Want to know a fun fact about Palm City, Florida? On average, the air is 500% more polluted than the average US city of the same size. If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, then let’s talk tips for keeping your home air 500% cleaner than the outside air! With a sanitized air conditioner, you’ll be on your way to keeping pollutants and allergens at bay-and yes, your lungs will thank you later. With these simple cleaning methods, you’ll also extend the life of your wholesale air conditioner threefold. By the time you’re ready for a replacement air conditioner, you will be an AC expert on efficient air conditioner ownership.
First, let’s talk about cleaning the inside unit of your air conditioner.
Remember to always turn any energy or power sources to your air conditioner OFF before getting to work. Safety first, people. A good way to begin cleaning your AC is to check its air filter, replacing it as needed. A typical household of four requires a new filter every month to ensure optimal air quality. When your filter needs replacing, you’ll know because it is no longer that clean color at purchase but is coated in a lovely matte brown film which means time for a change! While changing the filter, you can open up the blower compartment and clear our any residual debris that didn’t get absorbed. This is a great time to oil anything requiring lubrication. Make sure first that you know what specific oil works with the motor of your air conditioner and refer to your owner’s manual to ensure that indeed, your coil or motor do need oiling. Once you have the right oil, squeeze 3-6 drops onto the motor ports and voila, you’re done! Well, with that step anyway.
A common issue with air conditioners as they are filtering through humid debris is algae growth in the plastic condensation tube. If you find that your air conditioner has succumbed to this green phenomena, opt either to replace it or create a bleach solution, 1:16 of bleach to water, and funnel the fluid through the tube until it is clean. You can use this same solution on a pipe-cleaner to quickly brush through the drain pipe located in the same compartment of most air conditioners. Now your inside air conditioner is all set and ready to be plugged and restarted!
It’s time to turn attention to the outside compartment of your air conditioner.
Just like you did with the inside compartment, you’re going to shut down the power sources to your AC before beginning work. Using either a clean rag, wipes or a handheld vacuum, clean out the condenser fans, home to any and all debris imaginable. Moving on to the top of the air conditioner, unscrew and remove the grill. Similar to cleaning the indoor AC, lubricate with the appropriate oil any lubrication points on the fan-if needed, and again, refer to your owner’s manual to learn more about where those are. Have a garden hose at the ready, and with mild to moderate water pressure, spray the fins of the unit from the inside out. Let the water drain completely before putting your air conditioner back together.
Once the air conditioner is fully cleaned, check that your thermostat is set to ‘cool’ before restarting the unit. And as you do, pay close to attention to its operating. It should be working more efficiently, filling your home with cool air.