You'll need five tools to clean the evaporator coils on your AC unit: a screwdriver, a stiff brush, a large hand mirror, household bleach and wire. Once you have these tools, make sure you know where the evaporator coils are located. You'll find the evaporator for a central air system located directly above the furnace in the plenum (main duct). Your AC unit may have a plenum that is sealed shut. If so, don't try to open it; it means you don't have an AC unit you can clean yourself. Assuming you can open your AC unit's plenum, the first thing you want to do is remove the foil-wrapped insulation at the front of the plenum. This insulation is likely taped in place, so remove this tape carefully. You will have to put it all back. Behind the insulation is an access plate. Take your screwdriver and remove the screws holding the plate in place. Once the screws are out, remove the access plate. How to Remove Glue Spots How to Remove Contact Cement Spots How to Remove Dirt and Mud Stains

Now you should see the evaporator itself. Some can be slid out a bit, even if they have rigid pipes, but be careful as you do so. Use the stiff brush and hand mirror to clean out the underside of the evaporator unit. You'll also want to clean out the tray that sits below the evaporator. The tray is there to carry away condensation from the evaporator. Take one tablespoon of bleach and pour into the weep hole to prevent fungus growth. If the tray has a lot of moisture, it could be due to a blockage in the drain line that connects the weep hole to the tray. If that's the case, you can open up the drain line by pushing a wire through it. Once the cleaning has been done, push the evaporator back into place if you've moved it and screw in the access plate. Then you need to re-tape the insulation back over the plenum.A Quick Guide To The Parts That Make Up Your Air Conditioner If you’ve gotten a quote for installing a new central air conditioning unit recently, you might have been a bit confused by the lingo that was used to name the different parts of the system.

What does a condenser and coil have to do with anything? You just wanted a quote on a new ac unit right? Let me shed a little light on the terms that describe each of the components that make up your air conditioning system.air compressor for home ac unit That round’ish piece of equipment that sits outside on the ground that everyone refers to as their air conditioner is technically referred to as a condenser. mini ac/heat unitYou’ll also hear it called the ‘outside unit’ as well. new hvac unit tax creditPart of your condenser is called a coil, or condenser coil, not to be confused with the evaporator coil that is inside your home attached to the furnace. This is the piece of your air conditioning system that most people never see.

It’s contained in a metal box called a plenum, and sits on top of your furnace. If you have a horizontal furnace in an attic, the evaporator coil will sit on one end of the furnace instead of on top. The ‘inside unit’ or ‘indoor coil’ are other common names that are used when talking about your evaporator coil. Lineset refers to the copper refrigerant lines that run from your condenser (the outside unit) to your evaporator coil. It’s very common for people to make the mistake of calling their outside unit the compressor instead of the condenser. A compressor is actually a big component that sits inside the condenser (the outside unit). The plenum is the metal box that sits on top of your furnace and houses the evaporator coil. The condensate drain is the white plastic (PVC) pipe that runs from your evaporator coil to the drain in your floor, or to the condensate pump that was installed if you don’t have a floor drain. This pipe allows the condensate (moisture) that the evaporator coil produces to be drained out of the plenum.

I get questions about the names for these air conditioner components all the time, so hopefully this helps clear up any confusion as to what the different parts are called. I’ll post another article explaining what each of these components do for those of you who want to dazzle your friends with your detailed knowledge of how air conditioning actually works.Cleaning condenser coils on your outdoor AC unit will not only help the unit cool more efficiently, but it will also cut down on the power consumption of your AC.  It is important to clean the coils early in the year, before the AC unit is needed for the summer.The outdoor condenser coil of your air conditioner performs a tough job in warm weather. It takes the concentrated heat collected from your home and dumps it into the hot outdoor air. To get rid of the collected heat, your outdoor condenser coil has to move a lot of air. If the coil is dirty or if plants or other objects are too close to the conditioner unit, the fan in the outdoor coil can’t move as much air as required for good performance and efficiency.

This raises your electricity cost for air conditioning and may shorten the life of the outdoor condensing unit.Around the outdoor condensing unit of the air conditioner, remove plants and other debris from within 3 feet of the unit in all directions.Make sure the air’s upward path from the unit is unrestricted for at least 5 feet.If your outdoor unit is installed under a deck or if someone built a trellis or some other structure above it, either move that structure or hire an air-conditioning contractor to move the outdoor unit.Most condenser coils are loaded with pollen and dust even when you can’t see it.  If your cooling season is 4 months or more, annual cleaning is an excellent idea. Do not wait longer than 2 years before cleaning condenser coils, and if your summers are long, cleaning more than once a year may be necessary.Simply restore the power to your AC unit and you’ll have a much smoother running air conditioner.If you find that there are too many bent fins, or if the AC unit is extremely dirty, you should call a local professional to service and clean it.