Cleaning Your Air Conditioner Condenser Unit For Dallas Homeowners
Most condensers are located outside your home and have a fan to move air throughout the condenser coil. As a result, it’s easy for leaves, grass, dirt and airborne dust to get into the condenser, making it dirty and clogged.
Your air conditioner works hard enough when it’s working properly. Regular cleaning can help extend its life and keep it working efficiently.
How to Clean an Outside Air Conditioner Unit
The outdoor condenser coil of your air conditioner performs a rigorous job when the weather is warm. It takes the concentrated heat collected from your home and throws it into the hot outdoor air. To get rid of the collected heat, your outdoor condenser coil has to move a lot of air. If the coil is dirty or if plants or other objects are too close to the conditioner unit, the fan in the outdoor coil can’t move as much air as required for good performance and efficiency. This not only raises your cost of energy but also will eventually compromise the life of the outdoor condensing unit.
Be sure to remove plants and other debris from within 3 feet of the unit in all directions. Around the outdoor condensing unit of the air conditioner. Make sure the air’s upward path in leaving the unit is unrestricted for at least 5 feet. If your outdoor unit is installed under a deck or if someone built a trellis or some other structure above it, either move that structure or hire an air-conditioning contractor to move the outdoor unit.
Most condenser coils are loaded with pollen and dust even when you can’t see it. The longest a condenser should go without cleaning is 2 years, depending on how much it operates during the summer. If your cooling season is 4 months or more, annual cleaning is a great idea. When cleaning t he unit be sure to turn off the power and remove any visible grass and lint from the fins and/or louvers with an old hairbrush or whisk broom. Then put on a pair of rubber gloves and spray biodegradable outdoor coil cleaner into the coil. Wait five or ten minutes and flush the coil with a gentle water spray.
If the aluminum fins on the outside of your outdoor coil have dirt, leaves, or lint stuck to them, it’s time to clean the coil. If the coil is very dirty, it’s better to have a professional clean it. Before doing any cleaning work, shut the unit off at its main switch outside near the unit.
An old hairbrush works well for brushing surface dirt and lint off the fins. Brush in the same direction as the slots between the fins so the bristles go between the fins. You can do a better job if you remove the guard grill, which protects the coil. Wear a dust mask to avoid breathing the dust. When you have finished brushing out as much of the dirt as you can, spray a heavy-duty household cleanser into the coils. Let the cleanser sit for five minutes. Then, direct a light spray from a garden hose at the coil’s interior through the fan opening in the top of the unit. Use a gentle spray because a strong spray could bend the aluminum fins.
How to clean the air conditioner outside unit
Tools you’ll need:
- Air conditioner coil cleaner (Follow your air conditioner manufacturer’s recommendations when selecting a cleaning agent.)
- Water hose with sprayer
- Gloves and eye protection
Follow these steps:
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Find the electrical disconnect (a metal box) near your outside unit.
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Open the electrical disconnect and find the switch that turns off the air conditioner. This may be a pull out
switch or a circuit breaker type switch. Turn the switch to the “off” position.
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Use the water hose spray to clean off loose debris (grass, leaves, etc) on the outside unit.
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Spray the outside unit with the coil cleaner.
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Wait 10-15 minutes as the cleaner foams and bonds with the dirt on the coils.
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Rinse the coil cleaner off with the hose.
Cleaning Your Air Conditioner Condenser Is Mostly Important
It’s important to clean air conditioner condenser in the AC unit in your home or office. Poorly maintained condenser unit not only hurt the energy efficiency of your entire unit, but also greatly affect the quality of the air you breathe. Call (214) 238-8353 us for your home service and repair needs.
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