As we end the blogs first month of appliance tips, let's take a look at another important aspect of your home, the A/C. During the summer months your A/C is one of the most important aspects of your home, but how many actually think of all the necessary steps to care for it?
1. Clean the inside unit
Most home A/C units are attached to the furnace with lines running to an outdoor condensing unit. Over time these units can collect dirt, debris, or even mold and should be periodically cleaned off. The safest way to do this is to get a clean cloth and dip it in warm, mildly soapy water or sprayed with a basic cleaner. Never spray directly on the unit as it can get inside and damage components of the unit. While cleaning the inside of the unit is recommended, it should only be done by a professional HVAC technician for safety reasons.
2. Change your filter on a regular basis
While cleaning the inside unit, it's also a good idea to check your filter. Over time filters will get clogged and cause blockages in air flow, making your machine work much harder and could lead to the A/C coils freezing up. If you have reusable filters take them out and clean them with hot water and soap. If, like many, you have disposable filters, take care to note which way the Air Flow arrow on the side of the filter is pointing. Before placing the new filter write somewhere in big bold letters the date you are replacing it. Ideally you want to do this every 3 months or so.
3. Cleaning your outdoor unit
The outdoor unit of your A/C is where most of the cooling work takes place. It holds the compressor for the unit, that pumps the refrigerant down into the coils inside. As well as the compressor is also a fan to remove the heat from the lines coming back and the compressor. Cleaning the outdoor unit is much the same as the indoor unit, by cleaning it with a cloth and spraying on the cloth rather then directly on the unit. It's also best to remove any sticks, leaves, or other debris from on or around the unit to maintain proper air flow. Please avoid cleaning the coils as this can lead to damaging the fins and should be done by a professional HVAC technician.
4. Check the insulation on the lines
The copper lines coming out of your outdoor unit ad into your indoor unit are the lines that carry the refrigerant to and from your compressor. These copper lines should be wrapped in some type of insulation to protect them. When cleaning both units this insulation should be checked for any damage from weather, pests, or pets and if found please contact us at Royal to change the insulation.
5. Call a professional to perform routine maintenance
To ensure the health of your unit we always recommend calling us to do a routine maintenance check to catch any issues before they can become a problem. We at Royal care about the safety and comfort of you and your family and would love to make an appointment with you to check your A/C. Our Spring start up specials are going on right now. $89.00 for swamp coolers and $99.00 for A/C central air. Start up specials also include a complementary safety check. Give us a call at (719)546-0442 to schedule your appointment today.
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