brent Report post Posted February 23, 2016 I am new to owning a home and I am wondering if annual maintenance is necessary for the heating and cooling units? If yes, is it something that I can do myself, or if not, are there any CW members in that industry? Everything is working well and I would like to keep it that way. Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Browns Report post Posted February 23, 2016 All I do is make sure we change our air filters several times a year. We also have a home warranty that covers our Air conditioner in case of any issues. The warranty has saved our butts a few times. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snapshot Report post Posted February 23, 2016 Keeping the coils clean is good for max cooling efficiency. They are located behind the blower unit, which sometimes has to be removed to access them. Youtube has many "how to" videos to show you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DesertBull Report post Posted February 24, 2016 Don't pay for the "tune up" you will advertised continuously starting soon. Rip off. Cleans your coils, indoor and out, get good filters but you don't need the real expensive ones, don't jack around with your t-stat. Set it at a comfortable temp and leave it alone. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snapshot Report post Posted February 24, 2016 A quality digital thermostat is a good investment. I've installed many of them, and they only take about 15 minutes to install. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AZ8 Report post Posted February 24, 2016 What's the best stuff to use to clean the indoor coils up in the attic? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snapshot Report post Posted February 24, 2016 Use a spray can of coil cleaner to clean the coils. Use a spray bottle of clean water to flush the coils off, after the cleaner sits on them for 15 minutes or so.The condensation drip pan will catch all the liquids. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hoss50 Report post Posted February 24, 2016 Yes, service your a/c at least before summer hits. Change the filters regularly (1-2 months). A good tech who will do a good inspection can save you alot of time and money if they do a full inspection. They should be checking capacitors, contactors, compressor amp draw, cleaning coils, fan amp draws, etc. A $3 capacitor can keep your air from running when you need it most. A simple check with a meter with capacitance can check for a weak cap. Finding a good tech that is fair priced and trustworthy is the hard part. What side of town are you on? I am an a/c wholesaler so I may be able to recommend a good tech for you. Harley 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hoss50 Report post Posted February 24, 2016 Also, get a good programmable thermostat and set it up correctly. It can save you a ton of money and reduce the strain on your air conditioner if you set it up right. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
More D Report post Posted February 24, 2016 An initial cleaning of the coils might be need or not.Check them yourself. As said before change filters monthly. Use the blue fiber glass ones from Ace Hardware. Stay away from the Thick 3M and the like. They are too restrictive and can make your A/C run longer, harder. Ads for $30-100 pre-summer tune ups are worthless. Less than honest companies use them to get in the door to push UNNECESSARY parts, services and "service contracts". Most bad compressors are not bad at all. They are $3-20 relays. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hoss50 Report post Posted February 24, 2016 More D speaks the truth. My moto when calling an AC company is if you have ever seen there commercial, heard there radio add, or seen there billboard DON'T CALL THEM. You are probably going to get taken for a ride. Don't buy the ultra cheap 1/8" thick fiberglass filters, but get the ones that are about 3/4" thick fiberglass weave. I would only run the heavier pleated style filters if your return is very oversized or you have severe allergies and are trying to keep the allergens down. If you run pleated filters you better be religious about switching them out every 3-6 weeks depending on how much the unit is running and how dirty they are. The extra static created by the thicker filters and dirty filters is hard on your blower motors and unit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azelkhunter2 Report post Posted February 24, 2016 Hoss sent u a pm.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Viper Report post Posted February 24, 2016 So...the 3M filters are no good? I run the one in the red package. I think it's their mid-performance filter....about $10 each. What is really irritating is the markup on parts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hoss50 Report post Posted February 24, 2016 It is not that they are not good, but if you don't change them regularly they plug up faster and you will be working your AC harder then you should. A badly plugged filter is very hard on your blower motor and other associated parts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cbryant11 Report post Posted February 25, 2016 So if your gonna use the fiberglass filter just save your money and dont use a filter at all. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
