If you are experiencing high energy bills or noticing that your air conditioner isn’t cooling as it should, it may not be an indoor problem. In fact, the outdoor unit is often the culprit. Your outdoor air conditioning unit can get dirty, by filling up with dirt, leaves and grass. As this doesn’t impact the quality of the air you are breathing inside your home, it can indeed hurt your system and make it work much harder than it needs to.
To ensure you do not run into these issues, it is a good idea for homeowners to clean their outdoor unit, specifically the air conditioner condenser coils. When your air conditioner’s condenser coils are dirty and filled with debris, your system will have to work much harder and your energy bills will increase. Here is why it’s important to clean your AC condenser coils and how to do so!
How often should you clean your condenser?
Before you turn your HVAC system on for the spring and summer months, you should rinse out the condenser coils. After you do this once, you should continue to do this, as well as change your air filter, once a month. By doing this, it’s easier to remove the debris that may have built up in your system during the winter. It also does not give much time for debris to build up, and it will keep your system working efficiently all summer long.
What to be careful of
When rinsing off your condenser, make sure the water pressure is not too high. When you rinse your coils off with very high water pressure, it can end up damaging the fins on your condenser. Although your system will still run with bent fins, it will make your system work less efficiently.
How to clean your condenser
When cleaning your condenser, the first thing you want to do is turn off the electrical power to the condenser unit at the outdoor shutoff. Next, you want to vacuum the debris on the outside of your condenser. Lastly, you want to wash your condenser off by using a garden hose and your thumb or finger. Try to wash from top to bottom as much as you can, as the fins are easily bendable and this will help reduce the chance of damage.
Want to see it for yourself? Below is a great video by one of our ServiceOne HVAC experts that details everything you need to know about cleaning your AC condenser coils!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=89&v=A80HwX2e-X8&feature=emb_logo
Performing maintenance, changing your air filter and cleaning your AC condenser coils regularly will not only make your energy bills a little cheaper, but it will help prolong the life of your HVAC system and help it run more smoothly and efficiently.
Our team at ServiceOne are experts when it comes to anything HVAC. We understand that unexpected problems can arise, and are available to fix any issues. Give us a call or visit our website today if you have any questions regarding your home’s heating and cooling system!