You know the importance of AC maintenance if you’ve ever had your air conditioner break down in the middle of summer. It’s frustrating when a broken AC turns your home into a sauna, but it’s more likely to happen if you neglect annual maintenance on your AC system.

Having regular maintenance done on your AC unit is the best way to prevent it from breaking down unexpectedly during the warmest times of year. Maintenance can also save you money on your utility bills by improving the efficiency of the system.



There are some AC maintenance tasks you can do at home, but it’s always best to enlist the services of a professional HVAC technician. HVAC technicians can do a more thorough inspection and cleaning of your AC unit and fix minor problems before they snowball into big problems that cause your AC to stop working.

What Maintenance Does Your Air Conditioner Need?

An air conditioner is a complicated piece of machinery that involves motors, pumps, fans, and circuitry. All of these components need to be working efficiently and harmoniously for your AC to function properly.

Air conditioners require the following maintenance tasks:

• Cleaning the air filters and coils
• Checking for leaks or clogs in the drainpipes
• Checking the circuitry for loose connections
• Lubricating the motors and moving parts
• Inspecting the thermostat
• Checking the belts for tears

Most of these tasks should only be done by certified HVAC technicians, but there are a few simple tasks you can do on your own.

DIY vs. Professional AC Maintenance

ACs are complicated machines so it’s tough to do maintenance on them without the proper training and expertise. Don’t forget that ACs are machines that utilize electrical wiring and gas—creating risks of electric shock, gas leaks, and fire hazards. Therefore, it’s better to let professional HVAC technicians handle the maintenance of:

• The interior of your AC
• Electrical parts
• Gas valves and ignitors
• Safety mechanisms

HVAC technicians will have the proper tools and knowledge to do maintenance on these parts without risking damage to your home or AC unit.

However, there are a few easy maintenance tasks you can do without an HVAC technician. Mostly, these are tasks focused on improving the air flow in your AC. Cleaning air filters, removing debris from fans, and clearing out the space around your AC unit can significantly improve the efficiency of your AC.

DIY AC Check

You can do simple, but effective AC maintenance by doing a few things to improve the airflow in and around your AC unit. Throughout the year, dirt builds up in your AC’s air filters, fans, and fins. The dirt blocks air from being moved through your AC unit and your AC unit must work harder and longer to cool your home, which uses more energy and causes more wear-and-tear on the internal parts.



Clearing debris from your AC unit is the simplest way for you to improve the efficiency of your AC unit. Even so, you should only do this type of maintenance if you’re comfortable and confident doing it. Always better to enlist HVAC technicians than accidentally damage your AC with improper cleaning.

Professional AC Maintenance

Even if you do basic AC maintenance on your own, you should still enlist an HVAC technician to service your AC at least once per year.

Trying to do AC maintenance on your own can be risky for you and your AC unit. If you don’t know exactly what you’re doing, you could risk electric shock or exposure to toxic gases.

You also risk damaging your AC unit if you’re doing maintenance without the proper tools and techniques. At best, this will result in your AC needing more expensive repairs. At worst, they could cause more severe problems, like a gas leak.

Most AC warranties mandate that you have your air container regularly serviced by HVAC technicians, so scheduling regular maintenance is also necessary to maintain your warranty.

Benefits of Hiring a Professional

Here’s how you benefit from hiring a professional to do AC maintenance:

• Complete Maintenance: Certified HVAC technicians are trained to inspect, clean, and repair every part of your AC. They can do maintenance on everything from the motors to the flame sensors and give each component the most detailed cleaning or repair. HVAC technicians will be able to locate problems that could result in your AC breaking down and make preventative repairs before it happens.
• Safety: HVAC technicians have the proper training and tools to give your AC unit excellent maintenance without risking damage to your AC unit or property. They know how to avoid the safety hazards that come with doing maintenance on wiring and gas lines.
• Speed: HVAC technicians do AC maintenance all the time so they’ll complete inspections and cleaning much faster than if you tried to do it yourself. Although you might be able to change the air filters yourself, HVAC technicians can do that for you during an annual servicing and save you time.

AC Maintenance Checklist

You can improve the efficiency of your AC by doing a few simple DIY maintenance tasks. Here’s what you can do at home without an HVAC technician.

Changing Air Filters

Want to do preventative maintenance on your AC? The best thing you can do is change the air filter. You should change your air filters once per month during the warm season.

The air filter might be located in a different place depending on the type of AC unit you have:

• Central Air Conditioning: On central AC systems, the air filter is located just inside the main AC unit. There might also be filters in the air ducts along the walls and ceilings. If you can’t locate the air filter, check the manual provided by the AC manufacturer (you can find them online if you’ve lost your physical manual).
• Single-Room Air Conditioning: On single-room AC units, the air filter is located on the grill that’s facing into the room.

Air filters naturally acquire dirt and debris, both in the warm season and during the cool months when your AC isn’t being used. Clogged air filters block air from moving through your AC unit. The AC unit works harder to get sufficient airflow, which uses more energy and increases the overheating risk. Additionally, clogged air filters may cause dirt to get blown onto the evaporator coil, which also increases the risk of overeating.

Changing your air filter once per month during the warm season can improve your AC’s energy efficiency by 5% - 15%.

When you’re shopping for a new air filter, you’ll see them listed with an “efficiency reporting value” (MERV). The MERV scale ranges from 1 to 12. Filters with a higher MERV number are better at filtering out dirt, but they might also require greater energy consumption because they demand your AC pulls in more air. Still, it’s better to get a filter that’s at the higher end of the scale. Consider getting a reusable filter if you’re trying to keep your costs down.



The filter on the blower motor should be changed twice per year. It’s a little harder to find because it’s located inside the AC enclosure. Let an HVAC technician change this filter if you’re unable to locate it.

Fix AC Leaks

The cool air that’s blown through your AC could escape through leaks or gaps in the ductwork. The loss of cool air causes your AC to work harder to bring your home’s temperature down.

Most often, leaks occur in places where ducts are joined. You can easily locate gaps by lighting a stick of incense and holding it near areas where suspected leaks might be.

• Central AC Systems: Hold the burning incense near each of your duct joints. You’ve detected a leak if the smoke billows. You can close small gaps with foil tape, but you might need to enlist a duct sealing service to effectively close larger gaps.
• Single-Room AC Units: Hold the burning incense where the AC and window frame meet. You’ve detected a leak if the smoke billows. If there’s a large gap between the AC unit and window, you can fill it with pieces of foam and cover the smaller gaps with tape.

Condensate Drains

Buildups of algae and mold can clog the evaporator drain. Clogs can create flooding inside your AC unit that damages your floor or the components inside your AC unit (requiring very expensive repairs). Clogs can also cause bad odors and create too much humidity in your AC system. Excess humidity can discolor your carpet and walls, not to mention making your home feel uncomfortable.



The best way to clear a drain clog is to stick a stiff wire into the drainpipe. Usually, the drainpipe is a PVC pipe that’s just an inch wide. You can also use a vacuum cleaner to suck out debris from the drain.

Clean and Clear Space Around the Outdoor AC Components

Bushes and trees surrounding your outdoor condenser could drop leaves and other debris into your AC unit. Keep the area around your condenser clean and trim back trees and bushes at least 2 feet from the condenser.

Clean Condenser and Compressor

The fins on your condenser unit accumulate dirt and particles. It’s easy to clean dirt off the fins, but you must be careful because the fins are very fragile and can easily get bent. Bent fins restrict airflow into your AC.

To clean the fins, softly brush dirt off them using a bristle brush or dry toothbrush. A vacuum is also effective.



You may have to lift the condenser box to reach the fins. Be careful when doing this and be sure to consult the manufacturer manual first. It’s better to enlist an HVAC technician if you don’t feel comfortable lifting up and replacing the condenser box. You don’t want to damage the exterior unit or bang up the parts inside the condenser.

Clean Condenser Fan

You can easily pluck leaves out of the condenser fan using your fingers or a stick. It’s a little harder to clean dirt off the fan.



Most AC units allow you to remove the fan by loosening a few bolts on the condenser. Lift the fan out of the condenser and wipe it down with a damp cloth. Let it air dry in the shade and then replace it.

Have a Professional Perform Annual AC Maintenance

Outside of the few DIY tasks, the rest should be left in the hands of qualified HVAC professionals. Enlist a certified HVAC technician and have your AC serviced once or twice per year. HVAC technicians will do the following maintenance tasks during a tune-up:

• Adding refrigerant, if needed
• Testing for refrigerant leaks
• Adding lubrication to the motors
• Cleaning or replacing air filters
• Cleaning and inspecting the coils
• Inspecting the circuitry and applying coating to electric terminals, if needed
• Inspecting the thermostat
• Adjusting the fan belts
• Cleaning the blowers and fans
• Running the AC through a complete cycle to test efficiency

Not only will an annual tune-up make your AC more efficient, it’s also an excellent way to do preventative maintenance and reduce the likelihood your AC will breakdown when it’s receiving heavy usage in the warm months.

Contact Greener Solutions Home Services to Schedule Regular AC Maintenance

Prepare for the cooling season in Central California by scheduling an AC tune up. Greener Solutions Home Services offers an annual AC maintenance plan for homeowners in Central California. We’ll get your AC back to maximum efficiency so your home will be comfortable all summer long, and you can keep your energy bill as low as possible.

AC Maintenance FAQs