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We are not breaking new ground by telling you your air conditioner should be serviced annually to ensure it functions efficiently. Without regular oil changes and lubrication, your automobile declines: without regular attention, your air conditioner will decline as well. However, there are a few DIY maintenance tasks that homeowners should complete regularly to ensure the AC has a long lifespan. Those AC Maintenance tasks include:
1 Clean the fins and coils. Most AC systems have components on the inside and the outside of the house. The outdoor compressor/condenser unit carries the heat from the indoors and releases it outdoors. If you look closely, you will find the walls of the unit contain a network of copper tubing with fins connected to them. A refrigerant gas transports the heat outside and the heat dissipates via the fins. It is vital for the heat to dissipate quickly to avoid overheating the unit. A large fan inside the unit circulates air to facilitate cooling.
Over time, dirt, grass clippings, and other debris can coat the fins. This junk traps the heat so that the compressor/condenser must work harder to cool down. The solution, rinse the fins and coils with a garden hose twice per year; a good schedule might be in the spring before you turn the AC on and in the fall to make sure mowing debris is cleaned away. DO NOT USE A POWER WASHER, AS THE PRESSURE CAN DAMAGE THE FINS.
2 Clean the drain pan. If you take an ice-cold glass of lemonade outdoors in the summer before long water will condense on the outside of the glass and drip down. This same process is happening inside the AC cabinet indoors. If you remove the cover of the cabinet, you will find another network of copper tubing, often in a V shape. While the refrigerant gas is taking heat outside, the condenser is producing extremely cold in those copper tubes. The summer air is quite humid, so moisture collects on the tubing and drips down to a pan below. From the pan, the water drains away through a rather small tube.
Over time, dirt and dust will also collect in the drain pan. If the drain tube clogs, the water will overflow onto the floor. Depending on the location of the AC unit, the water can damage flooring and furniture in the vicinity. At the beginning of the cooling season clean the drain pan and repeat at the end of the season.
3 Replace the air filter. You will find the air filter at the junction between the return air vent and the indoor AC cabinet. Often, changing the filter is as simple as sliding the old filter out and sliding the new filter in. The filter traps airborne particles, removing them from the circulating air. However, the accumulation of dust will clog the filter and reduce airflow and this makes the whole system work harder.
Change your air filter at least every three months, more if needed. Put a notification on a calendar as a reminder, perhaps at the beginning of each season.
Northwind Air Conditioning and Heat can help with AC Maintenance, replacing Your HVAC system, maintenance, and AC repair. Contact us and get the answers you need.
