Blog posts
-
, by Trudy Chuoke Author Article title
-
, by Trudy Chuoke Author Article title
-
, by Trudy Chuoke Author Article title
A/C Maintenance
- , by Trudy Chuoke Trudy Chuoke
April 10, 2024
So far we have talked about maintenance on flooring, dishwashers, plumbing drains, and this week I want to talk to you about AC maintenance. There are some preventative products you can use and I want to express to you how important it is to use the right filter in your unit. In Texas, you can’t fool around with AC maintenance- not when our temperatures can reach the 100s and linger there for 40 days and nights.
The year after my husband died it seemed like I was inundated with home maintenance problems – it was so frustrating. But the most difficult was the leak that was coming from an overflow pan on my AC unit that me left so baffled. The first contractor who was going to fix the falling ceiling sheetrock in my closet said the AC unit was off balance and that’s why it was leaking. Not calling a pro, I thought I cleaned out the blockage. And then I had the ceiling fixed. Then 5 hot days later I was cleaning up the same problem. Finally I was able to get an AC maintenance person over and he diagnosed what the problem really was, and it was that the line going from the pan was completely clogged. He blew it out with high pressure air and then there was no more problem. And if I had used an AC pan treatment from the beginning of the season, the line would not have completely stopped up. So now we have a treatment made by Rectorseal that completely takes care of pans and lines. And I would love to go into detail on how to use them, but it’s simple. Locate the pan below the coils and put 2 tablets in the pan. There will be a little moisture in the pan, and that moisture will help dissolve the tablets and help control odor, sludge, plugging and slime. My AC is old and inside my garage, and I can put these tablets directly into the drain line. Maybe yours is like that. I just had my AC serviced and he showed me how simple it is to drop them in the line. I put 2 tablets in, but the rule of thumb is one tablet per tonnage.
Rectorseal also makes K.O. Dirt Blaster. It removes grime, dirt, oil, and grease off refrigeration coils. That includes AC coils. Keeping your coils clean helps keep the AC running colder. Originally made for window units this product will clean the coils and not require rinsing. Why is that important? Well we used to have to take the window ACs to a car wash and clean. But K.O. just dissolves the dirt and you never have to rinse. So easy. And it works on all refrigeration coils. I had a soda machine that just quit cooling and I pulled off the coil cover and the dirt was so thick on the coils, you couldn’t even see them. I started spraying the area, and this product started revealing the coils – I sprayed them twice. The K.O. just evaporates and leaves a clean surface. Then the unit started cooling again. So what can you use this on? Well of course your AC, but also your refrigerator coils, anything that gets dirty and greasy that you don’t want to rinse clean.
Two more tips. First buy a good filter! A Merv 8 rated filter is perfect, but a Merv 6 will work in a pinch. I have been told that anything higher than an 8 will restrict your unit and is really made for warehouses. Your Merv 8 or 6 filter should be around $8 to $12 depending on the size.
And next, find an AC man right now. Ask your neighbor, your local hardware store if they know of someone that is dependable and has been in business a while. Let them look at your unit now instead of when it’s 100 degrees outside and everyone is calling and wanting their attention. Stay ahead of the heat and its problems this summer.
Some of you have called requesting books. I have no books Vol 12 left, and I really don’t want to reprint it this late in the year. I am going to do a new book, and I will have it ready for Christmas 2024. I will have new products, new answers and more fun pictures of our store and family.