How to Clean an Air Conditioner

Air conditioning is not something you want to be without. There is nothing worse than waking up on a hot summer's day to a stuffy home, turning on the air conditioner and feeling hot air. This is why cleaning your air conditioner is so important.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Drain cap
• Wet/dry vacuum
• Air conditioner cleaner

1. Change the filter. This should be done on a monthly basis but do it now if it has not been done regularly.

2. Turn off the power to your air conditioner.

3. Cap your air conditioning drain.

4. Find the end of the drain outside your home and use a wet/dry vacuum to suck out unwanted contents from the drain.

5. Remove the cap on your drain.

6. Wet your air conditioners coils with a hose.

7. Spray commercial air conditioner cleaner on the coils and let it set as directed on the bottle.

8. Rinse the cleaner off as directed on the bottle.

9. Let the air conditioner dry and then turn the power back on.

Tips & Warnings

• You should have a professional vacuum your drain annually to prevent mold buildup.
• If your air conditioner is a window version, clean the coil's fins with the soft brush attachment on your vacuum.
• You can purchase a cap for your drain from your local hardware store.
• Flip the circuit breaker that powers your air conditioner to turn it off before cleaning. Failing to turn off the power could cause you to be shocked during the cleaning process.
• Use a wet-dry vacuum when cleaning out the drain to prevent being shocked.

[projectmgr]

on 8/12/2008 Could you advise what a drain cap is? What does it look like and what is the purpose of capping the drain. Perhaps a diagram might help me to understand it better. Thanks.