How to properly clean your window air conditioner

The proper way to clean and maintain your window air conditioner unit for better cooling efficiancy. A window unit's evaporator coil (the indoor coil) will often ice up when the coils become very dirty which restricts the airflow though it. Brushing the evaporator coil only will push dirt further into the coil so don't do that.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Phillips screw driver
• 1/4in nut driver
• Sprey bottel
• Evaporater coil cleaner
• Eye gogles
• Water hose
• Fin comb
• Rubber Gloves

1. To properly clean your air unit you must remove it from the window. First unplug the unit and remove the front cover. If you have a slide- in model remove the two set scews on either side of the unit located towards the bottom at the unit's base, and two set screws in the back of unit outside. There may also be a screw for the ground wire that is attached to unit's case, this too must be removed. Now slide the unit out and carry outside. If your unit is not a slide out, unplug it. Remove the screws from the units curtains, usually two at top and two on bottom. Go outside and hold unit while someone raises the window. Continue holding unit as the other person now pushes the curtains inward. Now remove unit from window.

2. 
    
   Green Coil Cleaner

   Now that your unit has been removed to outside, place unit on ground or a picnic table. Take spray bottle and fill it half full of evaorator coil cleaner and add water til full. If your unit is a slide out model, then now remove the front top panel to expose the evaporator blower wheel or squirrel cage. This must be cleaned as well, because the shape of the fan blades will hold dirt and mold, this will effect the amount of air the fan can move. If your unit is not a pull out then remove the screws from the unit's wrap and place screws in can to prevent losing them. Remove the wrap and curtains from unit to exspose the components. There may be a piece of styrofoam that you need to be removed in front of unit to expose blower wheel. Put on rubber gloves and goggles. Spray both coils with your coil cleaning mixture. The cleaner solution may foam and appear to be smoking, this is normal. Spray both coils liberally avoid spraying units control area, try to keep this area dry, You may want to wrap the control area with plastic wrap, but do not worry if you get it wet. After about ten minutes, the dirt and algae has broken down sufficiantly to now wash the unit. Take a garden hose and wash off the coils and wash the blower wheel removing all dirt, mold and algae from the units coils and blower. After a good rinse, drain water from unit's pan and let dry. If the controls have become wet, set unit in sun for about one hour before reinstalling. Replace all screws to unit and reset in window. If any fins on the coil have become damaged or bent, take fin comb and lightly comb out dented fins on both coils.

3. To keep unit from getting alot of algae growth in the future, take two capfulls of bleach and pour into the condensate pan (under the evapcoil) or into the water pan on the outside of the unit monthly. The bleach will stop algae (slime) growth. When removing the air filter for cleaning, turn the unit off first so that dust and lint will not be pulled off filter into the coils. This process should be done every year at the start of cooling season.

Tips & Warnings

• Pick a sunny day to do this to help the dry unit. You can also do this for extra money, I usually charge $50.00 for a small unit (below 10,000 BTU's) and as much as $75.00 for larger units. If unit, for some reason is very difficult to remove and requires more effort and a second person, I may charge $100.00 to remove clean and reinstall.
• When using coil cleaner always wear safety goggles and rubber gloves as the cleaner is corosive and can seriously harm your eyes and irratate your skin. Always use evaporator cleaner only. This cleaner is usually green in color. Condenser coil cleaner and other coil cleaners are also corosive and will damage your coils if not properly used, so just do not use them. I recommend only the green evaporator cleaner.

[SEOGUY]

on 4/14/2009 Thank you I am glad you found it useful

[lmccray4]

on 3/28/2009 very informative 5*