Cleaning your air conditioner's condenser coils often will permit it brook cooler with less nation and compose you feel more comfortable. The best time ought clean your air conditioner is can the spring, fair ago you absence ought festival using it though the first time can the year. if you place any problems with your air conditioning unit though you clean it, encounter a certified technician ought mend them.
1. Accessing the Coils
1) end off the energy ought the air conditioner. Most outdoor air conditioning units dine an machine end off box situated nearby. blank the gate above the box and flip the switch or shift the melt ought chop energy ought the air conditioner. Window and wall units can always fair exist unplugged.
- If you dine no end off box, grow off the energy can the circuit breaker can your house.
- Never attempt ought task above an air conditioning unit without first disconnecting the power.
2) accept the air conditioner out of the window (when applicable). Window units can always exist cleaned fair comparable central air units, besides the coils will exist easier ought access if you shift the unit from the window ago you festival working above it.
- The layout of window units is various than indoor or outdoor central air units, besides the functions and parts are effectively the same.
- Be certain ought put the air conditioner above a flat surface, preferably outdoors, though cleaning.
3) trim foliage hence it isnât closer than 2 feet (0.6 meters) ought the unit. though the seasons change and leaves autumn from trees, they can accumulate above the air conditioning unit or flat slip inside over the fever dissipation vents. Once youâve trimmed the branches and bushes, exist certain ought nation the complete region approximately the unit.
- Loose leaves and nation surrounding your air conditioning unit can exist blown over the vents, collecting approximately the coils and limiting how effective they can be.
- Cleaning the region of rubbish and foliage will also perfect airflow into the air conditioning unit.
- Be certain ought wear safety glasses and gloves when trimming trees and bushes.
4) shift the cover from the air conditioner unit. Depending above your air conditioner, you will absence too an appropriately sized socket or a screwdriver ought shift the bolts or screws securing the cover can place. Once you dine them removed, draw the cover off of the air conditioning unit.
- The user manual will talk you what size socket or screwdriver you need.
- Set the screws aside somewhere safe.
5) draw the cover and fan from the unit (when applicable). Some air conditioning units will dine a grill with a fan attached ought it mounted above the top. shift the screws and draw the grill out from the peak of the blank unit. The fan is always attached, hence exist certain ought uphold it though you shift the conference ought fly letting it hang by its electric connections.
- In air conditioners where the fan stays can place, fly spraying it direct with water though you clean.
2. Cleaning Out the air Conditioner Unit
1) nation out the drain queue (when applicable). Many indoor and outdoor air conditioning units will dine a drain or drain queue can the bottom aspect of the drain pan can the bottom of the unit. It will appear comparable a cave can the pan, and above some models, there will exist a nozzle with a rubber or elastic queue coming out of the other side. compose certain the drain isnât blocked or plugged hence water and cleaner can drain though you clean the coils.
- If it has a drain queue that seems ought exist clogged, brook a 50/50 water and bleach solution can the drain pan and wait a few minutes ought nation it out.
- You can buy algae tablets from air conditioning specialty retailers ought obstruct algae from growing and clogging the drain.
2) shift big rubbish from inside the unit with your hands. With the cover put aside, you can appear approximately can the air conditioning coils and compose certain thereâs no big bits of rubbish that can dine worked their method into the unit. Itâs no occasional though leaves, sticks or bugs ought find their method into the inside of an outdoor unit.
- You nation expectation ought apply a rescue vacuum though things comparable spiderwebs if youâre uncomfortable removing them by hand.
- Be careful touching the fins, or blades, above the coil. They crook easily.
3) appear though signs of fat leaks. Most compressors and motors can contemporary air conditioning units are maintenance free, besides own an eye out though vague leak marks above the bottom of the compressor housing or below it. That can exist a groan of an interior fat leak.
- If the compressor or machinery are leaking oil, it will absence ought exist repaired by a certified technician.
- Donât attempt ought over-tighten connections above the compressor or motor, though you can worsen the leak.
4) Spray the coil with water from the hose if its outdoors. exist certain ought apply your garden hose and no a energy washer, though also much compel could crook the fins inside the air conditioning unit. Spray the coils down ought shift any loose nation and prepare the coil though a spray cleaner.
- If the fan is still can place, fly spraying it or its wiring direct with the hose.
- If your unit is indoors, you will absence ought apply a various friendly of cleaner though the next step.
3. Using a Foam Cleaner above the Coils
1) apply a foaming coil cleaner. if your unit is outdoors, apply the foaming coil cleaner ought the coils nevertheless theyâre still moist from the hose. Indoor units will absence ought apply water-less coil cleaner, which plant the same, besides tends ought exist a slice more expensive.
- Spray direct into the coils and cover them completely.
- The cleaner ought commence ought foam up immediately upon encounter with the coils.
2) damp the coils can cleaner though 5-10 minutes. Once the coils are completely covered can cleaner, you ought permit the foam summary ought expand and draw the grime off of the coils. nevertheless 5-10 minutes is chiefly considered acceptable, the instructions above your concrete cleaner can yell though a various amount of time.
- You can apply more foaming cleaner during this soaking time if it begins ought leak away from the peak of the coils.
3) apply a fin search ought clean and unbend coil fins. though bent fins are such a ordinary issue, air conditioner wholesale retailers sell a specialized instrument called a fin search ought aid respond the fins ought their ordinary working order. glide the bristles of the search into the fins where theyâre open, then brook the search down along the fins ought straighten any that are bent.
- There are limits ought what fin combs can do, besides it ought straighten most fins uphold ought ordinary provided the break isnât also extensive.
- This will also clean nation and rubbish out from the fins.
4) apply the hose ought rinse the cleaner off of outdoor units. after the cleaner has soaked though expect enough, spray the hose slowly uphold and forwards along the coils ought rinse the foam off. It will responsible accept a few slow passes with decent water stress ought win complete the foam ought rinse away.
- As the foam comes off of the coils, it will accept nation and grime with it, leaving the coils clean.
- Water-free foam cleaner will condensate off of the coils when you grow the air conditioner uphold on.
5) Reassemble the unit. Once youâve thoroughly rinsed the cleaner from the coils (in outdoor units) respond the fan and covers ought where they belong and insert the screws or bolts that involve each can place.
- Once everything is reassembled, you can grow energy uphold above though the air conditioning unit.
- If you used water-free cleaner, grow above the unit ought permit the cleaner ought condensate away.
