Tips on Maintaining Your AC Unit

If you are like me then you live in a warm climate and are probably used to turning your air conditioner on as soon as it starts to get hot outside. Of course we all have different thresholds for what we consider hot, for me it's about 90 degrees. I live in a climate where there is also horrible humidity, so that just adds to the pain. One thing I know for sure is that when my AC goes out during the summer, it is absolutely miserable and can actually be dangerous to the young, old, and animals.

So is there anything you can do to maintain your air conditioning unit yourself, to make sure it continues to run flawlessly throughout the year. The answer is yes and I will give you some tips that hopefully will help you out, and help you avoid those hot miserable summer day and nights without your air.

OF COURSE!! Before doing any work on an air conditioning system, make sure the power to the system, both to the condenser and to the evaporator assembly, is turned off.

One thing that you should do once a year is to make sure you clean your evaporator if it is accessible. This is how you can do that:

1. Be sure to remove the foil wrapped insulation at the front of the plenum, it will most likely be taped in place. Be sure not to damage anything, because you will have to replace it later. This will reveal a plate, you will need to unscrew the plate and lift it off.

2. Using a stiff brush clean the entire underside of the evaporator unit. If you are having problems seeing what you're doing, you can use a small mirror. If you cannot access the entire area, you can slide the evaporator out, however be sure not to bend any pipes.

3. Clean the tray below the evaporator unit. You can do this by pouring one tablespoon of bleach into weep hole in tray, which will help prevent any fungus growth. If you live in an extremely humid climate, as I do, check the condensate drain and pan every other day. If there is a lot of moisture in the pan, the weep hole from the pan to drain line might be clogged. You should open the weep hole with a piece of wire.

4. Put everything back together, reinstalling the plate and re-taping the insulation.

5. Turn your unit back on and make sure there are no air leaks, if there are seal them with duct tape.

Maintain the Condenser - Most AC units have the condenser located outside of the home and they are prone to accumulating dirt and debris. You must clean the coil on the intake side, so make sure you know which direction the air moves across the coils. How do you clean the condenser?

1. Cut down grass, weeds, or vines that are growing around the unit.

2. Clean the condenser with a commercial coil cleaner, available at hardware stores or refrigerator supply stores. Instructions should be included, be sure to flush coil clean and let it air dry.

3. Clean the fins with a soft brush in order to remove dirt. If you need to remove protective grille do so. Never use a water hose to clean them as this could turn the dirt into mud and compact the fins. Be very careful when cleaning the fins, as they can be easily damaged.

4. Make sure the concrete pad that the condenser sits on is level, using a carpenters' level. If it is not level, use gravel or rocks under the concrete to level it out.

You should cover the condenser during the fall and winter with a commercial condenser cover.

If you suspect the problem is a coolant problem, most use Freon, then you need to call a professional service person to recharge your system. Do not try to charge the systems refrigerant lines.

If you notice that the coolant lines are damaged or worn you can replace the insulation with new insulation of the same type, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions.

I know I can't handle a single summer day without my air conditioner, if you are like me, then follow these tips to maintain your AC unit yourself and you might not have to call a professional when your unit breaks down, because hopefully it won't break down. However, as we all know summers are hard and sometimes no amount of maintenance can keep an air conditioner running right, but I hope these tips help.