Get your air conditioner in primo working order before the cooling season. Annual air conditioner maintenance saves you money by increasing its efficiency and preventing breakdowns. You can complete the chore in about an hour.
Tools And Materials:
- 4 in 1 screwdriver
- Rubber gloves
- Shop vacuum
- Garden hose
- Ordinary dinner knife
- Electric motor oil
Step 1: Clean The Condenser
Clean your outdoor unit on a day that is at least 60 degrees F. That's about the minimum temperature at which you can test your a/c to make sure it's working. The condenser usually sits in an inconspicuous spot next to your home. You'll see two copper tubes running to it, one should be bare and the other wrapped with insulated material. If your home has a heat pump, both tubes will be covered by foam sleeves.
Your primary job here is to clean the condenser fins, which are fine metallic blades that surround the unit. Mathew get dirty because a central fan sucks air through them, pulling in dust, dead leaves, dead grass, and the worst culprit-- floating "cotton" from cottonwood trees and dandelions. The debris blocks the air flow and reduces the units cooling ability.
Always begin by shutting off the electrical power to the unit. Normally you'll find a shutoff nearby. It may be a switch in a box, a pull lever or a fuse block that you pull out. Look for the "on-off markings".
Vacuum the fins clean with a soft brush; they're fragile and easily bent or crushed. On many units you'll have to unscrew and liftoff a metal box to get at them. Check your owners manual for directions and lift off the box carefully to avoid bumping the fins. Occasionally you'll find fins that have been bent. You can buy a special set of fin combs to straighten them. Minor straightening can be done with a blunt dinner knife. If large areas of fins are crushed, have a pro straighten them during a routine service call.
The. unscrew the fan to gain access to the interior of the condenser. You can't completely remove it because it's wiring is connected to the unit. Depending on how much play the wires give you, you might need a helper to hold it while you vacuum debris fins from the inside.
After you hose off the fins, check the fan motor for lubrication ports. Most newer motors have sealed bearings and can't be lubricated. Check your owners manual to be sure. If you find the ports, add five drops of electric motor oil. Don't use penetrating oil or all-purpose oil. They're not designed for long-term lubrication and can actually harm the bearings.
If you have an old a/c, you might have a belt-driven compressor in the bottom of the unit. Look for lubrication ports on this as well. The compressors on newer air conditioners are completely enclosed and won't need lubrication.
Step 2: Restart The Condenser
In most cases, you can simply restore power to the outside unit and move inside to find the maintenance. However, the compressors are surprisingly fragile and some require special start-up,procedures under two conditions.
1. If the power to your unit has been off for more than 4 hours:
- Move the switch from "cool" to "off" at your inside thermostat
- Turn the power back on and let the unit sit for 24 hours
- Switch the thermostat back to "cool"
2. If you switched the unit off while the compressor was running:
- Wait at least five minutes before switching it back on. With the air conditioner running, make sure it's actually working by touching the coolant tubes. This is a crude test. Only a pro with proper instruments can tell if the coolant is at the level for leak efficiency. But keep a sharp eye out for dark drip marks on the bottom of the case and beneath the tube joints. This indicates an oil leak and a potential coolant leak as well. Call in a pro if you spot this problem. Do t tighten a joint to try to stop a leak yourself. Over tightening can make the problem worse.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
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