How to Clean Your Window Air Conditioner so it Runs Like New
Remove from the window
Depending on the size of the air conditioner its best to take it out of the window if at all possible. Some air conditioners that cool large size rooms take almost two people to remove. If the unit is too big than we can try to clean it where it sits. Smaller units are easier to remove and you can take those out easily. Once removed you can take it outside in the driveway or garage. Where you remove it to will depend on what cleaning method you choose. I will discuss those options later in this article.
Remove the faceplate
When removing the faceplate there are two or three screws that you have to remove to pull of the faceplate. If your room air conditioner has knobs on the front remove those too. Take the faceplate and wash it. The easiest way to do this is to use the garden hose on it and spray out all the spray and dirt. When your done you can wipe it down with wet wipe to remove any excess dirt. Clean the faceplate throughly so it looks like new.
Remove the filter
Most air conditioner filters you have to clean as well. You can use a hose or compressed air and make sure it gets cleaned thoroughly. The older window air conditioners had replaceable filters. No matter which one you have make sure to replace or clean it so that no dust or dirt remains. If you use water just let it dry for a little while.
Cleaning the air conditioner unit
Now its time to clean the unit. The methods you choose to do so entirely depend on you. Its not enough just to clean the filter. You want to clean the coils and the fan. I used a garden hose and took the unit outside and sprayed water through the coils and the fan. Not only did this take less time it did a great job. If you use this method just let the water drip out. If you let it drip out for awhile you should be okay before you plug it back in. The electric motor is sealed and water won’t get inside. You can use a tooth brush to clean in the coils but this takes a little more time. You can also use compressed air. I would recommend if you use this method use two cans of compressed air to make sure its throughly cleaned of any dust and dirt. The larger units you leave in the window you can use the compressed air, tooth brush, or drag a hose through to wash it out the back. However using water inside the house could make a mess. Better to use the compressed air method.
Dust and dirt makes the unit work harder and use more electricity. The unit will cycle more often when dirty which can cause blown fuses and circuit breakers.
Wipe it down
Once you have cleaned the coils wipe the unit down and put it back together. You can put it back in the window. Once you run it you will notice the difference right away. Not only will it look brand new but it will work like its brand new.
No need to replace that old air conditioner just clean it and watch it work like new.
