand-
- Age
- 1-5 years
We have a couple of large window air conditioners (24,000 BTU Friedrich SL24N30B; and 21,000 BTU Friedrich SM24N30A-A.) and a smaller window unit (6000 BTU Friedrich CP06G10B). We have a number of maintenance questions and I thought I'd put them all in a single post:
- Should the units be cleaned inside once a year in the Fall? Is this usually done on-site or have to take into the shop? (We will have the units professionally cleaned since they are too heavy for us to manage on our own).
- What are the most important steps to include in the annual cleaning? Should the fluid be replaced or checked for leakage?
- Our large units have permanent filters (I think they are called 'pre-filters'). They are in two parts that are hinged and fold out and separate for cleaning. Are they sufficient to use on their own or should we insert additional disposable filters (the kind that look like sponge rubber) inside them? And is polyurethane foam or fiberglass better for that additional filter?
- We put a pad on top of the unit to muffle the noise of water drops from a leaky roof gutter. But there is a vent on the top of the sleeve. Will the pad blocking the vent cause issues?
- One of our large units tends to cycle off for about 10 minutes every hour (ie, the compressor shuts off) even though the room is not cooled down to the level on the thermostat. The room is quite large at 20x20 feet with a 12 ft ceiling and large skylight, so it is really difficult to get the temperature down. Does the hourly cycle indicate the unit is too dirty inside, or starting to fail? Would a cleaning solve this problem? (it is seven years old and has never been cleaned).
- And a couple of related questions that we have long wondered about: Can mosquitoes and other bugs get through an a/c's vents and into the room? And what keeps pigeon droppings from falling through the top vent of an a/c's sleeve and contaminating the air?