Maintenance is always the best way to prolong the life of your air conditioning. Preventative a/c maintenance catches parts before they break, keeps air flowing throughout the system, and reduces expensive repairs. Replacing your indoor air filter might be on your quarterly to-do list and you may already schedule an annual cleaning of your outdoor condenser, and these are great steps. Here are three ways to protect your condenser between scheduled maintenance.
Keep plants away from the sides.
Even free-standing shrubs will start to curl around any available surface. The grilles on the sides of your condenser unit look just like a trellis to grass, hedges, and climbing weeds. Whenever you trim the edges of your yard, cut back any new growth. You can also border your condenser’s concrete base with pebbles and gravel to dissuade plants altogether.
Check for signs of critters and pests.
Condenser units pump air outside. Even in the summer, animals and pests want warm, enclosed spaces to build their dens and nests. Not only can these pests expand cracks and openings around the unit for easy access, they impede airflow and can break the parts inside. Check for signs of animals and insects so you can close up holes or set traps.
Listen to it once a month.
Air conditioners will usually let you know when something is wrong. They’ll squeak, crunch, or start to rumble more often normal. Noticing these noises is sometimes difficult, especially if the issue is faster heating cycles or the absence of noise. So consciously listen to your condenser unit once a month. If you spend summer evenings on your back patio, that’s even better: the summer months are harder on your unit, so listening in more often gives you faster notice.
A few DIY precautions can keep damage away from your outdoor unit. If you need more serious maintenance, go to Tri County Air Care for advice and repairs.