Even though central air is largely maintained by professional technicians, as a homeowner, there are steps you can take to maintaining your own equipment. Find out how you can maintain your evaporator and condenser units, helping them run better for longer.

If you have central air in your house, maintaining it is the best way to prevent outrageous service/repair tickets in the future. There are certain things you can do to prolong the effectiveness of your central air units.

The Evaporator – This unit will be inside your house. You should strive to clean this once a year. You might have to remove foil-wrapping insulation to get to the access plate. With a screwdriver, remove the access plate. Inside, there will be a condensation tray beneath the evaporator unit. You’ll need a stiff brush to clean the underside of the unit. To clean the tray, use a mixture of bleach and water. It’ll help prevent fungus and mildew growth. In cases of extreme humidity, check the condensation tray frequently. If there is too much moisture, or tray is full of water, the drain line might be clogged. You can clear it out with condensed air, or a piece of wire.

The Condenser – This is the outside unit. You can maintain it by keeping the area around it free from grass or weeds. These could potentially inhibit airflow. You’ll need commercial coil cleaner to clean your condenser. Make sure you follow the instructions for the cleaner use. Unlike a stiff brush with the evaporator, you’ll need a soft brush to clean the condenser fins. The fins are very thin and delicate. Using a water hose can compact mud between the fins and be counterproductive. It can also damage your fins. Do not clean your condenser with a water hose.

If do your part to maintain your units, you’ll find yourself getting more use out of them, as well as making service calls less. Chris K. Widar Air Duct Cleaning Services