One of the most disheartening things you can experience on the first blistering day of the year is realizing you won’t be able to cool your house down quite yet. With that in mind, please don’t wait until the last minute to make sure your air conditioning system is running in good order — we want you to be comfortable. Give this post a quick read and you’ll be sure to have all of your ducks in a row.
Safety first to avoid the worst
The last thing you need is to electrocute yourself. Electricity is highly dangerous. The first step you need to take to clean and service your air conditioning system is to cut the power by turning off the circuit breaker. Next, most condensers will have a 240-volt weatherproof disconnect box that should be located somewhere near the unit. This box will typically have some fuses, a lever, or even its own circuit breaker that will allow you to shut off the condenser.
Get rid of the debris and clean the condenser coils
Given your condenser is located outdoors 24/7, all year round, there is bound to be some debris like leaves and sticks that you’re going to have to remove. If any sticks or other debris end up sneaking their way into the unit, they could do some serious damage to the fan blades. That in itself is a headache you’ll likely want to avoid. Start by clearing out any leaves that surround the base of the unit. If your condenser has a drain, make sure that it’s clear to flow freely. You can then use a rag or vacuum to clean off the fan blades and wipe up any residual water in the unit. While you’re at it, make sure the condenser coils are clean and free of debris as well; here is a good resource to help you with that.
Replace your filters
Replacing your filters is one of the most important regular maintenance tasks you can do to keep your A/C system functioning properly. If they’re dirty and clogged up, there are going to be airflow issues, which defeats the purpose of having A/C in the first place. These filters should be swapped out once they get dirty enough to cause a problem, at least twice per year.
Take a look at the coolant lines
There will be coolant tubes or pipes that run from the unit’s evaporator on the air handler to the outside condenser. Give these a look and if you spot any areas on the lines that have frayed or missing insulation, make sure to replace said insulation with either new foam insulation sleeves or foam insulation tape.
Test the unit
After you have done all of this, give the system a test. You’ll first need to let the unit dry out completely. Start the testing process by turning your thermostat completely off. Next, restore power at both the disconnect box and the main panel. Finally, set your thermostat to cool and wait. Before long, you should notice your house is cooling down perfectly.
If you run into any trouble during this process, your A/C system is not functioning properly, or you just don’t have the time to do this yourselves, we are glad to help.
Affordable HVAC Maintenance in Pennsylvania
Bucks County Fuel provides reliable HVAC repair services in the Bucks County area at affordable rates. Our HVAC specialists are ready at a moment’s notice to diagnose your air conditioner’s issues, then provide a solution that makes sense. Striving to save our customers money year after year, our goal is to be the best HVAC company in Bucks County. Contact us today to keep your A/C system in order!
