I've been preaching to the public for over 22 years how important it is to properly cover your outdoor air conditioner condenser with a quality, breathable natural canvas protective cover.
It is important to protect your outdoor condenser because in doing so, you are protecting and prolonging the life of your central air conditioning system investment.
We have been making and selling made to size needed high quality long lasting durable air conditioner covers with 5 and 10 year warranties on material integrity and craftsmanship on a national level since 1989.
When purchasing our air conditioner covers one pays less than 5% of the cost to replace the central air conditioning system outdoor condenser which also makes our air conditioner cover purchase a wise investment.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
If You Must! Cleaning Your Central Air Conditioning System
Every Fall I receive calls from folks wanting to learn what they can do to help winterize their whole house central air conditioning system with the idea they can save some money…especially during this economical downturn.
If you must, follow the guidelines below but as I always recommend it’s best to pay the experts to come out in the fall after the cooling season to check and clean and service your air conditioning system. Heating and air conditioning companies often offer spring/winter seasonal specials to service heating and air conditioning systems.
Clean indoor and outdoor coils helps maintain high efficiency operation of your air conditioning system and helps the unit from over-working to achieve desired cooling temperatures and saves on electrical bill too!
Providing your system has been operating just fine during the cooling season, a simple cleaning of dust and lint from the indoor coil and the drip pan located within the plenum which sits on top of your furnace is recommended. There should be an access door located on the plenum to access the indoor coil and coil drip pan.
Cleaning of the ‘fins’ of the coils of the outdoor unit is important and best left to the heating and cooling company experts but if you must... the first step is to disconnect the electrical power to the outdoor unit!!! There usually is an outdoor electrical emergency disconnect mounted on the building structure within a few feet of the outdoor condenser. Switch the outdoor electrical emergency disconnect to OFF before attempting to clean the outdoor condenser. If for some unusual reason there is no emergency electrical outdoor disconnect near the outdoor condenser stop what you are doing and call your local heating and air conditioning company to install one for you.
When checking your outdoor condenser look for bent or smashed aluminum fins on the coil tubing which wraps around within the outdoor unit inside behind the cowling. It is important that these soft aluminum fins be straightened out for proper functioning of the outdoor unit. Heating and air conditioning companies use a “comb” to insert between the aluminum fins to straighten them out. Its important air circulates between these coil fins. Some hardware stores and heating and air conditioning supplies stores sell these combs but to use the comb to straighten the fins requires removing the entire outdoor unit cowling. Not something the homeowner should attempt…it’s easy to take the cowling off but in many cases very difficult to put back together unless you know what you are doing.
After having switched OFF the outdoor emergency disconnect carefully disconnect the top cowling which also holds the fan unit by removing the screws. Carefully move the top cowling with fan off to one side of the top of the outdoor unit just far enough to get your water hose down into the unit. Be careful not to pull the fan wiring lose.
Any light amount of cottony material or other airborne material stuck to the fins and coils of the outdoor unit during the cooling season needs to be removed. Using 50% light non-acid based detergent with 50% water in a spray bottle, spray your coils with this non-acid based detergent. Let this solution sit on the coils for 3 or 4 minutes then spray the coils from the inside of the unit outward using low water hose pressure. If the cottony stuff is as thick as to sheet onto the coils, stop and call your local heating and air conditioning company to properly remove this amount of debris from the coils.
High water pressure can damage the fins of the coils! With LOW WATER PRESURE spray water from the inside of the unit outward through the coils which should help remove a lot of the cottony stuff and other dirt from the coils and fins. Make sure to cleanse the coils of any light non-acid detergent solution used to clean the coils. NEVER spray water from the outside into the coils. Never spray water at an angle onto the coils which will bend the fins.
Check the inside of the outdoor condenser for leaves or pine needles or other debris making sure all drain holes at the bottom of the unit are open.
Once your unit is clean and dry, place a proper high quality, long lasting breathable treated canvas air conditioner cover onto your outdoor unit to keep your condenser clean, dry and free of any possible condensation during the cooler weather and harsh winter elements. Never use non-breathable coated materials to cover your outdoor unit. High quality proper air conditioner covers help greatly in protecting and prolonging the life of your air conditioning system investment.
If you must, follow the guidelines below but as I always recommend it’s best to pay the experts to come out in the fall after the cooling season to check and clean and service your air conditioning system. Heating and air conditioning companies often offer spring/winter seasonal specials to service heating and air conditioning systems.
Clean indoor and outdoor coils helps maintain high efficiency operation of your air conditioning system and helps the unit from over-working to achieve desired cooling temperatures and saves on electrical bill too!
Providing your system has been operating just fine during the cooling season, a simple cleaning of dust and lint from the indoor coil and the drip pan located within the plenum which sits on top of your furnace is recommended. There should be an access door located on the plenum to access the indoor coil and coil drip pan.
Cleaning of the ‘fins’ of the coils of the outdoor unit is important and best left to the heating and cooling company experts but if you must... the first step is to disconnect the electrical power to the outdoor unit!!! There usually is an outdoor electrical emergency disconnect mounted on the building structure within a few feet of the outdoor condenser. Switch the outdoor electrical emergency disconnect to OFF before attempting to clean the outdoor condenser. If for some unusual reason there is no emergency electrical outdoor disconnect near the outdoor condenser stop what you are doing and call your local heating and air conditioning company to install one for you.
When checking your outdoor condenser look for bent or smashed aluminum fins on the coil tubing which wraps around within the outdoor unit inside behind the cowling. It is important that these soft aluminum fins be straightened out for proper functioning of the outdoor unit. Heating and air conditioning companies use a “comb” to insert between the aluminum fins to straighten them out. Its important air circulates between these coil fins. Some hardware stores and heating and air conditioning supplies stores sell these combs but to use the comb to straighten the fins requires removing the entire outdoor unit cowling. Not something the homeowner should attempt…it’s easy to take the cowling off but in many cases very difficult to put back together unless you know what you are doing.
After having switched OFF the outdoor emergency disconnect carefully disconnect the top cowling which also holds the fan unit by removing the screws. Carefully move the top cowling with fan off to one side of the top of the outdoor unit just far enough to get your water hose down into the unit. Be careful not to pull the fan wiring lose.
Any light amount of cottony material or other airborne material stuck to the fins and coils of the outdoor unit during the cooling season needs to be removed. Using 50% light non-acid based detergent with 50% water in a spray bottle, spray your coils with this non-acid based detergent. Let this solution sit on the coils for 3 or 4 minutes then spray the coils from the inside of the unit outward using low water hose pressure. If the cottony stuff is as thick as to sheet onto the coils, stop and call your local heating and air conditioning company to properly remove this amount of debris from the coils.
High water pressure can damage the fins of the coils! With LOW WATER PRESURE spray water from the inside of the unit outward through the coils which should help remove a lot of the cottony stuff and other dirt from the coils and fins. Make sure to cleanse the coils of any light non-acid detergent solution used to clean the coils. NEVER spray water from the outside into the coils. Never spray water at an angle onto the coils which will bend the fins.
Check the inside of the outdoor condenser for leaves or pine needles or other debris making sure all drain holes at the bottom of the unit are open.
Once your unit is clean and dry, place a proper high quality, long lasting breathable treated canvas air conditioner cover onto your outdoor unit to keep your condenser clean, dry and free of any possible condensation during the cooler weather and harsh winter elements. Never use non-breathable coated materials to cover your outdoor unit. High quality proper air conditioner covers help greatly in protecting and prolonging the life of your air conditioning system investment.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Air Conditioner Covers
Clients often ask why we focus on offering high quality long lasting durable light colored canvas air conditioner covers.
Light colored high quality breathable fabric (very important) canvas air conditioner covers reflect excessive heat caused by exposure to sun light and does not absorb excessive heat and or build up heating of the fabric and will therefore not accelerate deterioration or the breaking down of the fabric.
Our made to size high quality heavy duty, long lasting durable breathable treated canvas and Superior Marine Canvas air conditioner covers are offered in Goldish/Tan, Light Gray and Light Green colors and reflects sunlight and heat very well and contributes to a much longer lasting air conditioner cover. Our air conditioner covers craftsmanship and material integrity are warranted for 5 and 10 years!
Light colored high quality breathable fabric (very important) canvas air conditioner covers reflect excessive heat caused by exposure to sun light and does not absorb excessive heat and or build up heating of the fabric and will therefore not accelerate deterioration or the breaking down of the fabric.
Our made to size high quality heavy duty, long lasting durable breathable treated canvas and Superior Marine Canvas air conditioner covers are offered in Goldish/Tan, Light Gray and Light Green colors and reflects sunlight and heat very well and contributes to a much longer lasting air conditioner cover. Our air conditioner covers craftsmanship and material integrity are warranted for 5 and 10 years!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Evaporative Cooler Air Conditioner Air Filtration
The Evaporative Cooler Filter Media for an evaporative cooler / swamp cooler air conditioner is quite different from furnace or other dry air supply air filtration needs. Evaporative cooler air conditioner filter media is a different kind of filter media that is used to accept and hold varying degrees water. One might check with the evaporative cooler equipment manufacturer to explore a down stream inline filter rack application to filter cooled air supplied by the evaporative cooler. There are certain allowances / restrictions for air flow designed by the evaporative cooler manufacturer. Placing a down stream air filter may impede air flow and create a back pressure not desired or warranted by the equipment manufacturer.
NOTE: Furnace filters which are different from evaporative cooler filter media with a merv rating of 9 to 12 are used in commercial and industrial applications and will stop particles in the 1 to 3 micron range. These filters are a great choice for home owners who want the best dust control possible. When using filters with Merv 9 ratings and above it is important to clean or replace them when recommended by the manufacturer usually every 30 days for normal use because they will have a negative effect on air flow when they become dirty. This can lead to performance problems and decreased operating efficiency.
Media air filters (dense filter materials) are not recommended for evaporative cooler air conditioning systems because they will trap and build up and hold condensation/water and entertain mold, mildew and bacteria.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Swamp Cooler Cover Straps Save Wear and Tear of Swamp Cooler Covers!
Save your swamp cooler cover from excessive wear and tears! Proper high quality, long lasting 1inch wide outdoor nylon swamp cooler cover secure straps with non-rust side release buckles will protect your swamp cooler cover from shifting in winds and tearing the corners of your swamp cooler cover. Quality secure swamp cooler straps will prolong the life of your swamp cooler protective cover and keep the swamp cooler cover tight to the swamp cooler keeping cold air out and heat from escaping. A professional set of swamp cooler straps will look a lot better than ugly twine or bungee cords too!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Leave cleaning of the outdoor air conditioning condenser to the professionals!
A neighbor of mine asked if I could help him put his outdoor air conditioner condenser back together. What?
My neighbor said he wanted to save some money by cleaning his outdoor condenser coils himself rather than pay for a heating and air conditioning service company to come to his home to do it for him.
My neighbor had removed all cowling screws and removed each loose cowling section in a random manner until the entire outdoor condenser was stripped of its protective louvered shell down to the vary base of the condenser with the top fan section hanging off to one side, with fan wiring dangerously close to pulling apart!
Why? To save money and to remove airborne cottonwood seed cottony masses which fly through the air and collected on his outdoor condenser coils. This cottony stuff can clog up the outdoor condenser coils in a N.Y. minute! It can become so thick that you can actually pull it off the outdoor condenser cooling coils and fins in sheets!
When the outdoor unit is operating the top mounted fan draws air in through the sides of the unit to cool the coils sucking in flying debris across the cooling coils and fins. Clogged outdoor condenser coils will drop the operating efficiency of central air conditioning system like a rock and drive up your cooling electric bill dramatically.
Clogged or dirty outdoor condenser coil fins also stress your condenser operating system, and create a situation whereas your system will have to work harder and longer to achieve the desired cooling temperatures. Longer operating times…higher summertime cooling electric bills!
There is a specific order in removing and re-installing the louvered protective cowling of an outdoor condenser. It’s difficult and sometimes requires two people to put it all back together. Proper and complete cleaning the outdoor condenser is something that should definitely be left to the professionals!
For optimal performance of your air conditioning system purchase our high quality, durable long lasting breatheable canvas air conditioner cover and place it on your outdoor condenser in the fall and leave it on until the spring cottonwood seed and other springtime flying debris has ended.
For optimal performance of your air conditioning system purchase our high quality, durable long lasting breatheable canvas air conditioner cover and place it on your outdoor condenser in the fall and leave it on until the spring cottonwood seed and other springtime flying debris has ended.
A Puddle Of Water Around The Base Of My Furnace...
A client asked me why a puddle of water was collecting at the base of his furnace. It was summertime and there had been no rain for some time.
After asking the client a few quick questions I was able to determine the client has a central air conditioning system and the problem was the indoor "A" coil or indoor condenser which sits inside the plenum, the sheet metal box on top of the furnace, had a clogged up drip pan drain.
Condensation water normally flowing into the indoor coil drip pan and drain tube to the basement floor drain was building up and running over the clogged up drip pan and condensation water was running down the inside of the furnace and onto the basement floor.
There should be an inspection panel located on the front of the furnace plenum and with an annual spring maintenance check and cleaning of the furnace and indoor coil you can prevent this problem from happening.
Making sure the indoor coil is clean will help maintain a higher level of operating efficiency of your central air conditioning system. Making sure the indoor condensing coil drip pan is clear of dust, lent and or hard water build up will insure the condensation water will properly flow freely from the indoor condenser drip pan and through the drain tube to the basement floor drain.
Water flowing over the indoor condenser drip pan and down through the inside of your furnace can damage your furnace over a few short years.
After asking the client a few quick questions I was able to determine the client has a central air conditioning system and the problem was the indoor "A" coil or indoor condenser which sits inside the plenum, the sheet metal box on top of the furnace, had a clogged up drip pan drain.
Condensation water normally flowing into the indoor coil drip pan and drain tube to the basement floor drain was building up and running over the clogged up drip pan and condensation water was running down the inside of the furnace and onto the basement floor.
There should be an inspection panel located on the front of the furnace plenum and with an annual spring maintenance check and cleaning of the furnace and indoor coil you can prevent this problem from happening.
Making sure the indoor coil is clean will help maintain a higher level of operating efficiency of your central air conditioning system. Making sure the indoor condensing coil drip pan is clear of dust, lent and or hard water build up will insure the condensation water will properly flow freely from the indoor condenser drip pan and through the drain tube to the basement floor drain.
Water flowing over the indoor condenser drip pan and down through the inside of your furnace can damage your furnace over a few short years.
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