Summer Comfort

Clean Your Air Conditioner

Difficulty level 6 out of 10 (tools required)

As we approach the “dog days of summer”, one of the easiest ways to ensure, or improve, your home’s comfort (and save you money) is to clean your air conditioner’s outdoor condenser coils.

A dirty condenser, whether visible dirt, or a film of dust, will reduce your air conditioner’s efficiency. This reduction of efficiency will cause it to run longer to deliver the desired temperature inside your house. In turn, this extra use will eventually lead to a premature failure of the unit and cost you money every day – all summer long.

You can call your local HVAC professional, or this task can easily be completed by you the homeowner. Time Saver Concierge can also do this task for you if you don’t have the time or desire to do it.

Warning! Before proceeding with any of the suggested tasks below, be sure power is fully disconnected from your unit.

Steps to Cleaning your Air Conditioner Condenser Coils and fins.

1. Disconnect power

2. Remove grate covering

3. Wipe off fan blades

4. Optional: Apply condenser coil foaming cleaner inside and out on the fins (many units have two sets of fins and coils, one outside and one inside)

5. With a hose set to “shower” mode, rinse off the fins and coils. If using the foaming cleaner, ensure you wait the required amount of time as indicated on the label.

6. Clean debris and soil out of the pan at the bottom of the unit. Ensure drains are not plugged.

7. Reattach grate covering

8. Reconnect power

9. Enjoy the summer!

While this task may seem daunting to many people, with some practice, most homeowners can tackle this one if the have the time and desire to do so.

If you need help, give Time Saver Concierge a call.

Reference: https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/maintaining-your-air-conditioner