Rheem 13 SEER R-410A Condensing Unit

Full of Hot Air

There’s a box outside of your home that you may have noticed. Maybe you only pay attention to it only when it starts and stops whirring, but you may look at it in a different way once you know what it really does for you.

If you have central air conditioning, this is your condensing unit. It’s only one part of your air conditioning system, but a vital one. This box is mainly responsible for removing the heat from your home. In the scorching summer months, it’s your unsung hero. Next time you’re near it while it’s running, put your hand over the top, you’ll feel the heat that would’ve otherwise been in your home making you irritable and uncomfortable. To maintain this more favorable environment, you want to make sure your condenser can do its job to its full potential. The easiest way you, as a home/property owner can do this, is to keep it clean. This may not be in the forefront of your mind as cleaning your clothes or dishes might be, but two days out of the year could be enough to extend your heating and cooling system’s life by several years and keep costly repairs at bay.

What’s in the Box?

Looking at the large unit from the outside, you might be wondering what’s inside it exactly. Is it one big motor? A web of wires and gears? The truth is that the insides aren’t very complicated at all and a condensing unit is made up of only a few parts. Here are the three key components and their functions. To emphasize their importance, also described is what happens when each is taken out of the equation:

Copeland scroll compressor

• Compressor – This is the heart of your air conditioning system. It’s called a compressor because it compresses refrigerant gas under high pressure. This hot, pressurized gas is sent through the condenser coil and cooled down on its way to the indoor unit. Without the constant cycling of refrigerant, there can be no cooling, so a failed compressor is a serious and costly proposition.
  
• Condenser coil – As described above, the condenser coil is responsible for cooling the hot refrigerant gas. If the coil is blocked up, the hot gas cools slower and eventually not at all leading to ineffective cooling indoors.
• Condenser fan – The fan kicks the concentrated heat to the outside. When the heat can’t get out, not only will the cooling process be interrupted, but the other components (like the more expensive compressor) are at risk of failing.

So, as you can see, the condenser’s parts have very repetitive, specific roles and they’re highly interdependent, so providing the conditions that allow each part to perform its role will ensure that the system as a whole keeps you comfortable for years to come.

Step By Step

Out of the three components, the one you will be most able to maintain yourself is the condenser coil. If you can find the time to take a look at your condenser and clean off the coil once or twice a year, you will be doing your A/C system and yourself a huge favor. Below is a simple step by step process of performing some yearly maintenance on your condensing unit.

Closer look at a condenser coil

1. Clear the area (about a 3 ft. radius) around the unit of grass, weeds, sticks and other debris.
2. Remove anything on top of or hanging over the unit that could be obstructing the fan.
3. Turn the unit off and remove the cover.
4. Remove any trash or plant material stuck to any part of the condensing unit.
5. Clean dirt and debris from the coil with a bristle brush, being careful not to bend the lightweight aluminum fins.
6. Rinse the coil with light pressure, again as to not damage the fins.
7. Spray the coil with coil cleaner, following the directions on the can.
8. Rinse again if directions on your coil cleaner ask for it (it’s generally a good idea to rinse even if it doesn’t call for it) and let dry.
9. Cover the unit and power it back on.

Now Your Condenser Loves You

Taking only an hour or two out of the year to clean your condenser could add years to your air conditioning system’s life and save you time and money. Of course, even an hour is hard to come by for some busy people, so if you would rather have a qualified professional clean your condenser as well as cover the rest of the bases that’ll keep your system running flawlessly, Four Seasons Heating and Cooling offers preventative maintenance agreements. If that sounds like something you might be interested in, take a look at this and then contact us for pricing.