ORLANDO, Fla – You should have your air conditioning system serviced regularly by a professional, but there are several things you can do every few months to make sure your system is running as efficiently and smoothly as possible.
It will last longer, perform better, and give you years of trouble-free operation.
We purchased:
Vinegar or coil cleaner
A/C filter
We brought with us:
Wet vac (AKA shop vac)
Step 1
Change your A/C filter! If you do nothing else, do this regularly! Your A/C filter cleans the air that is sucked into your air handler and blown out through the vents into your house. It cleans the air you and your family breathe! Check the size of your filter so you know what size to buy. Installing it is as easy as opening up your filter door, removing the old one, and replacing it with the new one. Make sure to look for the arrow on the side of the filter showing the airflow direction so you don’t put in the new filter the wrong way.
Step 2
Vacuum your drain line. Go outside and find the end of the white PVC pipe that carries the condensation from your air handler to the outside of your home. It’s usually located where your compressor (the tall square or rectangle box with a large fan on top) is placed and ends in a U-shape. If your A/C has been running you’ll probably notice water dripping from the pipe. Take the end of your wet vac hose and place it over the PVC pipe. Wrap the connection with tape to seal up any gaps because your hose will be larger than the pipe. Then turn on your vacuum and let it run for a few minutes. You’ll probably find leaves, lizards and who knows what else in your vacuum canister.
Step 3
Clean your cooling coils. First things first - turn off power to your compressor either at your circuit breaker or your electrical disconnect box near the compressor. Your A/C tech would take off the top of your compressor to get to the coils both inside and outside of the unit but you can still do some effective cleaning without removing the top. You can buy coil cleaner or use a vinegar solution in a spray bottle. Generously spray the solution on the outside of the compressor through the vents or screen to soak the coil fins. The solution should loosen up grime and dirt. Then take your hose and gently hose off the coils where you sprayed the cleaner.
Step 4
Flush your drain line. This is something you should be doing every few months. When you change your air filter, make sure you pour vinegar or bleach (your choice) down the condensation drain line (that’s the white PVC pipe by your air handler inside your home) so water doesn’t back up into your house or trip the automatic shutoff float switch and shut down your air handler. Pull off the cap and pour in at least a cup regularly to prevent gunk from building up inside the line.
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If you have a project you’d like Erik to tackle, send us an email at GettingResultsAtHome@wkmg.com and next week Erik might just show up at your door!