Maintaining Your Air Conditioner
A well-maintained air conditioner will have a longer lifespan, saving you from a costly replacement, and will cool your home more efficiently, saving you energy. So this summer, as Scarborough heats up, schedule a maintenance check with one of our technicians to learn more about how you can keep your AC running cool all summer long. If you find yourself in need of a new AC, or you would like to upgrade to a more efficient one, make sure to check out the energy efficient Lennox air conditioners offered by Constant Home Comfort in Scarborough and take advantage of incredible prices and rebates.
Step 1: Clean The Fins
To clean the fins, start on the exterior condenser by removing the fan cage. Using a screwdriver or wrench to remove the fasteners and lift the cage or fan grill away from the top of the unit. With a garden hose, spray through the fins from the inside out to blast any built up dirt from between them. Don’t use a pressure washer, as the pressure will damage the fins. If the fins are particularly dirty, use a commercially available fin cleaning spray, or call Constant Home Comfort and a technician for assistance in maintaining your AC. Look no further than Lennox ACs if you find that you need a replacement.
Step 2: Straighten The Fins
Since any decrease in airflow through the fins will reduce the overall efficiency of your AC, carefully straighten bent fins using a flathead screwdriver or a commercially available fin-straightening tool. Be gentle and be careful not to damage the tubing embedded within the fins. If you’re not comfortable doing this yourself and would rather a technician takes care of this, give us a call. If you find that straightening the fins doesn’t improve your AC’s efficiency, it might be time to look for a new one.
Step 3: Level the Unit
Over time, the pad which the condenser unit sits on can tip into the ground as the soil settles beneath it. An out of level condenser unit can cause the compressor within to fail early. If you find that your condenser unit is out of level, call the experts at Constant Home Comfort in Scarborough, who can use rot resistant shims to level it. If your AC fails, due to being out of level, look to Lennox ACs as a fantastic option.
Step 4: Clean the Evaporator Coil
On the inside blower unit, find the evaporator coil door. Inside, use a soft brush to dust off the coil, then spray the coil with commercially available no-rinse coil cleaner (available at home improvement stores). The spray will foam up and then drip into the drain pan. Clean out the drain pan with soap, hot water, and a little bleach. Then, pour a cup of 50% bleach and 50% water down the drain.
Step 5: Change The Blower Filter
The filter in your HVAC system should be changed at least twice a year – once just before Winter and once just before Summer. Locate the filter enclosure on the indoor AC where the large fresh air return duct enters the unit. You may need a screwdriver to turn the latch to open the door to the filter enclosure. Remove the old filter and install the new filter, matching the air-flow direction arrows on the filter to the arrows on the unit.
