Cleaning your Air Conditioner Condenser Unit
Your cooling unit may not perform well as it should if you've neglected a spring checkup. This may happen because of debris and dirt particles accumulating on the cooling fins, a filthy blower fan filter, a low coolant level, and other simple problems. You may probably not be in a position to do everything at once. However, you can perform most of the cleaning process and save some extra cash that would be spent on a pro. One of the areas that must be well cleaned is the condenser which forms the outdoor unit. It covers other indoor units like the evaporator that must be cleaned too to put the unit in check. The process involved is quite simple and straight forward and with few hours of your day, you will be able to complete the cleaning process. Go through the simple guide below to get started:
Tools and Materials Needed To save time and frustration, make sure you have a shop vacuum, a pair of rubber gloves, screwdriver, ordinary dinner knife, and electric motor oil.
Cleaning the Condenser Start by turning off the power supply to the condenser unit at the outdoor shutoff. The condenser is usually positioned in an inconspicuous position next to the house. The main clean up job here is to thoroughly clean the condenser fins. The fins which are made of fine metallic blades surrounding the unit get dirty because of the central fan that sucks air through them pulling in dead grass, dead leaves, dust, and debris. The dirt accumulation blocks efficient airflow which reduces the cooling ability of the unit. Proceed by unscrewing the fan using a screw driver to have access to the inner section of the condenser. Removing it completely may not be achievable because the wiring system is connected to the cooling unit. Vacuum the inner sections that can be easily accessed using a soft brush to do away with all the dirt. Finally, check the fan motor to confirm if it needs lubrication before switching it back.
Restarting the Condenser Unit For cases where the power supply to the unit was off for more than 4 hours:
• Switch from the cool option to off on the inside of the thermostat.
• Turn on power supply and let the cooling unit settle for about twenty-four hours.
• Switch thermostat to cool option.
For cases where the unit was switched off while compressor unit was operating, wait for about six minutes before switching on because the unit has to fully decompress before restarting.
Contact a commercial air conditioning service for more information and assistance.