Maintaining an Air Conditioner or Heat Pump

Monoblock, reversible, multisplit, heat pump… What do all these terms mean?

Before proceeding to clean the air conditioner or heat pump, it is good to go back to the basics to understand your equipment.
First, we distinguish between two types of air conditioning devices: the air conditioner that expels heat from inside and the heat pump that absorbs external heat to inject it into the house.
In both cases, a heat pump (PAC) or air conditioner can be reversible. This means it can keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter using a single unit.
A monoblock air conditioner consists of all the air conditioning components contained in one device. It is usually wheeled or fits into a window (as seen in most U.S. models). The multisplit system features an indoor unit in the house and an outdoor unit outside to expel heat with minimal noise.
The multisplit is a variant of the multiblock air conditioner that includes one outdoor unit supplying multiple indoor units.

How to maintain an air conditioner?

It is advisable to clean the filters of an indoor unit or a monoblock unit every year. To do this, take a vacuum cleaner and remove the front panel of the air conditioner. Next, simply clean the visible filter, which has absorbed a lot of dust over time. A dirty air conditioner can make you sick by releasing bacteria that thrive directly into the home. The filters of the outdoor unit should also be cleaned to enhance the air conditioning system's efficiency. Additionally, excess dust reduces the savings achieved with this system.
An air conditioner also has a fan. This should be cleaned as well, for both the indoor and outdoor units. If it has suffered from wear and tear over time and various events (storms, pollen, etc.), you can replace it by finding air conditioning spare parts on our site.
When you clean your home, take the opportunity to dust the air conditioner on the surface inside the house. Use a soft, damp cloth without solvents.

The maintenance of an air conditioning unit or heat pump

Checking performed by a technician on an air conditioner should be done annually if it exceeds 12 kW. An individual can only clean their unit because a polluting fluid runs through the air conditioning/heat pump piping. This refrigerant is responsible for the greenhouse effect and the hole in the ozone layer and must not be released under any circumstances.
For your safety and eco-responsibility, an air conditioner or heat pump should be inspected every 5 years by a qualified technician.