How to Clean an Air Conditioner?

Are you cleaning an air conditioner on your own? It seems like a difficult task. Let me assure you it is not. It is quite easy.

When it’s summertime, everyone tends to rely on air conditioners to keep us fresh in the scorching heat. But in the meantime, we forget to clean it up correctly for better usage and for it to provide better air quality to us. None of us clean the air conditioners often enough.

According to experts – the dust particles can take shelter in your AC if you’re not using it for some months, preferably in winter. So after months of not using or cleaning it when you turn on the air conditioner, you inhale those specks of dust via the air.

Also, if the filter of your AC becomes too dirty, then you might notice that the room is not cooling properly even after being turned on for a more extended period because the cool air is not able to pass through it. Let us summarize the steps which are needed to clean an air conditioner on your own.

Step I

Turn Your Air Conditioner Off

The primary step of the cleaning process is to turn off the power of your air conditioner. Unplug the switch from the switchboard. Also, try to shut down the room’s power from the main board of your house. This is because you’re about to deal with something which requires lots of power.

Somehow if there’s any way that the AC is powered on and you’re starting to clean it, it could be very dangerous for you. So make sure you switch off the AC.

Step II

Remove The Outer Casing

First, start with the outer casing of the air conditioner. You might need a screwdriver or any similar tool to open it up. Once you’ve done the brush-up, any dirt or dust on the casing (if there is any) might be blocking the cool air, but the purpose is to clean the air conditioner properly, right?

Step III

Clean The Condenser Coils

Now you have turned your air conditioner off, opened the outer casing, and brushed it up properly, open anything that might obstruct you from reaching the condenser coils (if needed). Start by using a brush to clean off any surface dirt or dust and do it gently. After you are done cleaning, you will notice there is still some dirt left that needs more attention.

Apply a suitable cleaning agent to those places and wait for 10-15 minutes. Then rub it off gently with a piece of cloth, and you will see the dirt is wearing off easily.

Now moving forward towards the coil fins section, you might notice that some of them might be bent for some reason. In this case, you should use a “Fin Comb,” which you can buy from any hardware store near your house. Using this Fin Comb, you can set them back straight and make it as it should be in the first place.

Step IV

Clean The Filters

Once you are done with the steps mentioned above, it is time we move on to the indoor units of the air conditioner. Once you remove the front panel of your AC, you should see another large panel that you have opened up. This one is your air conditioner’s filter panel. It blocks any dust, bacteria, or anything nasty from mixing to the cool air that you breathe.

It filters the air from all those things to provide you with quality air. This filter tends to be dirty, among other components. Take them out, put it in place, and start vacuuming. They are very easy to clean. After you are done with vacuuming, try bashing them a bit with your hands, so some the dust falls off. You can also use any cloth to clean them, but remember to do it very gently.

Step V

Clean The Fan’s Coil

This is the most advanced part of this cleaning process. But fear not, we’ll tell you everything you need to know. Firstly you need to remove the indoor unit’s chassis to get access to the fan’s coil. But this will need some tools, more than just a screwdriver, to be precise.

Once you have reached the fan’s coil applies a suitable cleaning agent by spraying over it. Leave that for 10 minutes, and then wash it with water. Don’t worry about the water splashes; they won’t short circuit your air conditioner.

Rinse the coil completely and make sure that there is no cleaning solution left. Let the water drain and wait for as long as it needs to get dry properly. Then put back the chassis on.

Step VI

Anti Bacterial Solution

After you are done with the main steps to clean the air conditioner, there is only one more step left before you assemble the air conditioner like the way it was. Use an anti-bacterial solution to spray over all the things – filters, condenser coils, fan coils. It will prevent any bacteria from going through it. All over it will be healthy for you.

Cleaning your air conditioner does not only help the cool air to pass through but also keeps us healthy because it prevents you from breathing dusty, bacterial air. No one likes a dusty air conditioner, and thus, wipe the outer body of the AC as well to make it look neat and clean. You should at least clean our air conditioners every three months. And when you have not used it for a long time (in winter), make sure to clean the air conditioner once before you start using it again to breathe fresh air and not the dusty air.