4 Tips to Maintain Your Air Conditioning Unit

Summer! It’s the favourite season for so many people. It’s BBQ season, camping season and…home maintenance season… Yes! That’s right, you need to set aside time from play season to do some work as well. Maintaining your air conditioner has many benefits including extending the life of your unit, ensuring the best air quality in your home and saving you money on energy bills. Here are 5 easy tips to help you with your air conditioning maintenance.

  1. Change your filters regularly

This is the most important task you can do to ensure optimal efficiency of your unit. It is generally recommended that you change filters every 3-6 months. If you have pets or live in a particularly dusty area, changing filters more often is better.

2. Clean the coils

Overtime dirt, dust and and other pollutants build up around the tightly spaced coils in your air conditioning unit. This can lead to you increased operating temperatures, decreased cooling efficiency and a higher cooling costs. To clean the coils you can use a combination of compressed air and a shop vac. There are also chemical cleaners you can use, but it’s highly recommended you check with the manufacturer to make sure they meet they correct specifications. In the end, you may decide that calling an HVAC professional may be the best way to do get this task done.

3. Remove the debris from your unit

Over the months that your unit is not in use, leaves, dirt and debris will build up on the outside of your air conditioner. This will decrease the systems capacity and reduce its airflow. Sweep away the old leaves and give your unit a quick hose down before you start it up for the season. Trim any shrubs or plants back from around the unit to allow for a free flow of air. You can also watch our video on YouTube to see how our very own, Christina with Sub Zero Technical, maintains her air conditioner.

4. Straighten coil fins

When coil fins get bent they can easily start to block airflow. Straightening those fins is one way to ensure optimal air flow. You can pick up a fin straightening tool at most home improvement stores.

Straighten coil fins for optimal air flow

These are just a few tasks you can do to maintain your air conditioner. With some time and effort your unit will run at its maximum efficiency for many years.

At Sub Zero Technical we provide a bi-yearly maintenance program for your home’s heating and cooling systems. We can take care of all your maintenance needs, so you can always be assured that your unit is working at it’s optimal capacity and even saving you money on heating and cooling costs. Contact us today for more information. Email: info@subzerotechnical.com Phone: 403.252.1715