Your heating and cooling system goes through a lot to ward off the Dayton area’s summer heat and winter chill, so it benefits from attentive care. Routine summer HVAC cleaning helps your air conditioner cool you efficiently all season.
Clean the Outdoor Unit
Not surprisingly, your outdoor unit can pick up a lot of dirt and debris that blocks airflow and reduces your system’s efficiency. To get the unit clean again, start by trimming back high grass, shrubs, and tree limbs to at least 18 inches away from the unit. Next, use a sturdy plastic brush to remove leaves, grass clippings, and other buildup from the unit’s exterior fins.
Remove the top of the unit and use a gentle stream of water from a garden house to wash down the fins from the inside outward. Cleaning the fins this way prevents debris from being sprayed into the internal components. When you’re done, check for bent or crushed fins, which also impair airflow. Straighten these with a fin comb, available at larger home improvement stores, or with a butter knife.
Clean Around the Evaporator Coil
Inspect your evaporator coil for dust buildup. A layer of dust less than a millimeter thick can still reduce your system’s energy efficiency. You can clean a moderately dusty coil with foaming coil cleaner, but if you find heavy buildup or rust, leave the job to a pro to avoid damaging the component.
Next, pour a little water into the condensate drain pan under your evaporator coil. If the water flows down easily, pour in a cup of vinegar to inhibit algae growth. If the water pools there, your drain is blocked. You can usually clear a blockage by using a device to attach a wet-vac to the outdoor opening of the drain and vacuuming for around three minutes.
Finally, check the air filter and, if you find a layer of dust on it, put in a clean filter.
Your air conditioner and furnace both need annual professional HVAC cleaning. To schedule an inspection, please contact us at Ace Hardware Home Services.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
