Maintaining And Cleaning Your Air Conditioner

In the hot months of summer, your air conditioning unit is one of your most valuable possessions

. You should treat it accordingly. In order for the system to work properly, it needs to be properly cleaned and maintained. Here is some information about how the system works as well as instructions on how to clean the evaporator coil.

There are two distinct parts to a central air conditioner. These are the evaporator and the condenser. The evaporator coil is located in the main duct junction (or plenum) above the furnace. The condenser unit is usually on a concrete slab outside the house. Most central air conditioning systems are connected to the forced-air distribution structure inside the home. This distribution system is also used to heat the home; consequently, the same ductwork, blower, and motor are used to distribute both the cool air and the hot air. When the air conditioner is working, hot air in the house is pulled through the return-air duct and taken to the furnace. The blower moves it across the evaporator coil in the plenum; the coil cools the air, which is then returned through the ducts to cool the house.

If the air conditioner is working but the house isn't cooling down, there is likely a problem with the distribution system. You can help the system work at its peak by cleaning and maintaining all of the components. In fact, central air conditioners should be checked and cleaned before the beginning of the cooling season. The evaporator and condenser are both sealed, so you'll need to call a professional to do the maintenance on these. However, you can do the cleaning yourself. Just remember to turn off the power to the system (including the condenser and evaporator assembly) before doing any work on it.

You can clean the evaporator if the front of the plenum has foil-wrapped insulation. You can't if the evaporator is not readily accessible or if the plenum is a sealed metal box. Assuming you can clean it, here's what to do. First, remove the foil insulation to reveal the access plate. Remove the screws and lift off the plate. Using a stiff brush and a hand mirror, clean the underside of the evaporator. If you can't reach all the way back or see what you're doing even with the mirror, you can slide the evaporator out a little bit. Clean the tray below the unit and pour in some bleach to prevent mold growth. Then put everything back together.

by: Art Gib

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