The outdoor unit of your air conditioner is probably not something you think about a whole lot. However, your outside air conditioner—called the condenser unit—plays a very important role. The inside part of your AC system is tasked with absorbing heat from your home’s air, while your condenser unit has the responsibility of releasing that heat to the air outside. Therefore, without your condenser, the warm air from your home would have nowhere to go. This heat exchange process is made possible by a few vital components.

The Compressor: This is the part of your air conditioner unit that adds pressure to the refrigerant that it receives from inside your home to increase the refrigerant’s temperature. This makes it easier to transfer heat in the next step of the cooling process.

Condenser Coils and Fans: After the refrigerant leaves the compressor, it flows through your condenser coils. As this occurs, a fan blows air over the coils in order to cool them off and release heat to the air outside.

Refrigerant Lines: This is what connects your indoor unit to your outside condenser unit in order to cycle refrigerant and continue the cooling process.

Since your condenser unit is outside and exposed to the elements, it’s important to take very good care of it, and protect it from the buildup of dirt and debris. Routine preventive maintenance is essential to making sure all the components are working correctly.

However, on a regular basis you should also check to make sure that the area around your condenser unit remains clear. Cleaning it helps prevent decreased airflow, and thus helps your air conditioner to run as efficiently as possible. Keeping the exterior portion of your condenser unit is a fairly simple task, but it’s important to remember that cleaning coils and other inside components should be left to the professionals.

For air conditioning repair in Littleton, CO, contact APC Plumbing & Heating today.