How To Clean Air Conditioning Unit
Your air conditioner needs some extra care every once in a while if you want it to run well for years to come. For instance, cleaning the inside and outside units is one of the best types of investments that you can make for the overall functioning of your air conditioner. If it’s time to put some effort into cleaning your air conditioner, take a look at this step-by-step list of instructions.
Safety First
When you’re going to work on your air conditioner, making sure that you’re safe throughout the entire process should be your top concern. To ensure that there isn’t a risk of getting electrocuted, the first thing that you should do is turn off the power to the air conditioner by shutting it off at the circuit breaker.
Steps to Cleaning the Indoor Unit
The next step is to clean the inside unit. There are a couple of pieces that can get clogged or dirty. For instance, the evaporator coils should be cleaned with a soft cloth or brush. To access the evaporator coils, you’ll need to remove the access door first. The next step is to clean the drip pan, which can accumulate mold. Pull it out of the unit through the door. Then, use a mixture of water and bleach to get rid of the mold and other bacteria that might be growing in the tray.
Next, clean any debris that might have been caught in the drain. Usually, the line will drain into another drain on the basement floor or outside the house. To clean away any debris that might be clogging the line, you should use a wet vac to suck it out of the line where it drains out. You can use tape to make the connection from the line to the wet vac attachment stronger.
Steps to Cleaning the Outdoor Unit
If you’ve finished cleaning the indoor unit, it’s time to clean the outdoor unit, which will usually be located on a concrete slab on the side of the house. One of the first things you should do is clear away any brush on or around the sides of the air conditioner. This brush might be in the form of leaves, twigs and branches, weeds, overgrown bushes, or clippings from other yard work. If you need to get out a trimmer to cut back brush, this is a good time to do it.
The next step is to remove the cover, if you have one. If you do have a cover, you’ll probably have to spend less time removing debris from the inside of the machine. But the next step is to pull off the grate that covers the rest of the air conditioner. This grate might be secured with screws, so you’ll like have to remove them first. Make sure that you hold on to them for later when you want to put the grate back on.
Later, you should use a hose to spray the dirt off of the air conditioner. Then, you should also straighten the fins near the condenser coils. These fins are responsible for distributing energy efficiently, and when they’re bent, they can no longer distribute the air and energy evenly. This leads to a loss in efficiency, which you will notice in your energy bills. To straighten the fins, use a special comb that’s made specifically for this purpose. You can often find these at home improvement stores. You’ll pull the comb evenly through the fins until they’re straight. You should also use a cloth to soak up excess water from when you sprayed down the unit. The final step is to put the grate back on top of the unit, and secure it in place with the screws.
Turn It Back on
Once you’ve gone through the entire process of cleaning the air conditioner, flip the switch to the air conditioner in the circuit breaker box back to the “on” position. Then, turn the thermostat back to the “cool” position.
Whenever you have an air conditioner, you should know how to take care of it so that it lasts as long as possible. Cleaning it can help prolong its life and reduce your energy costs. Contact Jeffries Heating & Air + Plumbing in Somerset, KY, when you want to get your air conditioner professionally cleaned. We also offer a full range of heating and cooling services, such as maintenance, repair and installation services.
