How to Clean Split System Air Conditioner

Anyone who has an air conditioner at home knows very well that cleaning the unit is a must. Neglecting this activity can prove to be dangerous in terms of health consequences for both adult household members and children. Fortunately, you can use home methods to refresh your air conditioner. Today, we're featuring Local Technician's expert tips on how to clean your air conditioner step-by-step.

Step by step homemade ways to clean your air conditioner

Cleaning your air conditioner at home is essential for any unit to function properly. The air conditioner, through the constant exchange of air, is exposed to the collection of dirt. Dust, fungus and other bacteria in the air get into the heat exchangers and settle in the unit. The same thing happens in a portable air conditioner.

The most important part of any air conditioner is the filter. It collects most dirt. When cleaning the device, first turn it off, remove the housing and gently pull out the filter. Then the element should be washed under running water with the addition of, for example, washing-up liquid or soap. The same applies to the condensate collecting tray. Finally, wipe the accumulated dust with a cloth where you can.

It is worth investing in chemicals. You should pay attention to whether it will not be harmful to children. Using chemicals will allow you to keep the air conditioner clean longer. It is also important to take care of cleanliness in the room where the air conditioner is located. First of all, we are talking about the floor. There accumulates the most dust, which, together with the movement of air, falls into the air conditioner.

How to clean your air conditioner - proven methods

Cleaning the air conditioning system alone is not always enough. From time to time the system should be disinfected. The resulting moisture in the device, leads to the formation of allergens, which can be harmful to health. Disinfecting will kill any bacteria and improve comfort.

The moisture created in the air conditioner promotes the formation of fungus. When this happens, it is the unpleasant smell that is noticeable. It is crucial to regularly clean your home air conditioner. Air conditioning service is therefore a basic activity that should be performed at least once a year.

How to clean the air conditioner? There are several methods of cleaning the air-conditioning system. The best known way to clean home A/C is the foam method or use of chemical spray. In both cases it is sprayed inside the air conditioner. It is necessary to ventilate the room. Another method is ozonization. Effective, but expensive way. It is performed together with chemicals. Ozone decontamination is performed by professional companies. There is also an ultrasonic method. Steam generated by a special process, reaches all the nooks and crannies of the device and cleans them thoroughly.

Cleaning split air conditioning on your own

Split air conditioning consists of 2 units (external and internal), namely the condenser and evaporator. It is characterized by quiet operation. The condenser is usually located outside the room where the air conditioner is located. The place of the evaporator with the control electronics, however, is inside the room.

Cleaning a split air conditioner yourself is similar to cleaning a traditional air conditioner. First, you need to dismantle the housing and remove the filter. Wash the element under running water with soap and rinse with a germicide. Heat exchangers and condensate tray also require disinfection. Disinfecting the evaporator is done from the top by pouring in the chemical. The liquid gradually flows down the unit and finally reaches the tube that drains the condensate.

The condenser also needs maintenance. The most important thing here is the radiator. Dirt such as leaves, dust or sand are sucked into the radiator with the air. This part of the condenser needs to be checked from time to time. Acid- and alkali-based chemicals are used to clean the unit. Spraying creates a foam that removes the dirt. Simply rinse it off with water.

Cleaning the A/C system with the ultrasonic method

The ultrasonic method, is considered the most effective way to clean air conditioning not only at home, but also in the car. It removes difficult and strong contaminants resulting from lack of proper care and maintenance of the device. The cause can also be decaying food or a prolonged break in use.

Disinfection is done with a device that sprays a cleaning detergent in the form of steam. The detergent is usually anti-allergenic. The whole process involves the production of ultrasound with a frequency of 1.7 MHz by a special device. Then the steaming preparation turns into a mist that reaches the inside of the air conditioner.

The ultrasonic method removes odor, eliminates all viruses and fungi and effectively sanitizes. On average, cleaning a split-type home air conditioner takes about 40 minutes. Interestingly, the amount of chemicals used during the ultrasonic method, corresponds to about 10 pieces of spray.

Air conditioning service - is it a must?

Air conditioning cleaning at home is an obligatory activity of each owner of this device. It is best done once every two months. At least once a year you should have the device cleaned by a professional company.

After all, it is about health, especially of our children. So to enjoy the comfort of using an air conditioner, let's take care of the cleanliness of the room and try to wash the elements of the device ourselves from time to time. The same should be done in the case of a portable air conditioner.

Knowing how to clean an air conditioner, it is enough to choose one of the ways. You can deal with this without stretching your household budget. Not everyone will be able to afford, for example, ozone or ultrasonic cleaning services. Fortunately, there are chemicals and detergents that will do the job.

The chemicals and detergents

It is worth remembering that choosing the wrong chemical product will make the cleaning ineffective. This means lower cooling efficiency and higher failure rate of the equipment as well as higher power consumption. It can even lead to damage of the cleaned elements.

On the other hand, an untested disinfectant may mean that we will still be exposed to the presence of harmful microorganisms, e.g. if it only masks the unpleasant smell instead of disinfecting effectively. Therefore, it is worth choosing high quality and highly effective chemicals.