The air handler is the main HVAC cabinet inside your house. It is usually associated with both the furnace and air conditioning systems. Basically, the air handler is one unit that is used during both winter and summer months, if you have central air conditioning and heat. Because it is being used throughout the entire year, and not just seasonally, the filter in the air handler might need to be cleaned more often. Usually, as long as you clean your unit about once a year, you will be promoting productivity and efficiency. This article explains the best way to clean a traditional air handler.
Shut it Down
The first thing you want to do is make sure that the power is turned off. The air handler has a large fan inside it, and you don't want it turning on while you are working on it. You can usually just switch the emergency shut off switch. This is mounted directly on the cabinet or next to it on the wall.
Cleaning Inside the Air Handler
Once this is turned off, you can open up the cabinet and clean inside of it. The cabinet will usually have a removable or hinged door that can be opened without any tools. Inside your air handler, you will find some of the most vital components connected to airflow.
The fan and motor are obviously the most important when it comes to generating air flow. The fan blades will often get caked in dust, so you want to clean them off. But, it is more important to make sure that the actual motor and the stem the connects to the fan are clean. Obviously, the smoother the fan spins, the more efficient it will work.
It is definitely also helpful to just clean out the entire system, including the interior walls and floor of the cabinet. All of the dust and dirt left inside can get into your home. If you do this every single year, your air handler will probably remain at peak efficiency. Furthermore, it is a great way to monitor it and make sure that nothing else is going wrong.
In order to complete the cleaning job, you just need to replace the return filter. Most filters are generically sized, based on how your furnace is connected to the return ducts. Often, you need to have a custom sized filter made by an HVAC professional. Either way, it is very helpful if you just order a bunch of filters that you can have on hand, so you have years worth of clean filters ready to be installed immediately.
For more information, contact a company like Ronnie Ritchie Service Co Inc.
