A fan brings air into the convectors, and as that air runs over the coils inside, water is squeezed out in the process. If debris gets into the convectors, it can cause all sorts of problems.
Whether it’s dust or other stuff floating in the air, eventually the convectors can get ‘gunked’ up. Your AC (or heat in the winter) won’t be as efficient as it could be; the motor has to run longer to chill (or heat) the air; and eventually debris can get into the drain pan, clog it and cause leaks.
Our maintenance team has a few suggestions about this. First, avoid placing things on the convector that shed. Like plants. The most recent AC leaks our team dealt with were worsened by leaves and dirt getting into the convector drain pan, from plants that were placed near the grills. All it takes is one leaf to get into the drain pan and it will inevitably clog the line.
Also, the team suggests residents avoid placing furniture or other belongings near the convector. Anything nearby attracts dust. But more importantly, the inflow is along the bottom at the floor. Air enters at the floor level, and that’s where the filter is. Anything obstructing the intake reduces air flow over the coils inside your convector. Also, dust and debris can collect easier if you do not have solid air flow.
Once a year our team schedules to visit each unit and change the filter as a part of the life safety inspection process. They run water through the drain to make sure the pan is emptying. They put an enzyme tablet in the drain pan which helps dissolve the gunk that builds up as water draining off the coils. But this only does so much. It can be a matter of days after very humid weather strikes, and any debris on the coils can start building up in the drain line. Keeping furniture a ways back from the convectors, and avoiding putting plants and other materials on the convector shelf may help.
Also, though we change filters once a year, Owners can opt to do this more frequently. You can contact our team and have a work ticket put in. BUT, its actually fairly easy if you want to do this yourself:
It takes 3 employees about 6 weeks to do this through the entire building, so its not something we have the resources to do multiple times per year. However, by doing it more often you will improve the air flow into the convector.
Feel free to contact our team with any questions or to put in a work ticket, at parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com.
