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How To Clean Your Air Conditioner

It’s hard to imagine life without an air conditioning unit when the weather heats up. As with any complicated system, you may notice your AC becoming less effective over time. This means your AC has to work harder to produce the same amount of cooler air as it once did. The good news is that often this can be alleviated with a simple cleaning. Cleaning is an easy way to maintain your cooling system and prolong its life. It will also help you avoid unnecessary AC repairs. You could even save on your energy bill. The following is a guide on how to clean your air conditioning unit and how Guaranteed Comfort Heating & Cooling can help.

When cleaning your air conditioning unit, you’ll have to clean both the inside and outside components. On the inside are your evaporator coils. Outside, you’ll find the condenser coil. Be sure to set aside a few hours for this job.

1. Turn Off the Power to Your AC

First, you’ll want to clean the outside component of your air conditioning unit. On the outside of your house, you’ll find a shutoff to your AC. This involves either pulling out a block or switching the power to the “off” position. If you’re unsure, you can also turn off the power to your AC on your home’s main electrical panel.

2. Clean Away Any Debris

Next, you’ll want to remove any debris on the outside of your unit. Use a vacuum cleaner to do this. Clear away any loose grass, leaves or other debris from the exterior of your AC. Make sure to only use a soft brush handle on your vacuum to avoid damaging any components.

3. Remove the Fan

Before you can clean the AC fins and condenser coil, you’ll have to remove the fan. To do so, unscrew the AC’s top grille. Be careful when pulling out the fan. You’ll want to put it to the side of the unit and out of harm’s way. Once the fan is removed, clean out any leaves or other debris that may be on the inside.

4. Clean the AC Fins

Now you’re ready to clean the fins. To do so, you’ll need a regular water hose with a spray nozzle. Gently spray the water through the fins from the inside of the unit.

5. Clean the Condenser Coil

To clean the AC condenser coil, you’ll need a cleaning solution. This can be purchased at any hardware store. Use a pump sprayer to apply the solution to the condenser coil. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then wash it off with your hose.

6. Reinstall the Fan

After you’ve cleaned the fins and coil, you’ll want to reinstall the fan. Make sure to not stress any of the electrical wires attached to it. Finally, screw the grille back on.

7. Check the Filter

Now that you’ve cleaned the outside component of your AC unit, it’s time to clean the inside. Once again, you’ll want to make sure the power to the AC is off. You can then pull out the filter to your unit and replace it if it’s dirty.

8. Open Your AC Unit

Your indoor unit should have a door to the evaporator coil. Remove any screws and set them aside.

9. Clean the Evaporator Coils

With a soft brush, gently clean the evaporator coil to remove dust or other debris. You’ll next want to clean the coil with a coil cleaner from a hardware store. When you apply the cleaner, it should foam up and drip into the drain pan.

10. Clean the Drain Pan

To clean the drain pan, you’ll want to use a 50/50 mixture of water and bleach. To clean the drain, pour the solution down it.

11. Close the AC Unit

Once everything is clean, you can reattach the access panel to your indoor AC unit. You’ve now cleaned both the inside and outside components of your air conditioning unit.