DIY Mid-Summer Central Air Conditioner Maintenance
DIY AC maintenance
By mid-July, your central air conditioner has been working hard for half the summer. To extend its’ life and optimize performance, now is a good time to do some basic summer maintenance.
Use this checklist for some diy maintenance items:
- Check the outdoor condensor for any weeds or debris that may be caught in it. This is usually a simple matter of pulling them out of the outside metal casing. This should be checked periodically throughout the summer. Make sure to keep grass and weeds trimmed around the unit.
- Clean the coils of the outside unit. The unit needs to be turned off for this. You can use a hose to clean dirt and debris from the coils (protect the motor and wiring from the water 1st).
- Check the filter and change as needed. The filter should generally be checked and changed once a month during the operating season.
- Buy a programmable thermostat. Use the settings to program your system to be set at a higher temperature automatically when you are regularly out of the house. This keeps your air conditioner from running as often, helping to extend its’ life.
It is a good idea to have an hvac service technician do a pre-summer maintenance check. If you have not had this done, it’s not too late. A service professional can check the condensate lines, check for leaking refrigerant and address any issues with this along with other things best left to a professional.
Need to replace some of the items that make your air conditioner run at its’ best? Younits.com has line sets, filters, and replacement parts for all your central ac needs.