Maintaining the heat this winter
Andrew Pinder, Founder of Pinder Cooling and Heating, details expert cleaning techniques and what exactly to look out for when it comes to your air conditioning unit.
Winter is just around the corner and with many HVAC units now being dual heating and cooling, it has never been more important to ensure that your unit is working its optimum efficiency.
Let’s face it: the last thing you need in the middle of winter is your workplace being without proper heating. Not only can it be bad for business, but it’s bad for the team – it’s a health and safety requirement to maintain a comfortable temperature within the workplace. Similarly, the last thing you want to do is get through winter comfortably and realise when the warmer days arrive that your unit isn’t working.
So, whether you’re switching off the air conditioning for the colder months or your unit is dual-action heating and cooling, ensuring the unit can withstand the winter months is paramount.
How? By making sure you have the right techniques when cleaning your unit, as incorrect cleaning and maintenance can soon lead to the need for professional repair – which we all know can add up.
Inside cleaning
First things first; clean the inside components of your HVAC unit before moving onto the outside condenser.
Evaporator coils are most frequently made of steel, copper or aluminium. The coils absorb warm air and hold the cooling refrigerant from the compressor. So, on warmer days the coil helps to remove warmth from the air by absorbing the heat. The opposite is true in winter. With a heat pump, the process reverses. This means the evaporator coil, rather than absorbing heat, expels it throughout your building.
So where do you begin with cleaning them? Remove the access panel on your unit to locate the coil. Their location and appearance vary between units, but there will be a door screwed in place. Once located, use a soft brush to remove
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dust, then clean the coils. To do this, the best method is to spray a non-rinse coil cleaner evenly. The residue and fall off from this will drop into the drain pan, which itself should be removed and simply cleaned with soap and water.
Once the evaporator coils and drain pan are clean, the inside components are sorted. You can also wipe inside the unit around components for extra protection, making sure there’s no more dust or dirt – we’d always recommend doing more than less. From here, you can now reattach the access panel, screwing it back into place firmly.
Remember: this is a simple cleaning routine which should be conducted on a semi-regular basis, particularly before the winter months. However, if you come across any problems, it’s best to consult a professional for guidance.
Clean air filters
Air filters are one of the most important components, and are designed to ensure your unit runs at maximum efficiency and quality, so your filters should be replaced or cleaned regularly.
Whilst some require filter replacements, others require changing. If you’re unsure how to remove a filter, refer to your manual. Many manuals have online versions on the manufacturer's website if you don’t have a hard copy handy.
In terms of filter cleaning, a vacuum is your friend. With a normal nozzle, suck in up and down motions, removing dust particles until it appears clean, before soaking it in hot soapy water and rinsing off suds with a hose. Once dry, reinstall the filter. Be careful: filters can be easily damaged, so don’t scrub or brush.
Outdoor cleaning
Particularly with dual heating and cooling units, there’s an outdoor component such as a condenser. These require regular maintenance, especially as they are exposed to a variety of particles and bacteria from outside. With winter
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