How to Clean a Room Air Conditioner

A simple cleaning is all it takes to go along your room air conditioner humming.

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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 continue your house cooler by cleaning a room air conditioner yourself.

Tools Required

Materials Required

  • A/C coil cleaner
  • Electric motor oil
  • Household cleaner

How to Clean Your A/C Unit of measurement

Most people assume warm air from their air conditioning unit of measurement ways it'due south low on refrigerant. That's not e'er the cause. Many times, window and through-the-wall A/C units can't blow cold air considering the evaporator and condenser coils or cooling fins are clogged. Hither are some air-conditioning mistakes you lot tin avoid.

Professional person cleaning costs more than than $100. But y'all can practise the entire job yourself in well-nigh an hr with a few dollars in supplies. If cleaning doesn't do the fob, you can e'er telephone call in a pro (or buy a newer, more efficient unit). Just before you practise that, check out our step-by-step air conditioner cleaning instructions beneath.

Plus, here'south where you shouldn't install your A/C.

Projection footstep-past-step (6)

Step 1

The Cleaning Procedure:

First, remove the plastic filter holder/trim panel. It usually snaps off. Then remove the unit from the window or slide it out of the wall. (Get help. It'southward heavy.)

If yous're working on a window A/C unit, remove the mounting frame and the case. The case screws are usually located along the bottom edge. Note the location of any odd-length screws since they take to get back in the same spots upon reassembly. Plus, your air conditioner won't piece of work fully if yous don't practise this.

Footstep 2

Comb Out the Mats

  • Straighten the aptitude cooling fins with a fin comb.
  • Friction match the correct end of the air conditioner fin comb to the fin spacing on your coils.
  • And then insert the air conditioner fin comb and pull upward to straighten the fins.
  • Wear leather gloves to prevent nasty cuts.

comb out air conditioner mats

Stride 3

Air Conditioner Fin Comb Details

  • Fin combs are available for almost common air conditioners.
  • Get fin combs on Amazon.

air conditioner fin comb

Step 4

Clean Out the Crud

  • Purchase 2 cans of A/C unit roll cleaner (nosotros used Air-conditioning-Safe No. Air-conditioning-920 from The Home Depot.).
  • Earlier applying the cleaner, vacuum all visible buildup from both coils.

clean out air conditioner crud

Stride 5

Use Cream Cleaner

  • Shoot the spray over the entire surface of both coils and let the foam do 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

Step 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, pop them and squeeze in a few drops of electric motor oil (pros apply the Zoomspout oiler) and epitomize.
  • Finally, wash (or supplant) the air filter and reinstall the unit.
  • Information technology just might accident a lot cooler. If non, you lot take other issues!

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

service air conditioner fan