The relief that home air conditioners also known as ACs brings on a hot and humid day cannot be quantified. Think of having to do productive work with sweat running down your brows; not a pleasant thought right? That is why careful maintenance of these appliances is highly important.
That being said however, we know that even the most carefully maintained AC unit can just break down due to no fault of yours. When that happens, you need the services of expert professionals to repair it.
One cannot overlook the importance of HVAC specialists especially in the hot summer months in Mechanicsburg, PA. You need to always have the contact details of an air conditioning repair company for times of emergencies. Even apart from emergencies, they can also come in handy for maintenance.
Tips For DIY Routine Maintenance Of Your Cooling System
You do not always have to call on experts to handle the maintenance of your home AC units. There are routine things that you can do by yourself. But please note that this DIY stuff is for people who really have a knack for it.
If you are totally clueless about electrical and related stuff, then its best you let the professionals do it for a little fee. So here’s a summary of the steps to take in routine maintenance of your cooling system:-
1. Turn Off the Power Source
Before you start doing anything on the unit, it is important that you shut off the power supply. Do not ever work on any electrical or mechanical appliance with the power on. And make sure that you observe safety rules while at it.
2. Clean Out The Exterior Of The Unit
Once the power is off, start by cleaning out the exterior of the unit. Note that this part of the unit is what is responsible for removing stale/warm air from the house and sending in fresh/clean air. But since it is outside the house, it has a high tendency of getting dirty fast.
With some simple tools such as wrenches and screwdriver, you can easily dismantle the fan cage. You then remove the grill so that you can reach the inside of the condenser. Then using a vacuum or manually, clean out every dust or debris therein.
3. Wash The Fins and Straighten Them Out
If you look at the outside unit of your AC, you would see the metal webs that help to keep out debris and dirt and let in fresh air. But as you can deduce from the previous step, this part also gets dirty. Since you have already opened the outside unit, go ahead and wash out the fins.
This step is executed with a garden hose without high pressure. This process of washing would bend the fins because they are thin so you have to straighten them out afterwards. This is to allow adequate airflow to and from the condenser.
You can use a simple kitchen spatula or bread knife. There are also tools that are specially made for straightening AC fins; you can buy one in a hardware store around you.
4. Clean The Drain Pipe and Evaporator Coil
When you are done with cleaning the exterior of the unit, you move inside to clean the evaporator coil and drain pipe. Use the same tools that you used to open the exterior unit to open the inside unit. Then use a soft brush to sweep off the dust on the coil.
After that, it is necessary to spray the coil with an industrial coil cleaner. Next, you make a solution of one part water and one part bleach. Then you pour the solution down the drain of the unit; this would clean out the drain pipe.
5. Change The Air Filter
This is the simplest step of this maintenance process. All you need to do is just remove the old air filter and put the new one in its place. Experts advise that you change the air filter a minimum of twice a year. But you can do this thrice or four times if you live in a really dusty environment.
6. Tidy Up
It goes without saying that this maintenance exercise would leave the area around the unit dirty. So the last step is to tidy up everything. Replace everything that you dismantled and give the unit a wipe down with a soft clean napkin.
Then sweep out the surrounding and mop if needed.
This is just a summary but for a full visual on AC maintenance, check out this video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBBnXHse-T0
When you have carried out these simple DIY steps and your AC is still not working normally, then it is time to call the experts.
Things To Look Out For In An AC Repair Company in Mechanicsburg, PA
The following are some of the criteria to look out for in determining a company/individual that would do a good job of repairing or maintaining your HVAC system.
- They should be available for emergencies. This means that their booking schedule is flexible and they are available round the clock. That is actually why it is best to work with a company than an individual. This is because they would have enough members of staff to be able to run shifts. So there’s always someone available to attend to clients.
- They should have up to date modern equipment and a full assortment of parts for replacement. With these in place, they can tackle any kind of issue that your appliance may have.
- Their customer care service should be top-notch. You do not want a company that wouldn’t communicate well with their customers. Neither would you want to deal with people who are only concerned about their bottom line (money).
- Professionalism and diligence in carrying out their duties. Some people come to work in your house and they create clean-up job for you. That shouldn’t be the case; a professional workman should leave the environment he worked in clean.
You may wonder how you would determine all the above about a company you are yet to work with. Well, you can get recommendation from friends and family, search on the internet or read reviews from credible sites such as Google business. You can also check out this article for more information.
Conclusion
Home air conditioning systems are appliances that one shouldn’t toy with. They should always be in the best working condition so that they can serve us well.
We have shared some important information to help you keep your cooling unit in the best working condition. Take note of this info as they would come in handy at some point.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
