How To Keep Your AC Unit Operating Like New

Is your HVAC system struggling to turn on and off? Learn to recognize HVAC problems early so you can avoid permanent damage.

How To Keep Your AC Unit Operating Like New

How To Keep Your AC Unit Operating Like New

25 March 2018
 Categories:
, Blog


Certain appliances in your HVAC system are going to lose efficiency after years of usage. This is particularly true with the air conditioning units. Since the air conditioner is on the outside of your home, it can get dirty and damaged more easily than other components. So, you need to always do your best to monitor, clean, maintain, and repair your AC unit. There are some easy DIY jobs that can help keep up the efficiency of your AC unit. However, some maintenance jobs need to be professionally handled. This article gives you a simple guide to proper AC unit maintenance.

Cover the Unit

The AC unit, since is located outside of your house, is the most vulnerable during the winter. Wind, rain, and snow can all have an effect on the unit if it is not covered. You can protect your unit by always covering it during the winter (or whenever you are going to use your air conditioner for long periods of time). The more your unit is covered, the longer it will last, and less dirty the condensing system will get. Some homeowners in mild climates will leave their unit uncovered year-round, but this is never a good idea because it will age the unit.

Clean and Check the Unit Every Year

Another key to a healthy AC unit is to clean it before you begin to use it every summer. That is, you can give your unit a quick basic cleaning and check up. First of all, make sure the hose that connects the unit to the duct system is connected at both ends. This hose is usually black and rubber. It sits in the narrow gap between the wall and AC unit, so it needs to be checked with a flashlight.

Next, use your flashlight to look inside the cabinet through the fan opening at the top. If you see any significant leaves or debris in the bottom of the main compartment, you should remove the protective cage on the top and vacuum them out. You can also wipe down the fan blades, main rod, and motor vents.

Also, check the the electrical cord is not damaged or loose in any way. There should be a power box mounted on the wall next to the unit. You can clean this out, but be careful to not knock any of the wires loose.

This simple maintenance can improve the longterm functionality of your AC unit. To learn more about air conditioning services and maintenance, talk with a professional in your area.   

About Me
Keeping My HVAC System On Point

About a year ago, I could tell that our HVAC system was really starting to struggle. No matter what we did, the system seemed to have a hard time turning on and off. When our air was running, it smelled terrible. In the winter, it seemed like our home was never warm enough. To ward off sudden failures, we hired a professional to come out and inspect our system. After a thorough analysis, we discovered that there were some serious fan problems. This blog is all about recognizing HVAC system problems early and keeping your system on point, so that you can avoid permanent damage.

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