You’re probably familiar with the fact that you have to perform maintenance on your air conditioning system at the start of the summertime season. However, the work doesn’t stop there. You’ll need to perform necessary maintenance on your air conditioning system at the end of the summer season to ensure that it’s wrapped up and protected during the cold winter months.
Listen to and Smell Your System
Before you turn your air conditioning system off for the winter season, you need to take some time to listen to it run. When parts are starting to go bad, they’ll typically make a low humming or vibrating noise. Since these issues can develop slowly over time, you may not notice them in your everyday life. However, when you’re specifically listening for them, you may be able to find them.
While you’re listening to your system, it’s also a good idea to pay attention to any odd odors. Odors like exhaust fumes, gunpowder, mildew, and trash can indicate a problem with your system. Make sure you’re listening for noises and checking for odd smells at all the vents, the indoor unit, and the outdoor unit. If you notice any of these issues with your system, it’s best to call a professional to get it assessed.
Check Your Air Filter
Keeping your air filter clean is essential to creating great indoor air quality. As you’re wrapping up your air conditioning system for the winter, it’s a good idea to check your filter. Pull it out of the filter housing and hold it up to a light. If you’re not able to see through the filter, it needs to be replaced.
Clean Your Indoor Unit
Giving your entire air conditioning system a good cleaning after the long summer season is a great way to protect it from being damaged over the winter season. You want to go to your electrical panel and turn off the circuit breaker for your air conditioning system, so there’s no power going to it while you’re doing the cleaning. It’s best to start with the indoor section of your air conditioning system.
Go ahead and remove the access panel. Take a look at the wiring inside of the unit to ensure that it’s tightly secured and there is no rust or fraying. Next, you want to apply a coil cleaning agent to remove stuck-on debris from your evaporator coils. This typically comes in a foaming agent that does the hard work of removing the grime for you without requiring any scrubbing.
Once your coils are clean, it’s time to clean any gunk out of the drain and the drain pipe. It’s a good idea to pour a 50-50 solution of bleach and water down the drain to help break up any hard sections of gunk or water scaling. Be sure to reinstall your access panel securely.
Clean Your Outdoor Unit
Now, it’s time to head outside and clean up your outdoor condenser unit. Start by cleaning around the unit by removing any debris that is stuck up against it. You need to unfasten the screws for the condenser cover and remove the cover. Use a wet vacuum or a hose to remove any loose debris that is inside the condenser unit. Avoid using a pressure washer as it could damage the fins.
You want to apply a foaming cleansing agent to the condenser coils to get the grime off of them. Next, use your hose to spray off the remaining foam on your condenser coils, and any debris stuck inside the fins. Be sure to straighten out any of the fins that have become bent. Having straight fins is imperative to disperse the heat out of your condenser unit properly. Be sure to reinstall the condenser cover so that it’s secure.
Clean Your Vents
The last part of your air conditioning system that needs to be cleaned is your vents. If you’re easily able to pop the vent out of its position, go ahead and do so. Submerge the vent in soapy water to cleanse it thoroughly. If your vents don’t readily pop out, you can use a wet cloth to clean off any grime on the vent’s grates.
Comprehensive AC Services
Totally Cool Heating & Air provides comprehensive air conditioning system services for our fellow Austin neighbors. We’re also here for all of your heating, indoor air quality, insulation, ducting, and solar needs. Give our office a call to get the help that you need or to schedule an appointment.