HVAC maintenance tips - True or False?


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Old 09-26-18, 09:53 PM
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HVAC maintenance tips - True or False?

The technician who came to service my central AC offered to me some industry "secrets" to keep my AC running and extending it's useful life. Just wondering if these are good ideas.

(1) Currently I am using the filter slot built into the metal stand holding the unit. He suggest I use a "TRIPLE PROTECTION". First, mount some aluminum channels on the inside of the door where the ventilation is, so I can put in filter #1. Next, put a filter in the slot in the stand, like I currently do. Last, put another filter inside the bottom filter slot of the air handler unit. The three filters will filter out anything that may clog the air handler, and all I need to do is to change the one at the door every month, and the other two do not need to be changed except once a year.



(2) Currently once a month I pour bleach down the 3/4" pipe on the left where you see a cap, to clean the condensate line. The tech said instead of pouring into that, remove the float switch on the right side, and pour the bleach down there, which will cause the bleach to run through the inside of the air handler, cleaning everything out.



(3) Instead of using bleach to clean the condensate line, use the coil cleaner products sold at the big box stores because that will clean the coil as I pour it into the pipe where the float switch is.

(4) Right now the p-trap for the condensate line is on the outside. There is no condensate pump. I put it outside because I can take it apart occasionally to clean it if algae or gunk builds up inside it. The tech said it's much better to move the p-trap inside as close to the air handler unit as possible. I asked why but he can't give me a reason. Is it true? I am in South Florida so it's not like water inside the trap will freeze.

 
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Old 09-26-18, 10:48 PM
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Pouring bleach into the capped pipe just cleans the drain line. Pouring bleach into the overflow fitting where the float switch is will somewhat clean the drip pan and the drain line but will do absolutely nothing to clean the evaporator coil. The only way to clean the coil is to open the unit and spray it with coil cleaner.

The trap is fine where it is.
 
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Old 09-27-18, 07:15 AM
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Find another tech. The unit is not designed for all those filters. Adding more filters are those expensive high efficient filters is a compressor killer.
 
 

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