I think it is safe to say that you are not using you’re A/C
system much these days now that winter is here, and by winter I mean it’s under
80 degrees.
Now is a great time to prepare your outside unit (Condenser)
for the next few months of cold weather. Proper care and planning can actually
help extend the life of the unit.
For your safety, make
sure your A/C is turned off at your breaker box before cleaning. And
turning off your A/C at the breaker panel saves you money as well!
Prolook does not run your A/C if the weather is below 60 degrees
F and here’s why. Put simply, there is a chance of burning out the compressor motor,
especially in older units. Refrigerant migrates to the coldest part of the
unit. When you run the heat in the winter time it increases the vapor pressure
of the refrigerant on the indoor portion of the unit and it migrates to the
cold compressor.
Refrigerant also has a tendency to combine with refrigerant
oils. So the refrigerant and the oil mix together in the compressor sump. When
the compressor is turned on, the compressor crankcase goes into a low pressure
and the refrigerant attempts to boil out of the oil. In the process the oil
foams and gets pumped through the system.
When this occurs the compressor makes one heck of a noise! It
sounds like the compressor is going to jump out of the condensing unit.
Outdoor central A/C units can also benefit from the
protection of a cover. Just make sure you don't use plastic covers (e.g. tarp)
as this can actually help retain moisture, thereby damaging your unit.
You’re all set. Just remember to turn on the breaker in the
spring time and, make sure you have clean, new A/C filters ready for Spring!
Along with a clean unit, clean filters can reduce your overall energy
consumption.
“Smart people choose Prolook”
