How To Clean The Air Conditioner Coils

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Cleaning your air conditioner's condenser coils regularly will let it run cooler with less energy and brand yous feel more comfortable. The best time to make clean your air conditioner is in the spring, but before yous need to start using information technology for the first fourth dimension in the twelvemonth. If you lot spot any problems with your air-conditioning unit as yous make clean it, contact a certified technician to repair them.

1. 1

   Shut off the ability to the air conditioner. Most outdoor air conditioning units accept an appliance shut off box situated nearby. Open the door on the box and flip the switch or remove the fuse to cut power to the air conditioner. Window and wall units can usually only be unplugged.^[one]

   • If yous accept no shut off box, or if you just desire an extra layer of safety, turn off the power at the excursion breaker in your house.^[2]
   • Never attempt to work on an air-conditioning unit without first disconnecting the ability.

2. ii

   Have the air conditioner out of the window (when applicative). Window units can commonly be cleaned just like central air units, but the coils will exist easier to access if y'all remove the unit from the window before you first working on it.^[3]

   • The layout of window units is different than indoor or outdoor primal air units, but the functions and parts are effectively the same.
   • Be sure to lay the air conditioner on a apartment surface, preferably outdoors, for cleaning.

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3. 3

   Trim foliage so it isn't closer than two anxiety (0.half-dozen meters) to the unit. As the seasons modify and leaves fall from trees, they can collect on the air conditioning unit or even slip inside through the heat dissipation vents. Once yous've trimmed the branches and bushes, be sure to clear the entire area effectually the unit of measurement.^[4]

   • Loose leaves and dirt surrounding your air conditioning unit tin can be diddled through the vents, collecting around the coils and limiting how effective they can be.
   • Cleaning the area of debris and foliage volition also ameliorate airflow into the air conditioning unit.
   • Be sure to habiliment safety spectacles and gloves when trimming trees and bushes.

4. 4

   Remove the embrace from the air conditioner unit. Depending on your air conditioner, you will need either an appropriately sized socket or a screwdriver to remove the bolts or screws securing the embrace in identify. Once you have them removed, pull the lid off of the air-conditioning unit.^[5]

   • The user manual will tell you what size socket or screwdriver y'all demand.
   • Set the screws aside somewhere safe.

5. 5

   Pull the cover and fan from the unit of measurement (when applicable). Some air conditioning units will have a grill with a fan attached to it mounted on the top. Remove the screws and pull the grill out from the height of the open unit of measurement. The fan is usually attached, so be certain to back up it as y'all remove the assembly to avoid letting it hang by its electrical connections.^[6]

   • In air conditioners where the fan stays in place, avoid spraying it directly with water as you clean.

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1. one

   Articulate out the drain line (when applicable). Many indoor and outdoor air conditioning units will take a drain or drain line in the lesser corner of the drain pan at the bottom of the unit of measurement. It will look similar a hole in the pan, and on some models, there volition be a nozzle with a prophylactic or plastic line coming out of the other side. Make certain the drain isn't blocked or plugged then water and cleaner can bleed as you lot clean the coils.

   • If it has a drain line that seems to be clogged, cascade a 50/l water and bleach solution in the bleed pan and wait a few minutes to clear it out.
   • You tin can purchase algae tablets from air conditioning specialty retailers to forbid algae from growing and clogging the bleed.

2. 2

   Remove large debris from within the unit with your hands. With the cover set bated, you tin look around at the air conditioning coils and make sure there'south no large bits of droppings that may accept worked their way into the unit of measurement. It'southward not uncommon for leaves, sticks or bugs to detect their way into the interior of an outdoor unit.^[seven]

   • If you lot'd adopt, y'all can employ a soft castor to clear out the debris, instead.^[8]
   • You might want to utilise a store vacuum for things like spiderwebs if you're uncomfortable removing them by hand.
   • Exist careful touching the fins, or blades, on the coil. They bend hands.

3. three

   Look for signs of oil leaks. Nearly compressors and motors in mod air conditioning units are maintenance free, but keep an centre out for dark baste marks on the bottom of the compressor housing or beneath it. That may be a sign of an internal oil leak.^[9]

   • If the compressor or motor are leaking oil, it will need to exist repaired by a certified technician.
   • Don't attempt to over-tighten connections on the compressor or motor, as y'all may worsen the leak.

4. four

   Spray the coil with h2o from the hose if its outdoors. Exist sure to use your garden hose and not a ability washer, as as well much force could bend the fins inside the air conditioning unit of measurement. Spray the coils down to remove whatever loose dirt and prepare the coil for a spray cleaner.^[10]

   • If the fan is still in place, avoid spraying information technology or its wiring directly with the hose.
   • If your unit is indoors, you will need to apply a unlike kind of cleaner for the next step.

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1. 1

   Apply a foaming coil cleaner. If your unit is outdoors, utilise the foaming curl cleaner to the coils while they're still wet from the hose. Indoor units will need to employ water-less curlicue cleaner, which works the same, just tends to be a bit more than expensive.

   • Spray directly into the coils and cover them completely.
   • The cleaner should begin to foam up immediately upon contact with the coils.
   • If you don't take a commercial coil cleaning solution, spray the coils with a mixture of balmy dish detergent and water.^[11]

2. ii

   Soak the coils in cleaner for 5-x minutes. In one case the coils are completely covered in cleaner, yous should let the foam continue to expand and pull the crud off of the coils. While 5-ten minutes is by and large considered acceptable, the instructions on your specific cleaner may call for a different corporeality of time.^[12]

   • You lot can apply more foaming cleaner during this soaking time if it begins to drip away from the peak of the coils.

3. 3

   Apply a fin rummage to make clean and unbend curl fins. Considering bent fins are such a common effect, air conditioner wholesale retailers sell a specialized tool called a fin comb to help return the fins to their normal working club. Slide the bristles of the comb into the fins where they're open, so run the rummage down forth the fins to straighten any that are bent.^[thirteen]

   • At that place are limits to what fin combs can practise, but it should straighten nearly fins back to normal provided the damage isn't as well extensive.
   • This will as well make clean grit and debris out from the fins.

4. 4

   Use the hose to rinse the cleaner off of outdoor units. Afterward the cleaner has soaked for long enough, spray the hose slowly dorsum and forth beyond the coils to rinse the foam off. It volition likely take a few slow passes with decent water pressure to go all the foam to rinse away.^[14]

   • As the foam comes off of the coils, it volition take dirt and grime with it, leaving the coils clean.
   • H2o-free foam cleaner will condensate off of the coils when you turn the air conditioner back on.

5. v

   Reassemble the unit. Once y'all've thoroughly rinsed the cleaner from the coils (in outdoor units) return the fan and covers to where they belong and insert the screws or bolts that agree each in place.^[xv]

   • Once everything is reassembled, y'all tin plough power back on for the air conditioning unit of measurement.
   • If you used water-gratuitous cleaner, turn on the unit to allow the cleaner to condensate abroad.

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Add New Question

• Question

  How do you remove debris from an air conditioner?

  

  Victor Belavus is an Ac Specialist and the Owner of 212 HVAC, an air condition repair and installation company based in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to HVAC and air conditioning units, Victor also specializes in furnace repair and air duct cleaning. He has over 10 years of experience working with HVAC systems.

  

  Air-conditioning Specialist

  Adept Answer

  Use your hands to remove big debris or use a soft brush to become out the debris.

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Video

• You should just need to fully clean the air conditioner once a year, merely if you live near cottonwood trees or dandelions, you lot may have to clean the unit more often during the leap, mayhap weekly or even daily.

• The above instructions can too be used if you own a heat pump, as the external condenser unit is constructed like to an air conditioner.

• Familiarize yourself with the transmission. Different ac units are assembled in different ways, so before you start pulling yours apart, it pays to do some reading in the user manual.^[16]

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• If yous spot whatever problems during the cleaning procedure, such as an oil leak or damage to the refrigerant coolers, contact an air conditioner service technician.

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Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Whisk broom or brush
• Garden hose with sprayer nozzle
• Foaming cleaner (biodegradable)
• Fin comb (optional)
• Safety glasses

About This Article

Commodity Summary X

To clean air conditioner coils, plow off the unit and remove the cover to access the inside of the unit. One time you're inside, use your hands to clear out large droppings, like leaves, twigs, and insects. Then, spray the coil with h2o to loosen whatever dirt that's caked on. When the coils are moisture, spray a foam cleaner and let it soak for 5 to 10 minutes. If any of the air conditioning fins are bent, use a fin comb to reshape them, and then spray the foam off of the coils before reassembling the unit of measurement. For tips on dismantling the unit of measurement and maintaining window units, read on!

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