Clean Your Outdoor Unit for Fall

After summer, we always get the urge to clean out our closets and our space to get ready for the new season. Preparing your home for fall should always include a scheduled maintenance of your heating, ventilation and cooling system to make sure you breathe clean and healthy air during winter and avoid break-downs and unnecessary expenses at a most unfortunate time. By cleaning both your indoor and your outdoor central unit you will prolong the life of your air conditioning system so take some time to make sure your outdoor unit is in good shape. Follow these simple steps for an easy DIY maintenance job.

Inspect the Filter

Usually located next to the air conditioner return duct, air filters with time get dirty and full of debris so locate yours and remove them. Wash your plastic and metal filters thoroughly with a garden hose to eliminate dust and dirt. Discard cardboard and fiber filters and replace the filters with new ones.

Turn Off Power and Open the Unit

Flip the breaker switch off on the unit and carefully remove the access panel from the vent openings.

Bring Out the Vacuum

By removing the panel, you will expose the condenser coils in your unit. Examine them thoroughly for debris and dust, and clean them with your home vacuum. Be careful not to bend the fins and coils. After vacuuming, get your garden hose again and rinse the coils well. When handling the condenser coils be careful and wear heavy gloves because the fins are sharp and often cause scratches and cuts you could easily have avoided with proper equipment.

Clean the Fans of Your Unit

Use a moist rag and carefully clean the dust from fan vents in the unit and the top panel. Screw back the panel and don't forget to turn the power back on!

If you find this a hassle and you are located in the Denver area, contact us at Total Comfort Heating and Cooling and we will be glad to help with the maintenance of your HVAC system.