A/C Spring Cleaning Air Conditioner Tune-up

By Dave Trosdahl on April 10th, 2008

At Duct-911.com, we would love nothing more than to be able to help you save energy and save money by lower your heating and cooling costs while still helping you maintain a cool climate inside your home this summer.

A/C Spring Cleaning

When thinking about your furnace or air conditioner it is important to under stand that most central air conditioners have three basic parts:

1. Compressor/Condenser – This is the outdoor unit that sits next to your home
2. Evaporator/A-coil – an indoor unit which is located in the plenum (the duct work above your furnace).
3. Duct work and air vents

If you have a heat pump instead of a furnace, the indoor unit will be in the air handler.

In order for a heating and cooling system to operate effectively, all three components must be cleaned. Unfortunately, they don’t all get dirty at the same rate. that’s why it is important to always have the heating/cooling system thoroughly inspected annually as recommended by ALL furnace manufacturers.

Duct Cleaning is the first item on the list

If it’s lower utility bills you are after and an a/c system that operates at it’s full potential – clean the air ducts! If your duct work is full of dust, dirt and debris it won’t be able to effectively move the cool air through your air ducts in an efficient manner. Remember, your air conditioning system was never designed to operate with dust and dirt in the equation. So, think duct cleaning.

Second clean the out door a/c unit (compressor or condenser)

Last year, all summer long, grass clippings, leaves, dust and dirt were drawn by the fan on the a/c unit and became lodged in the cooling fins. We will disassemble the a/c condenser and clean the crud out of the fins. We will also inspect the system to ensure it is operating correctly.

Lastly, the indoor unit should be cleaned (aka. evaporator or a-coil)

The a-coil is one of those “out-of-sight-out-of-mind” things that homeowners rarely see until it’s too late. It is hidden inside your air ducts and is shaped like an “A”. whether it is your furnace or air conditioner, warm or cold air is blown from underneath the a-coil and it passes through the fins. In the summer the a-coil is ice cold and the air that passes through it exits the other side as cold air. Over time the evaporator becomes clogged with dust and it takes more and more energy to cool your home. At Duct-911.com, our technicians are equipped with special tools to clean the a-coil without disconnecting it from the a/c system.

So to re-cap, if you want to save energy and save money this summer and enjoy a cool air conditioned house, consider these three routine chores:

1. Duct Cleaning (vent cleaning)
2. A/C Cleaning (compressor/condenser)
3. A-Coil Cleaning (evaporator)

Ready to get on the schedule? Click on the “Schedule Duct Cleaning Now“ button or give us a call at: 877-DUCT-911. We look forward to hearing from you.