Battling the summer heat: How to keep your AC clean and running smoothly

PHILADELPHIA - When air conditioners get dirty, they may not cool your home as well, and they may run more - which will use more energy and cost you more money!

To keep your air conditioner running at peak performance, the United States Department of Energy recommends doing regular maintenance on your window unit or home cooling unit. 

Here’s what they recommend: 

Clean or change your air conditioner filer regularly.   

According to the Department of Energy, "Replacing a dirty, clogged filter with a clean one can lower your air conditioner's energy [use] by 5% to 15%." 

If you have a window unit, look for the filter in the part of the AC inside your home.  The filter is often right behind the inside grill and easy to remove.  Depending on the unit, you’ll wash the filter or replace it. 

For an AC unit that cools your whole home, the Department of Energy recommends changing the filter every month or two during the summer.

Keep the outside of your air conditioner unit clean. 

Home ac units usually have a big metal unit outside with coils and metal fins.  This part of the air conditioner can collect leaves, dirt, and grass clippings. 

"This dirt reduces airflow and insulates the coil, reducing its ability to absorb heat," so your AC won’t work as well says the Department of Energy. 

The outside of the unit will often get sprayed with grass clippings and collect dirt and pollen, as well.

You can often clean this outside unit, when it’s off, by hosing it down from top to bottom. 

If your hose doesn’t reach, using an outside vacuum like a wet vac is an option, but that doesn’t always work well because of the protective grate around the unit. 

By the way, there should be plenty of space around that outside unit.  Make sure plants are at least 2 feet away. 

You can also clean dust and dirt from the outside part of your window AC, if it’s easy to remove the unit.  

Keep your condensation pump clean. 

Have you ever been walking and some drops of water from a window ac hit your head? 

Air conditioners produce condensation as they cool, which produce drops of liquid. 

Inside units will have a pipe to take this liquid outside or to a sewer line. To do this, some homes have a condensation pump. 

These pumps often let the water collect to a certain amount before pumping it away. 

If the water sits for a while, it can get very nasty. 

There can be a collection of bacteria, algae, mildew, dirt, and grime, which can lead to clogs in the pump or air conditioner pipes.

If the inside of your condensate pump is dirty, clean it.  To keep it clean, home cooling experts recommend adding some vinegar or bleach to the water reservoir once a year. 

Contact an Air Conditioner Expert 

Every home and window air conditioner is different, so these tips don’t apply to everyone. 

The best starting place for maintaining your air conditioner is talking to an expert.  That person can recommend what you should do to keep your air conditioner components perfectly working each year.