Spring cleaning and air conditioner maintenance are essential to ensuring the system runs efficiently and avoids breaking down when you need it most. Of course, it’s a good idea to clean your vents and remove debris collected in or around your outdoor unit. But several components of your AC system aren’t as easy to get to that also need to be considered when cleaning your air conditioner in the spring.
Air Specialties provides AC tune-ups in New Haven County. With our years of experience in serving HVAC units, we’ve come up with these spring cleaning AC tips highlighting some important areas of your cooling system that require a professional to clean.
1) Evaporator & Condenser Coils
The first step in ensuring you have a clean air conditioner in the spring is checking the coils. Dirty condenser and evaporator coils can reduce the efficiency of an air conditioner and make it work harder, leading to increased energy consumption and cooling costs. If your air conditioning unit’s coils have collected dust and debris that can interfere with their operation, one of the most vital spring cleaning AC tips is to have a technician clean them during a service appointment. Coils can be delicate components in your AC unit, so only a professional should remove and clean them.
2) Fan Blades
A qualified technician can check the AC unit’s blower fan blades to ensure they are clean and in working order. Dirty blower fan blades can make the blades imbalanced and reduce the airflow in your air conditioner. As a result, the decreased airflow can cause your condenser coils to freeze, leading to ice buildup and damage to the system.
3) Drainage System
Bacteria can build up in the drainage system of your AC unit, causing mold and mildew to form. When this happens, you will notice musty smells coming from your vents. Debris can also college in the line preventing it from draining properly. During a routine cleaning, an HVAC technician can inspect your drainage lines to ensure they are free of any obstructions and don’t have any signs of mold, mildew, or algae.
4) Ductwork
Dust, pollen, and other debris can collect in AC ductwork, particularly in areas with high pollution or homes with pets. Sometimes, odors may indicate problems with ducts requiring cleaning. But, in other instances, there are no signs of a reduction in air quality caused by dirty ducts that can trigger allergies and other illnesses. Generally, air ducts should be cleaned by a professional once every three to five years.
In addition to these spring cleaning AC tips, several other steps should be included in a maintenance checkup of your AC system to ensure it’s running correctly. Those steps include the following:
5) Checking Refrigerant Levels
The refrigerant in your AC unit absorbs heat from the air that cools your home. Therefore, if the refrigerant level is low, that will impact your unit’s ability to function.
6) Replacing the Air Filter
Dirty air filters can also reduce the efficiency of your air conditioner. They are essential in ensuring you have a clean air conditioner in the spring and help ensure your air conditioner is working up to its capacity. An air filter clogged with dust and debris can restrict the airflow into your HVAC system and cause it to work harder. Additionally, dirty air filters can allow allergens to enter your home and reduce indoor air quality.
Contact Us for Your Spring Air Conditioner Cleaning
Heating and cooling units are complex systems that can be dangerous to work on because they are often connected to gas and power lines. Cleaning your AC in the spring without the right know-how can cause injury to homeowners and damage to the system.
Ensuring your air conditioning system is clean and works properly is a job for a trained professional with the right tools and knowledge to perform HVAC maintenance quickly and safely. In cases where you have a total system failure, we can also provide air conditioner replacement in New Haven. But keeping up with annual maintenance can help you avoid major problems.
Contact Air Specialties today to handle these spring cleaning AC tips for you and ensure that you have a clean air conditioner ready for spring!
