Mistakes To Avoid When Performing Your Own Air Conditioning Repairs And Maintenance

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Having the right heating and cooling system in a home or business can have a huge impact on the energy costs associated with HVAC systems. Units that are too large or too small are unable to properly heat or cool a building at maximum efficiency. Hello, my name is Roland, and if you're interested in learning everything you can about HVAC systems, you'll find the information you need in this blog. I belong to an environmental organization that helps homeowners and business owners learn how to reduce their energy costs. Our organization helps people save money on their energy bills, and while doing so, this also helps the planet. I've written this blog to help others learn about HVAC systems and how qualified HVAC contractors can help them save money and help the environment.

Mistakes To Avoid When Performing Your Own Air Conditioning Repairs And Maintenance

13 August 2018
 Categories: , Blog

When performing air conditioning repairs, you can make mistakes that may end up costing you more money if you aren't sure what you're doing. Even a simple task such as cleaning your air conditioner could end up as an expensive disaster if you make a mistake. Read on for some mistakes to avoid when performing your own air conditioning repairs and maintenance.

1. Shorting Out Your Condensing Unit While Cleaning

If you're spraying your condensing unit to clean it out, you could short out your unit if you spray the electrical compartment with water. This is one part of your unit that you should not get wet. If you short out your unit, you could trip the breaker and cause further damage to the unit. When cleaning the unit, spray it from the inside out and avoid any of the electrical components inside the unit.

2. Bending The Fins

If you are cleaning the unit and you spray it with a harsh spray such as with a pressure washer, you could end up with bent fins. If the fins are bent too much, it may block the airflow to your unit. Attempting to bend the fins back into place could cause further damage. Spray the unit with a garden hose, not a pressure washer. If the fins are bent, hire a professional company to have them bent back into place or replace the unit altogether if they are too damaged.

3. Replacing The Air Filter The Wrong Direction

If you are replacing your air filter and you put it in the wrong way, you could end up with a torn air filter and the pieces of air filter may end up in your fan. Be sure to insert the air filter in the proper direction. Double-check that you follow the arrows on the air filter.

4. Forgetting To Turn The Power Off To The Unit

When performing any maintenance or repairs to your air conditioning unit or system, be sure to always turn the power off. There should be a disconnect switch near the unit, or you can turn the power off at the breaker. Not turning the power off could end up causing electrical shock to you. 

If you're tackling the task of performing minor repairs and maintenance on your air conditioning system, be sure to avoid the mistakes listed above. If you aren't sure what you're doing, leave all of the repair and maintenance work to a professional HVAC company to prevent these mistakes and prevent costing you extra money.