Cleaning your home air conditioner on your own: tools, tips, videos

Everyone is trying to create comfortable conditions in the apartment, so they often install air conditioners that cool (heat) the air and create a favorable temperature in the room. But it’s one thing to establish, and another thing to remember is that the air conditioner requires care and cleaning.

When is it time to clean the air conditioner?

It is time to clean the air conditioner if, when turning on the device:

• nose catches odors;
• strange sounds are heard;
• power drops;
• energy costs are increasing.

How to clean the external unit of the air conditioner?

If a large amount of dust accumulates on the outdoor unit, natural garbage - feathery or poplar fluff, then only the power of the air conditioner decreases, and the energy consumption increases, but the device starts strongly overheat. Therefore, the housing must be cleaned.

There are several ways to clean the external unit of the air conditioner:

• One of the most common cleaning methods is a regular brush that gently sweeps away trash. Of course, such a method is ineffective, but it is the simplest and most affordable.
• Some clean the hull with automotive tools. They quickly dissolve pollution and really have proven themselves well.
• The most powerful way is high-pressure cleaning, which is used by specialists:

Cleaning the air conditioner indoor unit

The indoor unit must be washed regularly and more often than the external one. Some nodes need to be cleaned once every 2 weeks, others less often, depending on how quickly they become contaminated and what the task is.

Filters

The main task of internal filters is air filtration, dust and various pollution retention. They make the air cleaner, so they need regular cleaning. Air conditioner manufacturers recommend cleaning them once every 2 weeks. Despite a simple operation, many forget about it, and as a result - odors in the room or a breakdown of the split system.

Learn how to get rid of the smell from the air conditioner. here.

Cleaning Algorithm:

1. Remove the cover of the indoor unit.
2. Carefully remove the filter.
3. Place it in a container with soapy water for 3 minutes.
4. After rinsing under a stream of warm water.
5. Dried naturally. They cannot be affected by hot air.
6. Set in place.

There are two types of filters - mesh and pocket. If the first type can be washed and dried repeatedly, then pocket ones have an expiration date. If, over time, the air conditioner starts to work worse even after a cleaning procedure, then it means it's time to replace the cassette filter.

Rotor turbine

With regular filter cleaning, it is cleaned once a year in the fall or as it becomes dirty. How to act:

1. Open the cover of the indoor unit and remove the filter.
2. Soap solution is applied to all blades using a brush with long bristles.
3. Leave for 5 minutes. Cellophane is placed under the diffuser grill and the turbine is turned on. All dirt and debris from the rotor is blown to the floor.
4. Once again, the parts are cleaned of residual dirt.
5. Replace the filter and close the lid.

Evaporator grate

It is a system of tubes in which freon evaporates.

It is recommended that the evaporator grate be cleaned once a year before starting the split system. To restore order, do not use metal brushes and objects that can damage it.

Cleaning is carried out in the following sequence:

1. Open the cover of the split system.
2. Remove the front grill that closes the heat exchanger.
3. Take a soft brush with a long handle and a vacuum cleaner.
4. Using a brush, gently remove dust and dirt, and collect with a vacuum cleaner with a narrow nozzle.

With a recommended cleaning period, the heat exchanger quickly and well cleans. But with severe pollution, a steam generator can not do.

Drainage

Stagnation in the drainage system provokes the development of mold. And clogging of the tubes with dirt and fat deposits leads to a breakdown of the split system. Therefore, the drain pan is periodically washed from dirt and excess moisture. After all, mold easily and quickly spreads on the walls and fins of the radiator and can become a source of musty odor.

The drainage system is cleaned depending on the degree of contamination in various ways:

• Lightly soiled it is simply washed with clean water or soap is added, a dishwashing detergent. Through the heat exchanger, the liquid itself enters the drainage.
• If there is a blockage or dirt is deposited inside the tube, then drainage is disconnected for washing. The pipeline is purged with a vacuum cleaner, thereby removing clogging and cleaning it from accumulated dirt.
• With a large degree of pollution apply the most time-consuming, but very effective way - the analysis of the block. For this, the air conditioner will have to be completely disassembled in parts. The pipeline is pulled out, purged and washed along the entire length, cleaning all bends and loops.

When the split system is completely washed and put in order, the final step is antibacterial cleaning. It removes extraneous odors, eliminates germs, fungi and mold. For this, the air conditioner is turned on at maximum power, the mode is cooling, and a spray is sprayed inside to clean the air conditioners.

Cleaning products for air conditioners

There are special tools for washing air conditioners. On store shelves they are represented by a wide range. These are mainly aerosols and foam in cans. They are used to clean the heat exchanger and drainage system.

Aerosols and sprays

How to clean:

1. Air conditioning included at low power.
2. Spray aerosol through openings on the heat exchanger.
3. Wait 10-15 minutes while the cleaner is working.
4. Ventilate and dry the device in ventilation mode (see also - what are the modes in the air conditioner).

Minus funds: They are quickly consumed - on average they last for 2 cleanings, and with severe pollution they generally do not always cope with the task.

Foam

Foam is often used to clean only the heat exchanger. How to clean:

1. Shake the bottle well.
2. Spray evenly onto the heat exchanger.
3. After a while, it turns into a liquid and, together with impurities, goes into the drainage system.
4. After cleaning, include ventilation to dry.

Video: Disassembling and cleaning the air conditioner

About the maintenance of the air conditioner - cleaning filters and other elements of the indoor unit, will be described in the following video:

Whatever cleaning method is chosen, the filters and the external unit can be washed without fear using their own resources. For a deep washing of the internal system, it is better to call professionals, since any, even the most miserable violation, can lead to malfunctioning of the system or to its breakdown.