Avoid being caught out in the summertime heat when it gets hotter! The last thing you want is to find out on the first sweltering summer day that your central air conditioner isn’t working. But if you neglect to perform some short annual maintenance before summer, this might be the case. In Central Illinois, spring is the ideal time to get your air conditioner ready for summer.
An indoor air handler and an outdoor compressor are used by central air conditioners. Typically, the condenser unit is outside. You need to keep your air conditioning system’s condenser clean and maintained.. During the chilly winter months, your air conditioner has been gathering leaves and other dirt while being dormant. Your AC unit may be made ready to work and efficiently cool your home this summer by changing the filters, cleaning the condenser, and doing a few simple checks. The following advice will help you get your air conditioning system ready for summer:
Advice for Preparing Your Air Conditioning System for Summer
1. Prioritise safety
Turn off the circuit breaker before making any repairs to your air conditioning system. Be sure to turn off the electricity to the condenser at the service panel before performing any maintenance on your air conditioning machine. Near the condenser, a 240-volt weatherproof disconnect box is frequently installed. This features a lever, fuses, or a circuit breaker to turn the condenser off. Also, be sure to disconnect this.
2. Refresh or swap out the filters
Clean or replace your furnace or air handler filters when they start to look clogged with dust. or, at a minimum, twice a year. Inadequate airflow will reduce the efficiency of your air conditioner if you don’t replace these filters. Dust filters also let dust back into your home. For guidelines on how to accomplish this, go to How to Replace Furnace and AC Filters..
3. Clean the condenser coils on the air conditioner
Your air conditioner’s fan and condenser coils should both be cleansed of dirt. central air conditioners outside condenser unit. It has a big fan inside a metal box with sides that resemble grilles. If your condenser was covered throughout the winter, remove the cover. In this circumstance, there is usually not much debris to clear. If it wasn’t covered, you’ll likely need to clear a larger accumulation of leaves, garden trash, and dirt. Make sure the fan is clean and unobstructed. Look inside the package after that. Air passes over radiator-like condenser coils. Check the coils for debris-caused blockages. If so, clean these coils to ensure optimal operation of your condenser.
- Take off the top and side panels, or any protective grilles, from the condenser unit. Note: Verify again that the power has been cut off to the condenser unit.
- Lift the top off. It could be heavier if a fan is put to it. Note: Avoid tugging on any of the fan’s wires.
- Gently scrub the coils on the outside of the appliance using a vacuum’s soft brush attachment or a refrigerator coil brush. Coils should be vacuumed from the inside after outside cleaning.
4. Remove Clutter and debris
Clean the base of the condenser of all leaves and debris. If your air conditioner has a drain, make sure it is free of obstructions. The blower’s fan blades may be cleaned using a vacuum or rag. Remove any surplus water from the appliance. After everything has been cleaned and emptied, put the condenser back together.
5. Examine your coolant lines.
There are tubes or pipes that convey refrigerant from the evaporator on the air handler of your air conditioner to the condenser outdoors. Foam coolant lines are frequently used to insulate these lines. Look closely at the insulation to see if there are any areas where it has been ripped or is completely absent. If that’s the case, either swap it out with brand-new foam insulation sleeves or spiral-wrap the lines using.
6. Check the device.
After properly drying, test your freshly cleaned air conditioner. Your condenser unit has to have the electricity turned back on.
Restarting the condenser’s power can be done as follows:
- Set your home’s thermostat to off.
- Power should be turned on at both the main panel and the disconnect box.
- Set the air conditioning on cool.
Please take note that the resulting chilled and dehumidified air is distributed throughout the home’s rooms by the air handler or furnace blower. You shouldn’t attempt to fix the sealed refrigeration system of your central air conditioner on your own. They need to be handled by a qualified HVAC service technician. To maintain effective operation and reduce the need for expert service personnel, you can, however, perform some cleaning and maintenance duties on your own.
For maximum efficiency and longevity, your air conditioning system has to be prepared for summer. You can properly maintain and repair your system as necessary by investing in high-quality Air conditioning spare parts, such as Air conditioner parts and Air conditioner tools. These components should be maintained, cleaned, and inspected on a regular basis to help your air conditioner run more efficiently, use less energy, and produce better indoor air. You may enjoy a pleasant and comfortable summer while extending the life of your air conditioning system with the right planning and maintenance.
