Do you know how to maintain your air conditioner? Did you even know you were supposed to? The good news is air conditioner maintenance is super easy and, in this video, we’ll tell you the 8 Air Conditioner Maintenance tips you can do on your own to help keep your air conditioner running as smooth as possible all summer long.
Clear Debris Around Unit
There are a couple of things you can do. The first thing you should do is cut power to the unit, the preferred method is to flip off the breaker. If you don’t have a breaker, pull the disconnect. Next, you want to clear the debris away from the unit. Two feet around is a good rule of thumb to make sure the leaves, debris, and grass clippings are away from the unit. If you have bushes or shrubs you want to trim those back as well.
Rinse Condenser Coils
With the power to the unit turned off, take your garden hose and rinse off the coils. Reach what you can with the garden hose and spray from the inside out. Let the water flow down the coils for a while until it looks like you’ve got all the dirt off. Then spray off the debris you see on the outside. The fins on the unit are very fragile, be careful that you don’t bend them over.
Visual Inspection
See if the unit looks level, if it’s too far off-center you may want to have a professional level it up. Check the electrical connections – make sure that there are no exposed wires. Check the insulation around the lines to make sure it’s still good. Now reconnect the power, careful when you slide the disconnect back into place, you shouldn’t have to force it.
Check Filters
Check your filters to make sure you can still see light through them. When replacing the filter, be sure to pay attention to the direction that which the air is flowing. Make sure that the arrow on the filter lines up with the direction that which the air flows through your unit. Replace filters as often as needed, this can be different for each home. So be sure to check it at least once a month.
Turn Off Humidifier
If you have a humidifier, remember to turn it off in the summer.
Check the Drain Line
Pour some water down the drain line to make sure that it’s not clogged. Some people add a little bleach to the water to clean the line.
Verify Room Temperature
The only thing you need to do to check and make sure the thermostat is working properly is to verify the temperature on the display matches the temperature in the room. An easy way to do that is to just get a visual read thermometer and make sure they match. As long as you’re within 3 degrees or so, you’ll be fine.
Annual Inspection by Certified HVAC Technician
Manufacturers recommend that every year, you have your air conditioning unit inspected by a licensed and certified HVAC technician. They have the proper tools to make sure your unit is running the way it should.
Just like rotating the tires and changing the oil in your car, air conditioner maintenance will help prolong the life of your air conditioner, help it run more efficiently and cool your home better. You know In real estate they say the most important thing is location, location, location…well when it comes to your air conditioner the most important thing is airflow, air flow, airflow. And that’s why 3 of our air conditioner maintenance tips are related to airflow.
Video Transcript
Air Conditioner Maintenance: 8 Tips You Can Do Yourself
Do you know how to maintain your air conditioner? Did you even know you were supposed to? The good news is air conditioner maintenance is super easy and in this video, we’ll tell you the 8 Air Conditioner Maintenance tips you can do on your own to help keep your air conditioner running as smooth as possible all summer long. It’s just super bright out here, Come on…
It’s OK, I live here.
Just like rotating the tires and changing the oil in your car, air conditioner maintenance will help prolong the life of your air conditioner, help it run more efficiently and cool your home better. You know In real estate they say the most important thing is location, location, location…well when it comes to your air conditioner the most important thing is airflow, air flow, airflow. And that’s why 3 of our air conditioner maintenance tips are related to airflow.
We’ve broken your system down into 3 major parts. The outdoor unit, the indoor unit, and the thermostat. I’ve got a list of helpful maintenance tips for all 3…I just have to find my list first. Oh, Thanks.
Unless you plan on using your “bear” hands, here’s a list of tools you’ll need
- Garden Hose
- New Filter
- Level
- Thermometer
- Raincoat (Optional)
- Rope Swing (Optional)
OK, Let’s head to the outdoor unit.
Your system pulls air in through the coils and blows it out the top. And if your coils are blocked it can severely decrease the efficiency of your unit.
There are a couple of things you can do. The first thing you should do is cut power to the unit, the preferred method is to flip off the breaker. If you don’t have a breaker, pull the disconnect.
Next, you want to clear the debris away from the unit. Two feet around is a good rule of thumb to make sure the leaves, debris, and grass clippings are away from the unit. If you have bushes or shrubs you want to trim those back as well.
Take your garden hose and rinse off the coils. Reach what you can with the garden hose and spray from the inside out. Let the water flow down the coils for a while until it looks like you’ve got all the dirt off. Then spray off the debris you see on the outside. The fins on the unit are very fragile, be careful that you don’t bend them over.
See if the unit looks level, if it’s too far off-center you may want to have a professional level it up.
Check the electrical connections – make sure that there are no exposed wires. Check the insulation around the lines to make sure it’s still good. Now reconnect the power, careful when you slide the disconnect back into place, you shouldn’t have to force it.
Now let’s go to the indoor unit, where your filters are. Start by cutting the power. Check the filters to make sure you can still see light through them. When replacing the filter, be sure to pay attention to the direction that which the air is flowing. Make sure that the arrow on the filter lines up with the direction that which the air flows through your unit. Replace filters as often as needed, this can be different for each home. So be sure to check it at least once a month.
If you have a humidifier, remember to turn it off in the summer. Pour some water down the drain line to make sure that it’s not clogged. Some people add a little bleach to the water to clean the line.
Ok, now we’re at the thermostat. The only thing you need to do to check and make sure it working properly is to verify the temperature on the display matches the temperature in the room. An easy way to do that is to just get a visual read thermometer and make sure they match. As long as you’re within 3 degrees or so, you’ll be fine.
These Air Conditioner Maintenance Tips that we’ve shared with you are things that anyone can do on their own. But manufacturers recommend that you take it one step further. In the owner’s manual, it says that you should have your system inspected regularly by a properly trained technician. So, as part of your Air Conditioner Maintenance, once a year, you should have a Certified HVAC technician come out and tune up and inspect your unit. They’ll have the specialty tools and gauges to go more in-depth. They’ll check voltages, check the capacitor, see if there are any obvious concerns, check the refrigerant levels, those hard-to-reach components, and more. They should review their findings with you and answer any questions that you have.
If you have a friend or neighbor that works on Air Conditioners, you might be able to get them to do this for you but if you don’t know anyone…in your local market you should be able to find a certified HVAC contractor to come to your home and perform this annual service.
If you’re in the Utah market, give Any Hour Services, Electrical, Plumbing, Heating & Air a call. They’ll send a certified HVAC technician to your home to perform an Air Conditioner Tune-Up. Call (555) 555-5555
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