With the summer months closely upon us, it is now time to make sure that your AC system is up to date and ready for the scorching Texas summers. Here at AGES we are here to provide you with simple steps that you can take to keep your AC system running smoothly all year long. So, let’s make sure your AC system is up to date today.
Since your AC unit sits outside year round it is constantly braving the elements and collecting grass clippings, leaves, dust, and dirt. What does this mean for you? An inefficient and money draining unit!
Some of the most common problems that we at AGES notice are clogging, leaks, and erosion of the coils. While many cleaning tasks are simple and can be done on your own, it is always better to schedule a professional AC maintenance to ensure that everything is properly working. Here at AGES our team of HVAC certified technicians is always available to help you with any AC related issues.
Make sure your AC system is up to date today – Cleaning Outside
- Start by raking any leaves or debris around your AC unit. Keeping the area around your AC clean is essential to ensure that debris does not get stuck in your AC unit and create issues.
- Turn off the electrical power to the unit. This is essential to keep you safe. If you are uncertain about what you are doing, give AGES a call. Our HVAC certified technicians are ready to help you and make sure you stay cool all summer long!
- So you’ve raked and cleaned up any debris around your unit, now it’s time to vacuum the exterior fins of your AC unit. For best success use the soft brush attachment. Use it to get any grass clippings, leaves, and other debris off the unit. While not extremely noticeable these small bits of debris can cause clogging in the filters leading your system to have to work twice as hard.
- Spray the outside of the unit with a coil cleaner. The coil cleaner works to remove dirty grease and oil from the evaporator coils. Be very careful while using a coil cleaner. It is a very strong chemical and should be handled with care. Follow all manufacturer instructions when utilizing, and contact a professional at AGES if you have any concerns. The coil cleaner will sit on the coils anywhere from 5 to 20 min, it can then be rinsed off with hose water.
Make sure your AC system is up to date today – Cleaning the Inside
When you get to the inside of your unit is when we most recommend that you contact a certified technician at AGES. If you are unsure of what you are doing you can end up causing costly and unnecessary damage to your AC unit.- Clean the evaporator drain. The evaporator coil works via a cold coil that absorbs heat from the air, cooling it and then circulates the air back into your home. The humidity then condenses on the cooler evaporator coil dripping into the pan below and from there drained. With the passing of time mold can begin to build up and lead to plugging of the drain. This can lead to severe damage by flooding the area around the unit. To clean the evaporator drain you will need a wet/dry vacuum. It is recommended that you remove the paper filter from the vacuum so that it is not ruined. Using the vacuum will clean the drain of any growing mold, and help increase the AC units efficiency.
- Wipe the fan blades. Just like a ceiling fan that begins to accumulate grime and dust so do the ones in your AC unit. Utilize a wet rag to clear any debris that may be weighing down and making your AC slow and inefficient.
- Change the blower filter. The filter inside of an AC unit should be changed a minimum of twice a year. Ideally once before you heavily start using your AC, and once before you start heavily using your heater. Make sure that you replace the filter with one that has the same airflow rating to ensure that you maintain the same airflow within your home
- Once you have closed the unit back up it is now time to turn your unit back on.
