During the summer, there is an increase in repairs as air conditioners work overtime in an attempt to stay cool. Central air conditioners contain two separate components -- the condenser and the evaporator. You can usually find the condenser on the outside of your house sitting atop a concrete block. The evaporator is a coil that is mounted above the furnace in your main air conditioning unit. If either of these components is not working correctly, you'll need to call a professional for repair. However, there are still several things you can do to diagnose and repair your unit if it's not operating correctly.

Cleaning the Unit

Making sure the unit is clean can help you save money and keep your conditioner running well into the summer. Before you do any work, make sure you cut the power to the unit. If your unit has an exposed plenum, you can clean it yourself. Otherwise, if it's inside of a sealed sheet metal box, don't go anywhere near it. Start by removing the foil insulation at the front of the plenum. You may need to remove the tape holding it in place. Don't destroy the tape, because you'll need to replace it. Use a stiff brush to clean the evaporator, and then clean the tray below the unit. This tray carries condensation away from the evaporator. You can also pour 1/2 tablespoon of bleach into the weep hole to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold.

Check the area around your condenser. If there are any weeds, grass or vines, cut them away so they don't obstruct airflow. Use a commercial coil cleaner to clean out the condenser. Follow the instructions on the cleaner to flush out the coil, but do not use a hose. Let the coil dry naturally. The fins on the condenser can be cleaned with a soft brush, but you'll need to remove the grille to access the fins. Be very careful, since these fins are made of aluminum and can be damaged easily. Finally, make sure the unit is level. Make adjustments to the unit until it is level to help keep it running optimally.

Avoid a Freeze Up

Air conditioners freeze up when the pipes are working overtime and become frozen. It sounds obvious, but there are certain precautions you can take to prevent this from happening. Before it gets hot, have your AC check for the proper levels of refrigerant. Low levels can cause your unit to freeze. While you're at it, have a professional check for any leaks.

Make sure the air filters in your home are changed regularly. Dirty air filters restrict air flow can can cause humidity to collect and pool around the coils. Undersized ducts are another problem. This is why you need the right size unit for your home. Getting a unit that is too large may seem like a good idea, but if it's too powerful, it can cause problems.

Don't run the air conditioner on days when the temperature drops below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. This can cause your unit to freeze up. If you want to keep the filtration going in your home, then use the fan option on your units. This will also reduce the level of humidity in your house, which in many cases is all you need to feel cool.

Charlie Teschner started MESA Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling in 1982. Charlie has a journeyman and master plumber’s license. He was raised with a strong work ethic and he now applies those values to tasks such as Longmont, CO heating repair.

When it is working correctly, the AC unit is one of the most overlooked home appliances, but when it is broke, well then it becomes the number one concern, especially if you live in the hotter climates like Florida, Texas, or any other southern heat magnet. There are only a few maintenance issues that the average homeowner can manage on their own, those mainly being the AC filter and the often overlooked drain line. Filters will be discussed in a different article, for this article the attention will be focused on prevention of clogging in the AC drain line.

Where it is and what it does

AC systems vary in style and type, but they are all designed with the same basic functional characteristics. The basic premise of air conditioning units is to remove the moisture from the air, thus making the homeowner feel cooler. To remove moisture from the air means that parts of your AC unit are going to gather water and that very same water has to go somewhere. While there are different parts of the AC unit that may have condensation, the Air Handler is the part of the AC unit that condensates enough to warrant the installation of a drainage system that collects the water and discharges it through a sewer line, often made of PVC pipe. Most homeowners who have walked their property and seen their AC unit outside have noticed the PVC pipe that is always dripping water as the unit runs. This pipe is the AC drain line. Accurately identifying the drain line is the first step to performing any maintenance on it.

When is maintenance necessary?

Most people do not perform maintenance on their AC units until they stop working. The first recommendation for any maintenance on an AC system is to call a certified and licensed technician. For Orlando area residents, I highly recommend going to www.facemyeracorlando.com to find that technician. Before that call is made, take a quick peek at your system to make sure the call is necessary. The AC drain line in modern systems is equipped with a kill switch that is activated when water backs up and triggers the sensor. By simply going outside and inspecting the drain line for problems, you may be able to get your AC system going again. If you look at the drain line and notice that the area around the drain is excessively dry then you may have a clogged pipe.

How to prevent your line from clogging?

Regular maintenance on the AC system is vital. The central air unit of a home is a big complicated system integrated with highly dangerous electrical parts and sophisticated refrigeration components. The best way to keep it in excellent condition is to perform maintenance twice a year in addition to regularly changing the AC filter. Part of that maintenance should include cleaning the drain pipe. The most common offender in clogging the pipe is the excessive buildup of algae combined with dust and moisture forming blockage inside the line. As with most fungus, flushing with a simple bleach solution or vinegar mixed with a little water will do the trick. If you want to make a small investment, there are algae prevention tablets that you can line the base of the collection pan with that will inhibit the growth of algae before the water starts to travel down the AC drain line. Keeping your filter changed will prevent excess moisture from collecting that also prevents the spread of algae as well.

Most homeowners are happy to save money and who wants to pay someone a service call fee when he or she can solve the problems themselves? If the line is already clogged you may have to borrow or purchase a wet vac if you don’t already have one so you can vacuum out the clogged debris from the bottom of the drain line. Another option is to blow compressed air through the top side of the drain line and force the clog out with air pressure. Whatever method you use, they are all relatively easy and could potentially save you big money and keep you cool while doing it. Like they say in the medical field though, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So, keep it clean!

The author, Ray Donato, is studying to become an electrical engineer at Valencia College in Orlando. To help supplement his income, he writes articles such as these on a number of topics related to his field of study including home maintenance of electrical appliances.