How to Get Rid of Mold in an Air Conditioner
Whenever humidity and summer heat combine in an enclosed area, mold can become a problem. For this reason, air conditioners provide an ideal environment for mold to flourish. Of course, mold and mold spores can cause allergies to flare up along with many other health concerns, especially when circulated throughout your home by way of your air conditioner. For this reason, it is important to clean the mold out of your air conditioner regularly. Fortunately, doing so is not as difficult as you may think. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Metal can
- Vacuum
- Towels
- Old toilet brush
- Various screwdrivers
- Degreaser (in a spray bottle)
- Replacement a/c filter
Instructions
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1
Remove the filter. If it is disposable, replace it with a new filter of the appropriate size. If not, clean it by soaking in hot water for 10 to 30 minutes, then wipe and rinse off and hang to dry.
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2
Remove the front grill from air conditioner per manufacturer's instructions; and remove the metal cover from air conditioner so that you can see inside. Make sure that you place all screws into the can so they are not misplaced.
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3
Using the old toilet brush, remove all visible dirt and dust from the internal components of the air conditioner, taking care with delicate parts and mechanisms. After dirt is gone, wipe with degreaser and damp towels to eliminate the mold accumulation. You may want to allow the degreaser to sit for a few minutes. In addition, you will want to rinse excess degreaser off with water on a damp towel.
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4
Vacuum the front grill, ensuring that all of the grill slats are free of dust accumulation.
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5
Wipe off the metal cover, paying special attention to any vents where dirt, dust, moisture and mold may accumulate. You may want to vacuum out any of these vents.
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6
Replace metal cover, filter and grill. Ensure that all screws are tightened, and the filter is completely dry.
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7
Drain any remaining water in the base, and allow the unit to air dry for a few hours to discourage new mold growth.
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Tips & Warnings
Have your air conditioners manual available to expedite the disassembly process. Try to keep the screws you remove from your air conditioner so that they can be replaced properly.
Do not work on your air conditioner unless you have disconnected it from its power source. Be careful when working around belts and other easy to damage parts.
