When an Air Conditioner sits idle for months, it would not work as smoothly as you would hope it to, because of all the dust and debris it has collected over time. For this reason, it is imperative that you get the Air conditioner ready before summer arrives by cleaning it.
Imagine this; it is a very hot summer day, and you got home to relax under the cool air breeze, only to find out that your AC is not working. Now, that is really annoying, isn’t it?
Before you clean the AC unit, here is a list of basic things you should know about the air-conditioner:
Basics of Air-Conditioners
A central air-conditioning system has two main components, which is the condenser unit and the evaporator unit. The condenser unit is usually located outdoors, whereas the evaporate unit is mounted on top of the furnace or air handler. These components extract heat from a room through refrigeration technology.
The furnace blower blows the resulting dehumidified and chilled air through ductwork to the room. It is a rather complicated process, thus repairs to the AC is not something that you can do your own. However, you can do the basics, such as cleaning, to ensure the AC works efficiently.
Safety Comes First
Before you do the basics of cleaning the AC, you need to ensure that the power of the condenser is turned off. The power switch can be found on the service panel. The condenser usually has a 240-volt weather-proof disconnect box situated near the AC unit. The box consists of a lever, a circuit breaker or fuses to switch off the condenser. You need to turn that off as well.
Please note that the condenser has a capacitor that stores the electrical charge, and be extremely dangerous. You need to allow at least 30 minutes for the charge in the capacitor to disintegrate before doing anything.
Step One – Clean the Filters
This is the most essential, and the easiest step. Clean your furnace at least twice a year or whenever you need to (this usually means when the furnace is clogged with debris or dust). If you do not clean it properly, the flow of the air can be restricted. In addition, it can reduce efficiency of the AC.
Step Two – Clean the Air-Conditioner Condenser Coils
The central AC’s condenser unit is located outdoors. It is similar to a large fan placed in a metal box with grilles around it. Usually, it is covered with a condenser cover to prevent any accumulation of dust or debris. Otherwise, it is most likely to contain yard debris, dirt, or even leaves. Therefore, you need to clean it thoroughly.
The coils inside the metal box can catch debris or dust as well. When this happens, it can clog your AC, which means it would not work properly when you switch it on. For this reason, you need to clean the coils as well. It is advisable to clean the coils at the very end of the winter season, so that your AC will be ready in time for summer. In order to clean it, you will need to remove the top and side panels or grilles from the unit by using a nut driver or a screwdriver. Use a soft brush to clean the debris or dust.
The easiest way to ensure your AC unit is ready for the summer is to contact us. We will be able to service and clean the air-conditioner within a short period.