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Air conditioner maintenance is key to ensuring your air conditioner can keep your home cool even on the hottest days. Air conditioners rely on regular maintenance to perform at their best. Regular maintenance such as changing filters, cleaning coils, etc. will ensure your air conditioner runs well and efficiently, saving you money on your energy bills.
While it’s best to service your air conditioner when it’s needed, you should schedule air conditioner maintenance in the spring to ensure your air conditioner is ready for the summer heat. Below, we’ve outlined the steps to maintaining your air conditioner so you can skip the service call to an HVAC technician.
Warning
Before performing any maintenance on your air conditioner, disconnect the power to the unit at the circuit breaker for your safety. After you have completed the maintenance and reassembled the unit, restore the power.
How to maintain your air conditioner
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Replace internal filter
Changing your internal filter isn’t something you should wait until spring. In fact, you may need to change your return filter more than once a month, especially if you have pets in the house.
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Remove debris
Once a month, go to the exterior department and visually inspect the surrounding area.
Remove any debris on and around the unit, including mulch, leaves, twigs, etc. As this debris accumulates, it can block the unit’s airflow, reducing performance.
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Clean the coil
After removing all debris on and around the unit, clean the coils on the exterior.
Approximately every three months, spray coil cleaner into the appliance following the manufacturer’s instructions for proper use and waiting time. If indicated, rinse the cleaner off.
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Clean and straighten the fins
The fins on the outer unit are easily crushed by everyday impacts such as rocks thrown from lawn mowers, branches falling from trees, lawn mowers, etc., obstructing the air flow.
After cleaning the coil, use a blade straightener to gently straighten the blades. It may take several passes to straighten severely crushed blades.
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Clean the condensate drain pipe
Your air conditioner relies on the condensate drain to remove the moisture created during the cooling process.
Over time, the condensate drain can become clogged and need to be cleaned. Take the time every few months to check the condensate drain and give it a light cleaning.
To locate the condensate drain, look for the pipe (usually white PVC) that comes out of your unit. Some AC condensate drains come with a T-piece for easy cleaning. You can simply remove the cap if it has one, then clean the condensate drain with vinegar and pipe cleaner.
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Clean the evaporator coil
Dust, hair, and other debris can get caught in the evaporator coil, which is usually located on the inside of the HVAC system. Like the outside coil, the evaporator coil should be inspected and cleaned about every three months.
Once the unit is powered off, you can remove the outer cover and see the evaporator coil inside. You may need to remove another inner cover to see the evaporator coil.
Use a flashlight to inspect the coils and assess how dirty they are. If you see noticeable dirt and debris, follow these steps to clean the evaporator coils:
- Use a stiff brush to gently remove as much debris as possible.
- Vacuum up debris.
- Spray foam cleaner onto evaporator and let stand for 5 minutes or as directed on bottle.
- If the bottle instructs you to rinse off the cleaner, gently rinse with a pump sprayer.
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Clean the evaporator drain pipe
If you have cleaned the condensate drain but there is still no steady water flow, the drain pipe under the evaporator may be clogged. After cleaning the evaporator coil, clean the entire area under the coil and clear the drain pipe.
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When to hire a professional
While all of the above AC maintenance tasks can be easily performed by do-it-yourselfers, there are still many jobs that are better left to the professionals.
Tasks such as measuring and refilling refrigerant, replacing capacitors and other electrical components, swapping out fans and fan motors, servicing or replacing compressors, etc. should be left to a trained professional who has the tools and knowledge to do the job properly. Additionally, handling refrigerant requires a license in many areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Some air conditioner maintenance tasks need to be performed regularly, such as changing the return filter and cleaning debris around the unit.
However, other tasks, such as cleaning the coils and cleaning the condensate drain, should be performed as needed and checked every few months. The frequency with which these tasks are completed will vary from household to household.
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Most homeowners can perform simple AC maintenance themselves, as many maintenance tasks do not require special tools or training to complete. Things like cleaning coils, changing filters, cleaning and straightening fins, cleaning condensate drains, etc. can be easily done without hiring a professional.
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There is no rule that says your air conditioner needs to be serviced every year, but you should make sure it is running at its best before the hot summer weather sets in. If you don’t, your air conditioner may stop working as soon as the hot weather hits, leaving you on a long waiting list for a technician to service it.
