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Maintaining your system
CAUTION: Make sure
that electrical power to the outdoor unit and the furnace/air
handler is disconnected before doing any recommended
maintenance.
| Regularly: |
|
a. |
Clean or replace
the indoor air filter at the start of the cooling
season, or when an accumulation of dust and dirt is
visible on the air filter. |
|
b. |
Remove any leaves and grass
clippings from the coil on the outdoor unit. Be
careful not to damage the fins. A water hose can be
helpful in cleaning mud and other collections on the
outdoor coil. |
|
c. |
Make sure the
outdoor unit remains level. Erosion or ground
shifting can cause the outdoor unit to be uneven or
to pull away from the house and damage refrigerant
lines, electrical connections or the condensing
unit. Re – level the unit/pad if this happens. |
Consider a Maintenance Agreement from a service professional.
(See dealer list for recommendation in your area.) Maintenance
agreements should include the following:
|
1. |
Clean outdoor condenser coil. |
| 2. |
Visual inspection of air handler/furnace and
condensing unit. |
|
3. |
Check system refrigerant
pressures and adjust as necessary. |
| 4. |
Check and clean or replace filters. |
|
5. |
Check and treat drain pans and
lines. |
| 6. |
Oil motors as necessary. |
|
7. |
Check wiring and electrical
connections. |
| 8. |
Check running amps on all motors. |
|
9. |
Check all thermostat (and
humidistat, if installed) operations. |
|
10. |
Check heating system (in season). |
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11. |
Clean and adjust any safety
controls. |
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12. |
Immediately report specific problems to
owner with estimated repair costs. |
Usually, a service maintenance agreement includes cooling and
heating seasonal check ups. Be sure to get details about what is
included, about discounts for regular service calls and about
the availability and cost for 24-hour service.
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