DIY Aircon Cleaning

[Jason_10]

Hi guys! any tips and tricks on how to clean our a/c? I've a panasonic window type a/c and I'm afraid of damaging the circuits just like what I did with my condura years ago.

[tatoski]

Cleaning an a/c unit involves cleaning the heat exchange surfaces. These are the condenser (where hot air blows out) and the evaportator (where cold air blows from). Cleaning the unit will bring back the cooling efficiency of the unit and will eventually lower electrical bills. Cleaning is done by soap and water and possibly with a pressure washer.

To clean the evaporator and the condenser coils of your window type a/c, remove the unit from its housing and place it somewhere you can hose down the unit. Protect electricals by wrapping with plastic and remember not to wet the fan motor. Wet the coils and apply detergent dissolved in water over the fins. Let the detergent sit for a while to do its work. Hose it down with pressure washer. A soft bristle brush can be used to help remove stubborn soil and dirt. Adjust the pressure so as not to distort the fins. Water from the hose connected to a tap can be used if pressure washer is not available. Repeat if not satisfied. Be careful not to bend any tubing especially the capilliary tube. When unit is not dripping wet anymore, remove the plastic and reinstall.

[kinjikitatani]

thank you sir tatoski. will try to clean my aircon this long week end

hi. i cleaned my aircon last weekend. first time it was cleaned in 4 years, i mean the inside portion. i make it a point to clean the outside grills every two weeks.

made it a point to wrap in plastic the motor and other electrical wirings with plastic. since i had no pressure washer, i had to do it with a garden hose. takes some time but job was still done.

the improved efficiency is readily observable. before, always nakalagay sa 16 yung control. now, 20 or 22, its still very cool.

thanks,

[B2Bomber]

how frequent should ac cleaning be done?tia.

[kinjikitatani]

recommended is once every 3 months. but i really dont know. the aircon in our office is cleaned on an annual basis and it is used at least 8 hours six days a week. its still working.

[PapaBear]

i've been meaning to ask... do we need to have our home aircon unit serviced? i mean, is it like our car aircon where we have it loaded with freon or whatever periodically?

[2diy4]

If wall mounted, anyone can bring it down and clean the evaporator and condenser with soap and water and a garden hose. But if split type, best to have someone service the unit. These units are sealed, and should not need to have freon recharged.

[nicolodeon]

window type aircon, easy to bring down and clean. i do the cleaning myself. getting the heavy aircon unit down then up its "perch" is the problem as i usually need to enlist the help of some neighbors.

[maxbuwaya]

Take photos of Electrical thingy of your aircon so you wont forget if you install it back

[Gumusut_Amige]

If wall mounted, anyone can bring it down and clean the evaporator and condenser with soap and water and a garden hose. But if split type, best to have someone service the unit. These units are sealed, and should not need to have freon recharged. pero kung nalinis mo na sya at mahina ang lamig malamang meron ng freon leak somewhere. a qualified aircon technician can do the trick.

[freeman]

Did this myself. Di naman mahirap, parang lego lang. Just need help in putting the unit back on and careful on the aluminum fins that may get punctured.

I didnt use lye btw. Just detergent. I think it does more harm than good. Your thoughts?

[kchan]

hi guys, tanong ko lang kung ano yung evaporator and condenser coils.
yan po ba yung fins sa likod and sa harap nang window type?

kasi ung aircon ko sa office had to be clean atleast every 2 months, mahal naman kung ipapaservice ko palagi. minsan nililinisan ko and still mahina ang bugay nang air. today i tried spraying compressed air using compressor and still the same parin.

[thepossessed]

kchan, evaporator is the fins at the front and condenser is at the back.

using air compressor in my opinion won't work. The unit needs to be pulled out and serviced with water. The next question I would ask is, the location of your aircon? I mean are you in a factory? a very commercial area where pollution is higher than normal? the size in hp of your aircon?

normally, when i clean my aircon, I use SOSA and pour it to the fins slowly then I spray water after 1 to 2mins. Make sure you're in a highly ventilated area or best if in an open area as the solution will produce smoke.

hope it helps.

[pinoytypist]

thanks sa thread na to...just finished cleaning our aircon about an hour ago..madali lang talaga..I just used detergent and garden hose :cool: . 1/2 hp lng kaya nakaya ko rin na ako na lang mag isa..just saved some bucks for today doing the cleaning myself..

[balarila]

Just a bit of warning on safety:

Did this myself several years ago. Found one of those spray-on-then-wash-off aerosol Aircon cleaners. Was bold enough to do this without gloves. Got the aircon out and onto the floor. Cut my palm in several parallel slits when I tried to push the Aircon a bit because those aluminum fins were sharp as knives!

From then on, I just pay two guys P500 to clean annually.

[pyth]

A must tool for AC cleaning..
***Link Deleted'***

* Please post for sale items on the appropriate thread.

[James Talyor]

Hi to everyone, this is my first post.

I just want to share my way of cleaning my window type AC that I've learned from a friend working in an AC company abroad. Every 3 months i pull out my AC and clean it just like everybody does, but once a year i clean grills by spraying(hair spray bottle) it using 1:4 ratio of drain cleaner (liquid sosa) and water, after spraying you will see bubbling in the grill as the solution dislodge the dirt and grime that cannot be remove by soap and water, immediately rinse it using garden hose. after doing this you see that aluminum grills looks new again. Finally wash it with soap.

! ! ! WARNING ! ! !

Drain cleaner are corrosive, even on glass

- Wear a plastic goggles
- Wear rubber gloves
- Do not leave the cleaning solution on the grill for a long time

[balarila]

There is a young Cowboy who lives on the range,
His horse and his cattle are his only companions...:)


Good tip, BTW.