How To Clean Air Conditioning Unit
Having a good air conditioning repair company should be at the top of your priority list for the summer, but there are also plenty of types of maintenance that you can do all by yourself. Cleaning your air conditioner is one of those tasks that you can learn how to do yourself fairly quickly. While there are some things that you should let the professionals handle, some of the basic cleaning tasks include things that you can handle on your own.
How to Get Started
Before you even start cleaning, shut the switch to the air conditioner in the electrical panel to the off position so that you can protect yourself from getting electrocuted. You can easily do this if you’ve taken the time to mark down each switch on your panel.
Do this job early in the morning before it gets too hot outside so that you’ll be able to turn the AC on by the time that the sun is overhead. Make sure that you tell all of your family members that they should under no circumstances flip the panel switch back on until you’re done working on the air conditioner.
Clean the Indoor Unit
There’s an indoor and an outdoor unit, and you should start working on the indoor unit first, which will be in the attic, basement, or utility closet. Open the door that exposes the evaporator coils; then, use a cloth or soft brush to gently wipe down the outside of the coils, brushing away any dust or other types of debris. The next step is to take out the drip tray so that you can wash and disinfect it. This tray often gets covered in mold because of the moisture. You can disinfect the tray by making a solution of bleach and water to kill any bacteria or germs.
Also, find where the drain hose for the moisture collected from the house runs. This will usually either be in a basement drain or on the outside of the house. Run water into the line to determine whether or not there are any obstructions. If there aren’t any, you can skip this step. If there is an obstruction, though, use a wet vac to clear it away. You can use tape to make a more secure connection between the wet vac attachment and the drain line.
Clean the Outside Unit
Next, find the outside unit, which will usually be on the outside of the house on a slab of concrete. Clear away any brush from around the outside of the unit, and pull off any branches, twigs, or leaves that might have fallen on top of the unit. You might need to get a weed whacker or some pruning shears if it’s been a long time since you’ve cleared away this area.
Next, pull the grate off the unit off. More than likely, you’ll need to use a screwdriver to remove a few screws. Then, use a hose to spray down the outside and inside of the unit. While it might be tempting to use a power washer to do a better job, this isn’t usually necessary, and it can even cause damage to your air conditioner if the stream is too strong. When you’ve gotten rid of any mud or dirt, you can use an old towel to wipe up any pools of water that might have collected inside of the unit.
Straighten the fins near the condenser coils. These fins are responsible for ensuring that the energy is evenly distributed so that the air conditioner works optimally. You can use a comb that’s specially designed for this job, which you’ll usually be able to find at a home improvement store. Finally, secure the grate back on top of the entire unit.
You should finish by turning the thermostat to the off position and turning the switch in the electrical panel back on. When you turn the thermostat back to the cool selection, the registers should be blowing out cool air.
Having an HVAC company that you can rely on is important throughout the year. At Reed Service Company, we know how to treat our customers in Beaumont right, and we offer several services, including air conditioner, furnace, and boiler system repairs, maintenance, and replacement. Call Reed Service Company the next time you need an air conditioning service.