Air Conditioner Spring Cleaning

It is important to have an HVAC specialist perform routine maintenance and cleaning on your AC unit as you get ready to turn it on for the summer. Whether it is time for maintenance or not, be sure to keep your system dust and debris free. Doing so will make your unit more efficient and keep you breathing easier all year long. Northeastern_University_-_air_conditioner

Here are a few things you can do to give your unit a little spring cleaning before it becomes peak AC time.

To start cleaning, always be sure that the unit you are working on has no active power running to it.

For the outdoor unit, turn off the power at the application shutoff box, usually mounted on the wall close to the AC unit. You will need to either turn down a handle or remove a fuse. If you cannot locate the shutoff box you can turn off the power to the air conditioner using your home’s main panel.

The outdoor unit collects a lot of debris, and sometimes even some unwanted critters. As an AC unit sucks air in, dust and pollen from the air gets trapped on the fins that line the outside of the box. You can use a vacuum with a soft brush head to clean the fins. Make sure to be gentle because the fins are fragile and easy to bend.

You may have to remove a protective metal case to get to the fins. Read your unit’s instruction manual to find out how.

Make sure that the area around the unit is clean too. Brush away any grass or leaves that might block airflow around the base and trim back foliage so that the unit has at least 2 feet of space around it.

You’ll also want to clean the dust out of your indoor unit. Turn off the power with the on/off switch on the unit or using your house’s main panel. Then you can open the blower compartment and vacuum up any dirt or dust.

You should complete the dust eviction by cleaning or replacing your AC unit’s filter. Find out how from our post: Keep Your Filters Clean.

Time to have your AC unit checked? Give us a call at 800-994-2577. Also, connect with us on Facebook!