Maintaining your air conditioner

Keeping your central air conditioner in top shape with regular maintenance won’t just keep you cool in the summer, it can help lower your electric bill. A clean and well-maintained air conditioner uses less energy as it cools your home.

Maintaining your air conditioner properly also helps the environment. Using less electrical energy helps reduce carbon emissions from electric power plants that use natural gas to generate electricity.

Here are the maintenance steps you can take to keep your air conditioner working smoothly and efficiently all summer long.

Change the air filter

Replacing the air filter regularly is essential to the smooth operation of your heating and cooling system.

Dirty air filters leave particles like dust, mites, pollen and pet dander in the air, which reduces air quality in your home. Dirty air filters also make your cooling system work harder to move air, which raises energy bills and shortens the system's life.

Changing the AC air filter regularly is an essential maintenance step that’s often missed by many homeowners. Set a recurring reminder on your smart phone will help you remember this step if you’ve been missing it.

Pour bleach or vinegar down the condensate drain vent

Many central air conditioners have a condensate drain pipe that carries water collected by the evaporator during cooling to the outside of your home. If that drain pipe gets clogged with mold, algae, snails or bugs, the condensate water will back up in the drain pipe and trip a float switch near the inside unit. The system will shut off when that float switch detects a clogged condensate drain.

Pour a cup of liquid bleach or vinegar down the condensate drain vent tube every month to keep the drain pipe clear. The bleach or vinegar kills mold and mildew that can build up inside the drain pipe and hose. To keep from killing the grass in your yard, stick a pan under the drain hose outside to catch the bleach as it runs out. And always remember to protect your eyes and skin when handling bleach and other harsh chemicals. You can get in the habit of doing this at the same time you change your air filter.

Keep plants and shrubs away from condenser coils

Don’t let vegetation creep in on your outside condenser unit. For good airflow, you’ll need to keep at least 2 feet of clearance on all sides of the condenser. Trim or remove any plants, shrubs or grass that grow too close to the condenser unit.

Keeping the condenser unit clear helps the condenser coils cool down the refrigerant before it enters the evaporator and expands to cool the air in your home. The AC unit cools more efficiently when the condenser coils cool the refrigerant down effectively.

Clean the condenser cooling fins

During summer, clean the condenser fins every month to keep cooling air flowing through the condenser coils. This short video shows how to clean the condenser coil fins.