Air Conditioning is something we probably take for granted in St. George. You don't really think about it until it's not working. Then you can't think of anything else!
So the question is this: Is your AC ready for Summer?
​Hi this is Chris Gaskill with Handyman St. George. Today I’m going to show you how to clean out your air conditioning condenser so you can stay cool all summer long.

Step 2: Remove the fan and lid
Remove the top half by unscrewing all the screws on the lid.

Handyman Hack:
If you encounter a screw that seems stripped and won’t come out, what we’re going to do is use a crowbar and lightly pull out as you unscrew!

Step 3:  CAREFULLY remove the fan
As you remove the fan lid, carefully set it aside. As you can see in this video, we set it on top of the unit. The fan will have wires connecting it to the condenser so be CAREFUL.
TIP: Be careful not to bend the fins.

Step 4: Using a hose, spray out the inside AND outside of the AC unit.
The idea is to use a little bit of pressure to remove dirt and debris from the fins. This video shows a relatively clean unit, but if you’re unit is next to a lawn or if you have dogs, you might find a lot of yard debris and pet hair caught in the fins.
TIP: Be careful of pressure!

Water pressure alone can dent the fins, so don’t use the “jet” setting on your hose. Use the “shower setting” instead.

Simply spray the inside and outside of the unit with the “shower” setting and remove as much of the dirt, hair, and debris as you can.
TIP: It’s not absolutely necessary to get the pan clean, but it will stay clean a little bit longer if you do. It will take longer to fill back up with debris if you clean it.

IMPORTANT TIP: Be sure to not get any excess water in the electrical section of your unit.

TIP: If you’re going to straighten the fins, I would recommend picking up a fin brush at your local hardware store. It’s just a small little brush you stroke up and down in the direction of the fins. It will straighten them out without any crimping and causing more problems.

Step 5: Put the fan lid back on and screw the lid on.
We’re going to put it back together again. Simply place the lid back on and make sure it fits so that the holes on the lid match up with the screw holes on the unit. Using a screwdriver, screw the lids back down being careful not to overtighten or strip any of the screws.

Step 6: Reconnect the Power
Plug the power back in and that should cool off real nice for the rest of the summer.
I hope you found this helpful and keeps you cool this Summer.
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