Do you know how to clean air conditioner? Usually, when we think of cleaning houses, offices or business premises, we do it based on all the surfaces and elements that are in sight. We can even take care of cleaning the interior areas of cupboards and drawers.
But It is very frequent that the need to maintain the cleanliness of less visible areas. Such as the cleaning of pipes, the no less important need to clean the air conditioner with a certain periodicity. In this article, we are going to discuss how to clean air conditioner and why? Let’s start.
We always include in our cleaning and disinfection protocol, all those elements forgotten by the majority of customers and users. We give the great importance of its sanitation and cleaning when it comes to achieving a complete and effective environmental cleanup.
Why and How to clean air conditioner
The importance of properly maintaining and cleaning our air conditioning machines not only rests on keeping their exterior appearance gleaming. It also affects our pocket, health, and optimal functioning.
Why clean an air conditioner?
Clean the air conditioning machine to avoid repercussions on your health and that of your family. You are concerned about maintaining the cleanliness of the home or place of work. In addition to thinking about the maintenance of cleanliness of the surfaces you see, you should make a more global method. Because there are a large number of pathogenic elements that can affect us by air.
These are particles in suspension such as pollen, bacteria, and viruses. It enters our body when we breathe. So, in addition to conventional cleaning, if you want to protect yours, you should periodically perform a complete cleaning. The devices involved in the quality and temperature of the air.
In this sense, not only the cleaning of air conditioners is involved. Also, the cleaning of kitchen extractor hoods, the extractors of bathrooms. Allergies or headaches that you have observed in your environment. You are also interested in air purification systems, as ways to maintain proper cleaning and environmental disinfection.
Sick building syndrome
The air conditioning machines suck the outside air conducted from the inlet terminals. Through the filters that retain harmful particles in suspension. After the cooling or heating process. Depending on the selected temperature, they return to expel the cold or hot air from the channels.
If proper maintenance and cleaning of filters are not carried out, these will act as a barrier formed by the accumulated dust, preventing the normal circulation of air, and releasing part of the particles stored in each new operating cycle.
Air conditioning machines produce water that is the most optimal medium for the proliferation of fungi and mold. Surely as you are reading questions such as these arise that we answer below:
How to know if your air conditioner is full of mold and fungus?
If when you put the machine into operation you notice more humidity, bad smell, or both, your air conditioner needs an urgent cleaning.
When and how often do you have to clean the filters?
If your air conditioning machine does not have a heat pump. It is enough to clean it at the beginning of the summer season. Also, clean in the middle of summer.
If your air conditioner is constantly used both in winter and summer. You will have to increase the cleaning frequency of the filters. Try turning clean air conditioning filters into a seasonal routine.
Economic reasons: keeping your air conditioner clean
Deposits of dust and other accumulated debris in air conditioners slow down normal operation. It means that they spend a longer time to reach the desired temperature. Thereby producing a greater expenditure of electricity with each new use. So, it is important to clean the air conditioner inside.
In addition to the economic reasons, there are also other reasons for proper maintenance of the air conditioning. Such as optimizing its performance. The dirt in an air conditioning machinery produces alterations in their functions. It can eventually result in a more or less expensive repair.
How to clean air conditioner step by step?
Filter cleaning
Dirty filters in air conditioners usually produce bad smells. To do the basic cleaning for air conditioning filters, first disconnect the appliance, to avoid the danger of electric shock, then lift the front cover behind which filters are usually found in many models of appliances, and after removing them from their location, vacuum to collect all the dust.
If the air conditioning filters are very dirty or greasy, you can also clean them with a dishwasher and all the water you need.
Before mounting, make sure they are completely dry.
When it comes to keeping your air machine in perfect condition, in addition to cleaning care, it is advisable to maintain the proper level of the gas load, since if the level is lowered, the appliance will pull more energy than necessary.
If your air conditioner loses gas, it can suffer an irreversible breakdown.
Cleaning of air conditioning tubes
In many houses and offices, the air conditioning is distributed to the rooms channeled through ducts that end in grilles.
Normally the pipes and grilles are usually placed on the top of the walls.
In order to clean the ducts, you will need a ladder and the help of someone to hold the vacuum as close as possible to the grille.
The first thing you should do is remove the grid cover, which can be placed under pressure, or fastened with screws.
Next, with the vacuum connected, insert the hose slowly and move from side to side to trap most of the dust.
The cleaning of the grids is as simple as washing them with dish soap, rinse and dry well before placing again.
Before re-installing the grids, check for other dirt with the help of a damp cloth and, introducing the hand as far as possible, to see if there is mold.
If you find yourself in this situation, it is best to go to a professional cleaning service. They solve the problem completely. Since with the domestic media and without technical knowledge. It is very difficult to clean the entire installation with a guarantee.
Cleaning the indoor and outdoor unit
When we talk about the cleaning of the outdoor air conditioning unit, we refer to the cleaning of all the components that are inside the machine. With the use and the exposure to the meteorological agents and contamination. In the case of the machines outside, you see a ridiculous amount of dirt that we cannot see from the outside area.
Both the drainage tray, the ventilated, the turbine and other internal components store a lot of dirt progressively. It slows down the operation of the machine and can lead to failure.
The maintenance and cleaning of the units is a technical task that must perform by professionals specialized in this type of service. Since you have to uninstall the device from the wall. From here, you able to work correctly and without staining anything.
Disassemble the casings, disconnect temperature sensors and power system. Protecting all delicate parts and in contact with the power supply. Then disassemble each piece or part of the equipment to clean in depth. First removing the dust with the vacuum cleaner and then spraying chemical products. Take the help of a pressure cleaning machine.
Finally, make sure to dry all the wet parts, remove the protections. Reinstall all the elements, and make the connections. Finally, place the device in its location.
As you can see clean the air conditioning and keep it. It is not an easy task. It is very likely that you are not familiar with the assembly and disassembly of this type of equipment.
An inadequate cleaning or a wrong assembly is as dangerous to the operation of your air conditioner as dirt.
Final thought,
In centralized installations of air conditioning, it is fundamental to maintain an enough periodic cleaning. Both of the units, as well as of the ducts. To avoid problems with agents causing airborne infections. Such as the dangerous legionella, which can affect many users collectively.
Now that you know how to clean air conditioner and its importance. If you need to clean your equipment, start cleaning now.
