Tuning Up You’re A/C Unit

Tony Oakman, of Lee’s Heating and Air walks through some simple home steps.

To ensure good dental health, you brush your teeth every day and you see a dentist on a regular basis. Likewise, an air conditioning unit requires regular maintenance by a professional (once a year is probably adequate), but there are also some things you can do every few months to help make sure your air conditioning system is operating efficiently.

As the owner of an air conditioning system, you can save a lot of money by regularly cleaning your air conditioning unit. You wouldn’t use a hair dryer clogged with hair and other materials. It doesn’t operate efficiently and it can overheat. An air conditioning unit is similar in that it needs to be free of lint, cotton, grass and leaves if it’s going to operate at its best.

How an air conditioning unit works.

An air conditioning unit takes in air from the outside, so if the outside of the unit is clogged, the unit can’t operate efficiently. So here’s what you can do to clean your air conditioning system:

1) Turn off the power to the system (many systems have on/off levers)

2) Use a wet/dry vacuum cleaner to remove lint, cotton grass and leaves

3) Use water to wash off any remaining dust and debris caught between the metal fins of the system (Don’t use a high pressure nozzle. It’s best to spray water from the top of the unit down. Point your water source at an angle since the metal fins can be easily bent)

4) After spraying the unit with water, allow 15 minutes to dry and turn the power back on

Pets and air conditioning.

In addition to lint, cotton, grass and leaves, many air conditioning units have been used as urinals by pets. If this is the case with your air conditioner, it may be covered with a white colored residue that almost resembles mold. Obviously this can cause problems for your system and even permanently damage the system. Cleaning the outside can help, but you might want to change your pet’s behavior to eliminate this problem in the future.

While do-it-yourself cleaning can really help, your air conditioning also requires internal maintenance and cleaning on a regular basis. Your air conditioning unit will last half as long if you don’t take care of it. Some units are supposed to be good for many years and then they break and need a new unit installed after three years because of the way it was taken care of.

For a limited time only, we’re offering a $39 air conditioning tune-up. This is a terrific price. Not only will a tune-up make your air conditioning system run better, it will also help extend the life of your system. Also, for a limited time, if you have a new system installed, there are some manufacturer rebates of up to $500 available.

For more information on the $39 AC Tune-up, you can contact Tony at Lee’s Heating and Air at (801)747-LEES (5337) or online at leesheatac.com