• HVAC MAINTENANCE - DIY

    When it involves keeping the HVAC system maintained and running well, people that are keen to urge it done themselves can read here about how they will get the foremost out of their HVAC and AC systems without needlessly calling over the experts.

    Here are some HVAC maintenance tips that you simply can use.

    Cleaning the external unit (Condenser and Compressor)
    The condenser is one among the foremost critical parts of the air conditioning system, and you would like to stay an eye fixed thereon for faults and mishaps. The condenser is usually found outside, but counting on the sort it also can be located within the garage or attic. it always has copper tubes, which are sometimes covered by a foam layer, running from it to your house. It works by the method of warmth transfer, cooling the air blown inside and drawing warm air out from inside the house. you would like to run a daily air con service schedule to stay it in top condition.

    Step 1 – Power Off The Unit/Mains
    You need to form sure that power isn't running through the unit once you are getting to clean it. you'll get this done either by removing the breaker/block or by moving the switch to the off position. If you think that that's hard to try to to , you'll also close up power to the air conditioning condenser at the most electrical panel.

    Step 2 – Clear debris and areas round the unit
    The condenser fins are where most of the debris will grind to a halt , and you would like to carefully clean this away. Ideally, you'll use a rough paint brush to get rid of the debris that's easy to dislodge. After this, you'll clean the finer debris together with your vacuum and therefore the brush attachment. you furthermore may got to keep the world surrounding the condenser free from plant growth or other objects a minimum of a 2 ft radius round the unit.

    Step 3 – Clean And Straighten the air conditioning Fins
    Sometimes fins accumulate tons of gunk and dirt which aren't easily removed with a brush. Instead, try using an old dinner knife to effectively scrape any stuck on debris between the fins, and to reshape any fins that are bent.

    Step 4 – Cleaning the Condenser Fan
    This is also a neighborhood where tons of dust and debris can accumulate over time and it must be cleaned at regular intervals. There are chances for leaves also to urge stuck here. the simplest thanks to catch on cleaned is by wiping it down with a humid cloth then letting it dry within the sun.

    Step 5 – Cleaning Fins Inside Out
    The easiest method to wash the fins is by spraying water with a hose or maybe better, equipped with a hose nozzle. This removes tons of dirt that wouldn’t are dislodged with earlier methods. you would like to require care that you simply don’t get water on the fan motor. If your fan motor doesn’t accompany sealed bearings, then you'll check your fans lubrication also . a couple of drops of electrical gasoline (don’t use other oils) should do nicely.

    Cleaning the interior unit (Evaporator and Blower)
    The evaporator unit installed indoors is what heats or cools the air inside your house. It works with the air conditioning or the warmth pump to stay the interior temperature comfortable. Evaporator coils get dirty over time which affects the speed at which it cools or heats the house. they have to be cleaned regularly so there are not any drops in efficiency.

    Step 1 – Clean the Evaporator Coil
    The evaporator coil door is typically found inside the blower/furnace unit and tons of dust and debris get accumulated. you'll use a soft brush to urge dust out of the thanks to start with then spray it with a no-rinse coil cleaner – this liquid will help get obviate deposits and other gunk off the coil and improve its efficiency. you'll also use mild detergents and water to urge obviate the dirt between the coils.

    Step 2 – Clean the Evaporator Drain
    Sometimes the evaporator drain gets clogged thanks to the buildup of algae and mold, and it must be unplugged. A clogged drain can cause flooding which damages the ground or if equipped with a drain float, causes the unit to cease functioning until it's drained of water. Clogging also can cause a nasty odor to emanate from the unit. The drain pipe is typically an inch-wide PVC pipe which either drains inside (sink or utility drain) or outside (near the condenser unit). you'll use a wet/dry vacuum to urge obviate debris within the evaporator drain.

    Step 3 – Change Blower Filter
    Changing your blower filter are some things that's hooked in to where you reside . Dusty environments necessitate a further change of filters. Your HVAC system blower filter must be changed out a minimum of twice a year. And ideally, this could be just before the “heating” season starts then once more , right before the “cooling” season. Something you would like to seem at is that the airflow rating of the prevailing filter and therefore the new filter element should match. The filter is typically found within the enclosure at the top of the fresh air return duct. Removing this from the enclosure is straightforward .

    If you’re through with all the steps above, your HVAC and AC unit should be tons cleaner and simpler at controlling the temperature. you'll now activate the facility and test if it's working correctly.