"Air Conditioner Maintenance Tips" Do you want to learn air conditioner repair tips, do you want to learn the complete AC maintenance and repair guide of air conditioning unit. Are you searching for air conditioner maintenance tips, complete AC maintenance and repair guide, AC maintenance tips, AC unit maintenance tips, AC repair tips, air conditioning repair tips or home air conditioner maintenance tips. If yes, Infoguide Ng has brought a step by step article that cover the complete air conditioner maintenance and repair guide. This article cover 15 AC maintenance tips which a homeowner can perform themselves. The air conditioning system is described as an AC split system because it has two units: the outside condenser coil and the inside evaporator coil or A coil, which usually sits on top of the furnace
Outdoor Maintenance Tips (Condenser Unit)
Tip 1: Remove Winter Cover and Restore Power.
If the air conditioner unit was covered for the winter (with a wrap or a piece of plywood), ensure the cover is removed before the AC season starts. Leaving the unit wrapped will prevent the air conditioner from working correctly.
- To Cover or Not to Cover: The unit is designed to be outdoors and can withstand rain and snow. Covering it may help cosmetically, such as preventing faster rusting, but operationally, covering has no effect.
- A Safety Note on Covering: If large icicles form on top of the unit, a cover (at least a piece of plywood) should be used, as falling icicles have been observed to knock the motor right out of the center of the air conditioner.
- A Downside of Wrapping: Wrapping the entire unit invites mice, insects, and other critters to make a cozy home between the wrap and the air conditioner, shielding them from wind and snow.
- Circuit Breaker: If the air conditioner circuit breaker was turned off for the winter, make sure to turn it back on.
Tip 2: Cleaning the AC Condenser Coil.
The condenser coil, which contains copper tubing and fins, sucks air in from the sides and rejects heat out through the top. As it sucks in airborne particles, dust, debris, leaves, and grass (especially when mowing the lawn), the coils eventually get plugged up.
- The Process: Look over the coil at the beginning and throughout the summer season. If it's dirty, hose it down using regular water pressure.
- Tools to Avoid: Avoid using a power washer or pressure washer, as the fins are flexible and high pressure will bend them. Brushing is generally ineffective, especially if the unit has a grate.
- Chemical Cleaners: Chemical or foam cleaners are generally disliked as some contain corrosive chemicals that can corrode the coil, especially if the fins are made of aluminum.
- Best Method: The preferred method is to take the top off and spray from the inside out. However, spraying from the outside in is often sufficient. You can also vacuum or blow the coil out first. The side facing the house will usually be the dirtiest.
- Safety: Turn the power off before washing the unit by pulling the electrical disconnect or turning off the circuit breaker, and consider turning off the thermostat.
- Leaves on the Bottom: A small amount of leaves on the bottom of the unit is "no big deal". However, if there is a large stack of leaves, you should remove the top of the condenser unit and clear them out.
Tip 3: Check for Mouse Nests, Broken Wires, or Bare Wires.
Check the unit for mouse nests built during the winter, and inspect the wires for any broken wires, bare wires, or broken connectors.
- Locating Electrical Components: Locate the electrical disconnect (usually a metal or plastic box) and pull the plug or turn off the breaker to disconnect the 240 volts going to the condenser unit. Also, turn off the circuit breaker for safety, and use a meter to verify no voltage is present.
- Inspecting Wiring: Open the panel where the electrical components (like the contactor and capacitors) are housed. Inspect all the connectors where wires go, ensuring they are not brittle or crumbling. If connectors are burnt or corroded, they can be snipped off, the wire stripped, and a new connector added.
- Mouse Nests: Mice commonly build nests in the electrical section, often leading to dead mice, nesting material, and debris inside.
- Thermostat Wiring (24 volts): The low-voltage wiring coming from the house (typically a brown wire containing a red and white wire) should also be inspected. If this wire has a bare spot that touches metal, it can short out and blow a fuse on the control board in the furnace. This wiring, which runs along the electrical whip, can be damaged by dogs, weed whackers, or weather conditions causing insulation to become brittle.
Tip 4: Checking the Dual Run Capacitor.
The most common AC problem is a bad or weak capacitor. The dual run capacitor is usually a silver cylinder.
- Check and Replace: Since capacitors are cheap components and often fail, especially on the hottest days of the year, it is recommended to check them with a multimeter at the beginning of the year.
- Backup Plan: It is a good idea to keep a backup capacitor ready in case yours fails during peak heat.
Tip 5: Suction Line Insulation.
The suction line is the thicker of the two freon/refrigeration lines (the thin one is the discharge line). This line should always have insulation.
- Purpose: The insulation is there to prevent the refrigerant from turning into a liquid too fast, which helps extend the life of the compressor.
- Maintenance: If the foam insulation has fallen apart or disappeared (sometimes due to pets chewing it), a new piece of foam insulation should be put over the thick pipe.
Tip 6: Leveling the Condenser Unit.
While a slight slant is acceptable, units that are really sagging to one side should be leveled.
- Safety Precaution: Be careful not to move the unit too much, as this risks kinking a line or breaking a joint, leading to a freon leak.
- Leveling Method: If the pad has sunk in, use a shovel to carefully lift the unit and throw rocks, dirt, or a 2x4 underneath the pad to help level it out.
Tip 7: Turn On the AC Early.
Do not wait until it is 90° outside to turn on the air conditioner. Turn it on early when it is around 60° or 65° outside to check that it runs and cools properly.
- Benefit: If there is a problem, this provides "cushion time" to troubleshoot, diagnose, and fix the issue before hot weather hits, potentially saving money on rushed repairs.
Tip 8: Unseizing the Fan.
If the unit has sat all winter, the fan motor might slightly seize up.
- Symptom: The compressor may turn on, but the fan either hums without spinning or spins very slowly.
- Fix: Often, simply giving the fan a kick start using a stick or screwdriver is all that is needed to get it going. If this continues to happen, however, it indicates a deeper problem, such as a weak or dead capacitor or an issue with the motor.
Indoor Maintenance Tips (Evaporator Coil/Furnace System)
The indoor unit, the evaporator coil (or A coil), typically sits inside a sheet metal box called a plenum, usually above the furnace. The water collected from humidity drains down this coil into a drain pan and exits through a condensate drain line.
Tip 9: Check Temperatures (Performance).
Check the air conditioner's cooling performance by measuring the temperature difference between the return air and the supply air. This can be done using a poke-in thermometer.
- Temperature Differential: The ideal temperature difference should be 15 to 20 degrees. This can be measured at the canvas sections of the supply and return ducts near the furnace or by comparing the ambient room temperature to the temperature coming out of a main floor vent.
- Low Differential: A difference less than 15 degrees (e.g., 6 to 10 degrees) indicates a problem.
- Common Problems: Low performance is often caused by the A coil getting plugged up with dust (due to neglecting filter replacement), which restricts airflow and can cause the coil to freeze over. Another common issue is a refrigerant or freon leak, which lowers the coolant level and can also cause the coil to freeze or fail to cool the house.
Tip 10: Clean the Condensate Drain Line.
The condensate drain line or fitting is a common failure point.
- Preventative Cleaning: As preventive maintenance, the hose (or PVC pipe) should be cleared out using compressed air or a solution of bleach and water to remove gunk.
- Overflow Risk: If the drain gets plugged, water will overflow onto the furnace, potentially creating a puddle and damaging the control board and other components.
- Cleaning the Fitting: The fitting itself sometimes gets plugged up and can be cleaned by taking it off, blowing backwards through it, or sticking a wire into it.
Tip 11: Replace the Furnace Filter.
Filter replacement is one of the most neglected things and is a frequent cause of AC problems. A dirty filter restricts airflow, which affects refrigerant pressures and can cause the coil to freeze up or the unit to fail to cool the house sufficiently.
- 1-Inch Filters: These should be replaced monthly. The fan speed on the air conditioner blower motor is the highest speed (higher than when running the furnace), meaning it pulls more air and causes the filter to plug up faster.
- Direction: Filters are directional; the arrow labeled "airflow" must always face the blower motor or toward the furnace. The side with the chicken wire net helps prevent the filter from getting sucked in and wrapped around the motor if it is neglected for too long.
- 4- or 5-Inch Filters: These thick filters typically do not last a full year as some labels suggest. They should be replaced at least every half year or every eight months, otherwise, the furnace can overheat and the AC will freeze over.
Tip 12: Check the Blower Motor and Blower Wheel.
This requires taking off the furnace doors.
• Blower Wheel Check: The fins on the blower wheel get plugged up with dust and debris over time. With the power switch or circuit breaker off to the furnace, reach in and feel between the fins of the blower wheel. A lot of dust restricts the airflow.
- Blower Capacitor: Most blower motors (unless they are variable speed) have a single capacitor, similar to the dual capacitor outside. If this capacitor is weak or dead, the blower motor will not turn on. It is recommended to check this capacitor with a meter and keep a spare one as backup.
- Oiling: Blower motors do not need to be oiled unless the furnace is very old, as they come permanently lubricated.
- Door Caution: Note how the furnace doors come off, as they can sometimes be difficult to put back on.
Tip 13: Turn Off the Humidifier.
If the furnace has a whole-house humidifier, it needs to be turned off during the summer.
- Settings: Turn the control to the "off" position.
- Damper: Also, adjust the humidifier's damper to the "summer" position to close it off, preventing air from flowing through it. The air conditioner is already working to pull humidity out of the house.
Tip 14: Vents and Returns Management.
Managing the supply vents (registers) and return grills is crucial for proper airflow.
- Supply Vents: Do not close too many supply vents (which have shut-offs). Closing off more than one-third of all vents can impede airflow, causing problems with the AC refrigeration system and potentially causing the furnace to overheat. For example, do not close more than seven vents if there are 21 total.
- Return Grills: Returns (which usually do not have a shut-off) suck air in. Keep all returns open, and do not place furniture (like a couch or piano) in front of them, as restricting return air causes airflow problems and leads to system issues.
- Cleaning Returns: If return grills are dusty, they can be vacuumed, or taken off to vacuum the backside and inside the duct.
- Identifying Vents vs. Returns: Use a piece of paper, a leaf, or a string to see if the air is pulling it in (return) or blowing it out (vent).
Tip 15: Thermostat Batteries and Jumpers.
Many thermostats use batteries, and people are often unaware of this.
- Checking for Batteries: If the thermostat goes blank when pulled off the wall, it gets power from the furnace and does not have batteries. If it stays on, it has batteries (usually AAA or AA).
- Replacement: Weak batteries may not necessarily cause the thermostat to die or show an icon but might be too weak to close the switch, preventing the air conditioner from turning off. Replace batteries at least every three or four years to prevent problems.
- R to RC Jumper: If the thermostat was replaced, ensure there is a jumper connecting R and RC terminals (if both are present). RC stands for power to cooling, and without this jumper, the air conditioner will not receive power.
In essence, maintaining your AC is like ensuring a vital organ can breathe and circulate properly. The condenser coil outside must be kept clean of debris so it can efficiently expel heat, and the indoor system relies on unobstructed airflow—meaning filters must be clean and returns must be clear—to prevent the delicate internal coil from freezing up. Furthermore, vital electronic parts like capacitors, which are prone to sudden failure, should be checked or proactively backed up.
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