We recently had a scare with our central AC which turned out to be an electrical panel problem instead. But it got me thinking. I don’t do anything to maintain the system, other than change the filter regularly.
What do you, as a homeowner, do to maintain your own central air? If you were poor, and couldn’t pay someone to give your system regular preventative maintenance, what would you do to keep things running smoothly?
Thanks.
Replies
Read the owner's manual. Aside from changing the filter regularly, about all you can do is keep the condenser fins clean and maybe (if the manual says so) oil the fan motor.
Some suggest cleaning the A coil every 1-2 years, but in many units the A coil is inaccessible.
Otherwise, get the pressures/temps checked every 5 years or so, or when it seems to be getting sickly.
Thanks.
Wish the previous owner had left the owner's manual for us. Maybe I can find it somewhere online.
Yeah, a lot of mfgrs keep their manuals online now. Saves them a lot of nuisance calls.
Ditto Dan. We called in a tech after 9-10 yrs and had the system checked and the freon topped off. Also took apart one of the side panels and sprayed coil cleaner on the a-coil. Keep the filters changed frequently and you should be ok.
And once in a while, clean oput the condensate drain line. I stick my compressor hose in the end and wrap a towel around it, then give it several shots of 100 psi air ... you would not believe the mess that comes out. Actrually, I put a section of plastic hose on the end so the air oputlet is below the point where the condensdate line comes in from the drip pan ... otherwise you will blow air back into the pan and make a mess.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Edited 8/15/2005 2:42 pm ET by FastEddie