Indoor Maintenance
Check your air filters at least once a month.
Replacing or cleaning your air filters is the most important maintenance
task to help ensure the efficiency of your air conditioner. Most residential
systems have disposable filters, which should be checked every month and
replaced when necessary with the same size filter. Filters may need more
frequent changing if the air conditioner is in constant use, is subjected to
dusty conditions or if you have pets in the house.
Clogged, dirty filters block normal airflow and can significantly reduce a
system's efficiency and capacity. With normal airflow obstructed, air that
bypasses the filter may carry dirt directly into the evaporator coil and impair
the coil's heat-absorbing capacity. Permanent filters should be cleaned
according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Outdoor Maintenance
Keep your outdoor condensing unit free of debris.
If you keep grass clippings, leaves, shrubbery and debris away from your
outdoor unit, it should only require minimal care to operate properly. Trimming
foliage back to at least two feet from the unit will allow for adequate airflow
around the condenser.
Check the base pan under the unit occasionally, and remove debris to help
the unit drain correctly. If the outdoor coil becomes dirty, you can wash it
with a water hose. Spray down the fins of the condensing unit to wash off any
dust or debris.
Before performing maintenance, turn off the 240-volt power at the appliance
shutoff box. It's usually outside within sight of the outdoor unit. Some
shutoffs simply pull out, while others have a handle to pull down or a fuse to
remove. If there isn't one, turn off the power at the circuit breaker at the
main panel that controls the outdoor unit.
Straighten any bent coil fins.
The aluminum fins on evaporator and condenser coils are easily bent and can
block airflow through the coil. Air conditioning wholesalers sell a tool called
a fin comb that will comb these fins back into nearly original condition.
