Monday, June 7, 2021

Inspect Your Air Conditioner Before Hot Weather Arrives!

 The fins on your air conditioner condenser are out-of-sight-out-of-mind, but you can save yourself some money and trouble if you inspect and clean them yourself. Turn Off The Breaker! Don't use any sharp objects. Use very soft brushes so you don't damage the fins. Use 1/4" drive sockets to run the screws, not a screwdriver! Remember to turn off the breaker! Maybe tape it in position while you are working. Watch out for wasps. You got this!


2 comments:

Tsquared said...

I cleaned the coils a week ago. With the system off I removed the outer panels to clean out the debris that had accumulated in the bottom. I use a mixture of 1 cup vinegar, 1 cup alcohol, and 3-4 tablespoons baking soda and brush it in with a paint brush. This gets rid of most crud. I do the same for the coils inside. The 16x25x5 filter was the wrong size. Apparently there is a shorter/wider version of that filter. It took a week to find the correct size.

FYI: If you fan motor just hums and will not spin up the start or is slow to start, the capacitor is bad or going bad. The AC repairman charges a service call, at least $75, and $80-100 for the capacitor. I bought mine on-line for $32 shipped last year.

Rickvid in the Yakima Valley said...

You really can do a lot of repair and maintenance on your own if you have confidence and some tools. And also access to the font of all knowledge and wisdom YouTube. One time my water heater stopped working. Did a little research and discovered that it was probably the thermo couple. So I just watched 1 or 2 videos on how to replace a thermocouple, did some research, found a near by supply store and replaced the thermal couple myself. No fuss no muss and it has worked for years ever since. On good old YouTube.