We’ve written before about some of the maintenance jobs that you can do on your own over the summer to take the best care of you air conditioning system. The most important is to always schedule a professional inspection and tune-up for it during the spring. Another is to regularly change the air filters to prevent clogging from harming the air conditioner’s energy efficiency. In this post, we’re going to address another job for the summer that will protect and benefit your AC: keeping the outside condenser clear of debris.
Why this is important
It’s easy to forget about the outside cabinet of the air conditioner. Why? Because it’s outside! But the condenser does an important job for the AC, which is to draw warm outdoor air across the condenser coil, causing condensation to happen and heat to be released. The condenser fan handles the job of drawing in air and venting out heat. If the fan cannot draw in sufficient air, it can cause the system to stay too hot, which will drastically reduce the air conditioner’s performance. Any debris that gets into the cabinet can end up damaging the fan or putting a layer of grime along the coil, making it much less effective.
How to keep the area clear
There should be at least a foot clear on all sides of the condenser’s cabinet, although we recommend two feet for safety. Remove leaves, rocks, and mulch from this area; mulch is especially a problem for the condenser. Trim back any shrubs and trees that might grow to close, as well as root up weeds. Plants are the biggest problem, since they will grow back over the summer. Make a monthly check to see if you need to do trimming to keep the condenser cabinet clear.
Call the Doctor of Comfort when you need air conditioning repair! Hall’s Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration serves Shreveport, LA and the surrounding areas.
