Maximize Your MRCOOL Air Conditioner

  • March 24, 2020
  • By MR COOL

You’re at home. It’s summer. The air conditioner is running. But, somehow, you’re still sweating. Do you try to turn the thermostat down a couple degrees? Should you take to wearing your underwear around the house like your dad did? Or are you going to have to bite the bullet and buy a new unit?

Don’t get too hasty! There are some simple things you can do to help your air conditioner work as effectively and efficiently as it can. You can keep the thermostat where it is, avoid having to spend big on a new unit, and, most importantly, keep your pants. 

So, here are the top things you can do to keep your air conditioner working at maximum this summer:

Schedule a Service Check

One of the most useful things you can do to get the most out of your air conditioner is to show it some love with an annual service check. Have a qualified HVAC service technician give your system, for lack of a better word, a physical. That means any worn parts get replaced, the coils get their spring cleaning, and you get a clean bill of health for your air conditioner before summer heat hits.

A simple service check once a year is a cost-effective way to keep your unit operating efficiently, saving you money, and avoid mechanical failure, another money saver. The typical service plan is not that expensive, and it is definitely cheaper than replacing an air conditioner that could have gone years longer with some simple maintenance. 

Plus, your warranty likely requires you to have the air conditioner serviced annually as a precondition for warranty claims. 

Clean the Outside Condenser

Whether you rely on a package unit or a split system, every air conditioner must have an outside condenser. This condenser is like any other sophisticated appliance in that it doesn’t run very well if it is clogged with dirt and debris. Make sure you clean it on a regular schedule. 

So, how do you do that? 

First, switch off the power to the unit before you attempt to do any maintenance on your air conditioner. Every condenser in the United States is supposed to be installed with a disconnect box nearby. This is a square metal box with a switch inside it. Hit that switch to kill the electrical power to the condenser. 

Next, check that your condenser is free of any obvious obstructions. Is there trash, leaves, or other debris clogging up the fins? Sweep them away. Are grass and weeds growing up around the condenser like crazy? Mow them down. And make sure the mower exhaust is facing AWAY from the condenser whenever you mow around it. Blasting a rock into the fins isn’t going to help. 

Once you have the big stuff out of the way you can get a bit more sophisticated. Get a powerful vacuum cleaner like a Shop-Vac. Suck out any dust and dirt and junk that’s left stuck between the fins. Be careful not to mash the vacuum hose against the fins. They’re more delicate than you might think. 

After you’re done with the vacuum, go get the garden hose. Turn the setting on the sprayer as low as it will go. You want a nice, gentle water jet. Wash out all the fins and every nook and cranny. 

When you are satisfied you’ve got all the debris out, check the cooling fins to see if they are all straight. Bent fins decrease efficiency. If you see any bent fins, grab a butter knife from the cutlery drawer. Use gentle pressure to realign the fins as close as you can. Never insert the butter knife more than a half-inch at most.

Change Your Filter

A clogged filter inside your air conditioner is going to hamper efficiency and worsen comfort. Debris trapped in the filter will build up and slow down air flow. This, as you might expect, is bad. Slow down air flow enough and your air conditioner will completely break down. 

You don’t want that to happen in July. Fortunately, making sure your filter is clean and effective is very easy to do. 

The first thing you need to know is whether you have a replaceable filter or a washable filter. A washable filter comes out, gets cleaned, and goes back in. A replaceable filter comes out and goes in the trash. Central heating and air units usually have replaceable filters. Ductless units usually have washable filters.

Keep Vents Clear 

As you hopefully already know, proper air flow is an important part of making sure you get maximum air comfort from your air conditioner. Any air flow restriction will decrease your comfort and can negatively impact operating life. 

Check your vents and your duct work at least once or twice a year. When you find major obstructions, remove them. Clean your vents with a vacuum cleaner much more regularly. Not only are you improving your comfort, but you’re also keeping dust from being pulled into your air conditioner filter and clogging it up.

Cover Unused Windows

The sun makes things hot. Do you have uncovered windows in rooms you don’t use? Those windows are letting a lot of unneeded heat into your home. Get some blinds or some curtains and cover those windows. The less heat you have in your house to begin with, the less work your air conditioner has to do. 

Also, before you leave home to go to work or school or whatever, pull the curtains on windows in rooms you do use. You can always open them when you get back, and there is no use letting in heat when you aren’t looking out the window anyway. 

Install Ceiling Fans

Go get some ceiling fans. These are a great way to make your house feel cooler and more comfortable. A good ceiling fan will circulate conditioned air, and they’re very cheap to run. A typical ceiling fan costs virtually nothing to run, but it can let your tick the thermostat up a degree or two. You’ll stay comfortable and save money.

Correctly Place Your Thermostat

A thermostat should never be placed near a door, window, or in direct sunlight. After all, it sets the standard for your entire home. Expose it in a location that gets more hot or cold air than the rest of your home, and your interior will never feel right. So, if your thermostat is in one of those bad places, then move it. An interior hallway is ideal.

Keep Windows and Doors Closed

You weren’t born in a barn (probably). So, keep your doors and windows closed! It sounds obvious, but we know that there are definitely folks out there who need to hear it. Your air conditioner is going to work much better in a sealed environment than not. Do you really want to open a window? Then go turn off the air conditioner first. 

Invest in a Smart Thermostat  

We know that thermostat placement is important, but so is intelligence. A smart thermostat is an invaluable tool when it comes to maximizing your air conditioner investment. Set your typical schedule, and let the thermostat do the rest. It will cycle temperature up and down as needed so you aren’t wasting energy maximally cooling an empty house. 

How much could you save with a smart thermostat? Studies have shown that a smart thermostat could save you as much as 23% on your energy bills annually. For most people, that turns out to be quite a lot of money year over year. 

Keep the Temperature at 78 Degrees

According to science people, 78 degrees is the optimum temperature for performance and comfort in a typical home. Set it at 78, get used to that temperature, and you can save a lot. Every degree below 78 will increase your cost by approximately 8%. Drop it down to a crisp 68 degrees and your bill just went up 80%. 

Keep the Air Conditioner On

Some people think that turning off the air conditioner when they go to work will save them money. This is not true. 

All you’re doing is making sure that when you get home from wherever you went that your home is hot, humid, and miserable. Obviously, you’re going to turn on the air conditioner, but now it has to work extra hard to get back to where you want it to be. And, guess what, all that extra work is burning extra energy. 

The optimum scenario is to use a smart thermostat to raise the temperature a few degrees when the house is unoccupied. However, turning the unit off and allowing the temperature to skyrocket doesn’t save money. It makes things much worse. 

And that’s without getting into all the damage that high humidity can do to the interior of a home. Mold and mildew are bad, folks.

Final Thoughts

Your home air conditioner isn’t an appliance that you should ignore. It requires regular maintenance, cleaning, and care. Most people are used to doing that, which is why so many people see their utility bill climb and their air conditioner break down. 

But now you know differently. You can keep your air conditioner working effectively for years to come. Your family (and wallet) will thank you. 


34 thoughts on “Maximize Your MRCOOL Air Conditioner”

  1. Where can I get a smart thermostat for a 18k BTU 20 SEER MrCool DIY Ductless Heat Pump Split System 3rd Generation. Mostly to fix the dry mode. Don’t like the temp in the 60’s but my shop need to be kept dry. This unit will run constantly in the “DRY” mode. Worst design I have ever seen.

    1. Same problem I have. I have the 12000btu version and my room was 60 degrees this morning. But if I turn it to regular cool mode, the humidity shoots up into the 70s-80s and it becomes uncomfortable. The ministat is pretty much worthless so no longer even try to use it, just the regular remote.

  2. Good morning
    VERY SATISFIED CUSTOMER!
    QUESTION
    This information is very helpful. My husband installed the MrCool Olympus Series 23000(?) Largest size 10-12 days ago.
    We have a large all glass room right next to the unit with light filtering bamboo blinds in the room, however still plenty of indirect light. Let me say at 78 degrees I’m FREEZING! LOL
    I’m thrilled with my MrCool Olympus. Whisper quiet
    Here’s my question I’m not sure which setting is best for me. I find with dry mode no fan set @ 80-82 or higher for me works. The unit does run all the time, I don’t worry about that. I was wondering why the cool mode doesn’t seem to take the humidity like it should. I’ve read comfortable humidity range is 45+ the cool setting will allow mine to stay in low 60’s. The dry mode takes the humidity level down to an average of 43 degrees immediately.
    Should I simply run my unit in the dry mode rather than the cooling mode? Does this harm the unit? Can I do this on a continuous basis? BIG question is it possible for THE HEAT to come on in this dry mode? When I was using the Auto mode the heat came on one day!
    Thank you in advance for the assistance

    1. Running in Dry Mode does not hurt the unit. You can run it in Dry Mode whenever you want to increase dehumidification. The heat should not come on in Dry Mode.

  3. I just installed my third unit on my house and it will heat but won’t cool. It must have refrigerant to heat so a leak is unlikely. What could be wrong? The other two didn’t have problems but this is my first Gen 3 unit and I am disappointed it’s not cooling since it’s August in NC! Please advise, there doesn’t seem to be a troubleshooting guide anywhere I can find.

    1. Caleb, we apologize. It is very strange that it will generate but not cooling. Please call us ASAP at 270-366-0457.

  4. I installed a 12k BTU Olympus system in our master suite upstairs in a home that should have had 2 systems installed when it was built. It has been miserable hot here this summer, but the system has performed beyond my expectations. I am very pleased.
    The two complaints I have are the app, and the remote. The app is very glitchy and crashed so often I uninstalled it.
    I sure wish the remote buttons were backlit for night use, and the display was a but better. I would, and have recommend this product without hesitation. Just some fine tuning on the controls and it would be nearly flawless.

  5. Hi,
    2 questions:
    1) I live in S. California. During Summer, if I set my 36K MiniSplit to Cool mode and 78°, once it reaches set temperature, is the “compressor” still running or cycles off?

    2) Is it better to use Comfy mode in COOL Mode) to shut MiniSplit OFF once it reaches 76° and back ON at 79°? This method runs on avg 1/2 hr cycles of shutting down and 1/2 hr later, back on. Or just just set to 78° Cool mode and let it run from Noon to 1 AM daily during summer?

    Thanks in advance

    1. 1) The cooling function should shut off but the fan will keep running to maintain air flow throughout the room.
      2) Shutting the unit completely off for short periods of time to save money wouldn’t really work. It might be better to set the temperature higher than what you would normally be comfortable with to save energy. Also, shutting your unit completely off will disable any dehumidifying function your mini split provides you, which is important for cooling and overall home comfort.

    1. Is there a calibration feature? My DIY 12000 btu unit consistently blows cold even when the room temperature is 3 degrees or more below what the set temperature is set to.

      1. The cooling operation should shut off when the selected temperature has been reached. Please give us a call at 270-366-0457 to speak with tech support about this issue.

  6. I just installed a mini split DIY, can you tell me what is the difference between using the “comfy” setting on the app versus setting auto on the remote control to a specific temperature?

  7. Well almost bought One to put in this house I moved into last March 2021 but the landlord whent with a LG from Thiland bad mistake I think 🤔 but what Todo ?

  8. I have installed 3 DYI 36,000 all is fine except for one of my heads do not close all the way (18,000 Head)
    How do I adjust it so it will close when off ?
    Thank You
    Paul

  9. I installed a MrCool DIY single zone 18000 BTU mini-split in June in a 500 square feet room. The house is fully insulated with spray foam. The fan on the unit is set to High, and the temperature is set to 74. The air coming out of the unit is cold, but the fan seems to be barely operating and will not keep the room cool. Everything else seems to be working properly. Suggestions?

  10. Love the 18k btu diy run two in my grow room in Maine even with the negative temperatures no issues’s at all had them 2years now

  11. we are on our third outside unit in less than 2 years because our service tech cannot find a service manual to enable him to service the unit. when can my licensed HVAC service tech get a manual that will tell him all about parts and functions enough for him to open a unit and trouble shoot the problem.
    Please send PDF maintenance /service/ repair manual

  12. I just installed an 18K Mr. Cool mini-split in my Phoenix garage I was impressed with the quality of this product and equally impressed with how well it was designed for ease of installation.

    There is one small problem. The sole reason I purchased this mini-split was to keep a few garage materials safe when the outdoor temperature reaches 118 degrees or higher. To do this, I need a thermostat setting of about 90-92 degrees. To set it lower would be wasteful and there is a big difference in the energy required to maintain 92 versus 86 degrees. Unfortunately, this thermostat was programmed to limit the high temp settings to 86 degrees which is almost chilly when the relative humidity is 2%.

    What can be done to correct this programing limitation?

    Thank you.

    1. You may be able to control it via the manual cooling within the air handler, but this is not recommended. The upper limit of the cooling operation is 89.6° Fahrenheit. Please call us at 270-366-0457 for more guidance on this issue.

  13. Why when the unit is set to “comfy” mode does it keep cooling or heating the room even when it’s way outside of the set temperature? It’s absurd that if you set the “comfy” range to a low of 68 that the unit will continue to cool the house down to 63 degrees. This makes no sense. This is not how a thermostat works. Please help. It seems many people experience the same issue.

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