One of the most important aspects of air conditioner maintenance is cleaning your condenser unit every year. When this task is performed during early spring, there is ample time to get problems resolved before cooling season arrives. Although it is crucial to the health of your HVAC system that you schedule yearly tune-ups and inspections with a professional, cleaning your condenser unit is much easier than you may think.
Before you begin, make sure you shut off the electricity that powers your HVAC system. Once this is done, you may begin the simple task of cleaning your system’s condenser unit.
The system’s condenser fins are the metal blades you can normally see from the outside of the unit. The best way for a homeowner to clean these fins is with a normal garden hose. Do NOT use a pressure end on the hose because this will push the dirt and debris further into the coil and make matters worse. Rinse the coil down completely starting at the top and working down to the bottom of the coil. You should see dirt and grass rinsing down as you go. This will also help to rinse the salt and corrosives off the coil. In our climate this should normally be done two to three times per season.
Cleaning out the inside of the condenser should normally be left up to a professional. On most units the fan and top brackets will have to be removed in order to access the inside. Unless you are very comfortable with wiring you should not try this yourself.
If you have questions about cleaning your condenser unit or you need more information about your home’s air conditioner, contact Mathews CCAC Air Conditioning because we are Constantly Concerned About Customers (CCAC), serving Corpus Christi since 1979.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air conditoners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock