How to Clean a Room Air Conditioner

A uncomplicated cleaning is all it takes to keep your room air conditioner bustling.

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Introduction

Air conditioners work more efficiently when the evaporator and condenser coils or cooling fins are clean and the fins are straight. Save money and proceed your house cooler by cleaning a room air conditioner yourself.

Tools Required

Materials Required

  • A/C ringlet cleaner
  • Electrical motor oil
  • Household cleaner

How to Clean Your A/C Unit

Most people presume warm air from their air-conditioning unit means it's depression on refrigerant. That'due south not always the crusade. Many times, window and through-the-wall A/C units tin't blow cold air because the evaporator and condenser coils or cooling fins are clogged. Here are some air conditioning mistakes you lot can avoid.

Professional cleaning costs more than $100. But you can practice the unabridged job yourself in well-nigh an hr with a few dollars in supplies. If cleaning doesn't practice the play tricks, you lot can always call in a pro (or buy a newer, more efficient unit). Just before you lot do that, check out our pace-by-stride air conditioner cleaning instructions below.

Plus, hither's where you shouldn't install your A/C.

Projection step-by-pace (six)

Pace ane

The Cleaning Procedure:

Offset, remove the plastic filter holder/trim console. It commonly snaps off. Then remove the unit from the window or slide it out of the wall. (Become help. It's heavy.)

If y'all're working on a window A/C unit of measurement, remove the mounting frame and the case. The case screws are ordinarily located along the bottom border. Note the location of any odd-length screws since they accept to become back in the same spots upon reassembly. Plus, your air conditioner won't piece of work fully if you don't do this.

Step 2

Rummage Out the Mats

  • Straighten the bent cooling fins with a fin comb.
  • Match the correct end of the air conditioner fin comb to the fin spacing on your coils.
  • So insert the air conditioner fin comb and pull up to straighten the fins.
  • Wear leather gloves to prevent nasty cuts.

comb out air conditioner mats

Footstep 3

Air Conditioner Fin Rummage Details

  • Fin combs are available for nearly common air conditioners.
  • Go fin combs on Amazon.

air conditioner fin comb

Step 4

Clean Out the Crud

  • Buy two cans of A/C unit gyre cleaner (nosotros used AC-Safe No. AC-920 from The Dwelling Depot.).
  • Earlier applying the cleaner, vacuum all visible buildup from both coils.

clean out air conditioner crud

Step five

Apply Foam Cleaner

  • Shoot the spray over the entire surface of both coils and let the cream practise the work for you.
  • If the buildup is heavy, brush in the direction of the fins with a nylon-bristle brush.

AC Unit Coil Cleaner

Pace 6

Service the Fan Motor

  • While the foam works, clean the fan blades with a household cleaner and a rag.
  • If the fan motor has plastic- or rubber-capped oiling ports, popular them and squeeze in a few drops of electrical motor oil (pros use the Zoomspout oiler) and epitomize.
  • Finally, launder (or replace) the air filter and reinstall the unit.
  • It just might accident a lot cooler. If non, you accept other problems!

And if you lot don't accept an air conditioner, check out these creative ways to stay cool all summer long.

service air conditioner fan

Originally Published: July 28, 2020