With proper maintenance and care, your heating and cooling equipment will operate dependably for many years. There are a few maintenance operations you can do yourself to help ensure the best performance.
Remove debris from around your outdoor unit
Keep your outdoor condensing unit free of debris. Keep grass clippings, leaves, shrubbery and debris away from your out door unit. Always turn the unit off before cutting your grass to avoid grass clippings from plugging the outdoor coil. Be very careful when weed eating around the outdoor unit. Weed eaters may cut electrical wiring, tubing and coils.
Clean your central air cleaner
The pre-filter and collection cells of an electronic air cleaner should be cleaned at least two or three times per year. Always refer to the homeowner’s manual before cleaning. Never use water to clean an electronic air cleaners parts.
Brush the exterior of your outdoor coil if possible
If the exterior of your outdoor coil becomes dirty, use a brush or a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment to clean the surface.
Check and replace your air filter
Check the air filter each month. A dirty filter will drive up operating cost and cause catastrophic failure to your system. This is the number one item you should address. Never use inexpensive fiberglass filters. They do not catch smaller dust particles. Use a pleated 3m type filter instead. They cost a little more but will save you hundreds in cleaning cost over the long haul.
Visually inspect your ventilation system
Inspect your furnace combustion area and vent system before each heating season.
Clear your condensate drain piping
Make sure your outdoor coil stays in a level position.
Check the level of your outdoor unit
Never pour bleach into the drain or the drain pan of your system. Chlorine attacks the copper coil and will cause refrigerant leaks. Clean the drain with a wet/dry vacuum if possible.
