If you’re like many homeowners, you have a seasonal to-do list to keep your home cared for and running smoothly. If you don’t have cleaning the air conditioner on the list, you should.

After all, there isn’t much worse than on a hot day walking into your home that should be comfortably cool only to find it hot, sticky, and humid.

Cleaning an air conditioner will not only mean a longer life for your home, but it also helps to make sure it’s running well when you need it.

If you want to ensure your AC unit is in good working order and ready for the warm months of the year, read on to learn how to clean an AC unit yourself.

Shut Off Power

Before you even consider cleaning an AC unit, it’s important to turn off its power. You do not want to do any cleaning while the unit is running.

There is typically a shut-off box near the exterior condenser or compressor. If you cannot locate this shut-off, you can always turn off the power at the breaker box in your home.

If you’re uncomfortable feeling around your AC unit, you can always hire an AC specialist for routine maintenance. Most recommended twice-a-year care for your HVAC system, furnace in the fall, and AC unit in the spring.

Clean and Replace Filters

One of the most important steps in cleaning an HVAC unit is cleaning or replacing your AC filters. Some units come with filters intended for cleaning. Other units have filters that can be replaced. Most big box home improvement stores have filters.

There are a couple of places to look for the filters. Many AC units have a filter located in the furnace unit. Often these are replaceable filters. Other AC units have a filter located in the air-handler cabinets located inside or near the end of the air-inlet side of the unit.

Condenser Coils

The next thing to do is clean the condenser coils. You can remove the side and top panels on the AC unit. Lift away the panels carefully to avoid pulling on any wiring attached to the fan.

Use a soft brush to start cleaning the AC coils from outside the AC unit. These fins and coils can be quite delicate. You want to be very careful not to bend the fins while cleaning.

Finally, vacuum the AC condenser coils from the inside.

Refrigerant Lines

Another part of HVAC unit maintenance is checking the refrigerant lines. These lines will be covered with foam insulation to protect them from losing energy when running the AC unit.

The refrigerant lines are located from the evaporator coil on the air handler to the condenser on the outside of the unit.

If there’s any damage to the foam insulation, replace it to ensure maximum efficiency with your unit.

Clear Away Debris

It’s important that your AC unit has good airflow around it, so it works most efficiently.

As part of your routine maintenance, clean away any leaves or other debris away from the outside of the AC unit.

Cleaning an Air Conditioner for the Best Results

When you know how to clean an HVAC unit, you can ensure yours is clean and ready to run for the warm weather season.

If you want help cleaning an air conditioner or a complete seasonal maintenance check-up, we can help. Contact us today to ensure your AC unit is running well and keeping you comfortable during the summer months.