The correct way to clean the air conditioner

With the development of our economy, more and more families are installing air conditioners. We may have more air conditioners but clean them less often. Many friends don’t know how to clean the air conditioner at all. If the air conditioner is not cleaned for a long time, it will easily age and malfunction. However, cleaning the air conditioner is actually not simple, so we should learn how to clean it.

In addition to having professionals clean the air conditioner, we can also learn some correct methods of cleaning the air conditioner and try to clean the air conditioner in our home ourselves. Let's see the introduction below.

The air conditioner must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after being used for a period of time or when it is shut down for a seasonal change. This can not only ensure the health and freshness of the air-conditioning environment, but also extend the service life of the air conditioner and improve the efficiency of air conditioning use. However, the cleaning methods for air conditioners vary depending on their style and brand. Therefore, cleaning and disinfection should be carried out strictly in accordance with the product instructions. Of course, it is best to ask professional technicians to use special equipment and special air conditioning cleaning agents.

Air conditioning cleaning time

The cleaning cycle of the air conditioner will vary depending on where it is placed. For general home use, it only needs to be cleaned every three months, while in the office it should be cleaned once a month. If used in places with extremely high dust content such as garment factories, the cleaning frequency should be more frequent. Because household air conditioner filters are easy to disassemble, you only need to observe through the grille to clean them. If you see obvious dust in the filter, you can clean it. At the same time, cleaning of the heat sink is the key. Because there is a lot of dust left there, professional cleaning agents must be used. Moreover, the cleaning agents for the indoor unit and the outdoor unit are different. The indoor unit is mainly used for cleaning and sterilization, while the outdoor unit is used for dust removal and oil removal. If you feel that the air conditioner's cooling effect has become worse and the air volume has become smaller, this is also a signal that it should have been cleaned long ago. Correctly cleaning the air conditioner during the change of seasons can not only ensure the health and freshness of the air-conditioned environment, but also extend the service life of the air conditioner and improve the efficiency of air conditioning use.

Cleaning of housing and filter

When cleaning, first wipe the air conditioner casing with a rag, then open the casing, remove the filter, use a clean filter brush to brush off most of the dirt attached to the filter, then soak the filter in warm water for a while, and finally rinse the filter several times with running tap water, slowly wipe it dry with a clean rag, then install the cleaned filter back into the air conditioner and close the air conditioner casing. Note that the water temperature should not exceed 50℃ during cleaning. It is best not to use laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, gasoline, banana water, etc. to avoid deformation of the filter. In addition, do not use a sponge to clean, as it will damage the surface of the dust filter.

Evaporator cleaning

The evaporator is also known as the heat exchanger. When the air conditioner is working, the evaporator takes away the hot air in the room and sends cold air in at the same time. Although the evaporator is protected by a filter, 80% of the dust will pass through the filter and adhere to the wet evaporator. These places are most likely to breed bacteria and mites, and affect the normal operation of the air conditioner, so they are the parts of the air conditioner that need to be cleaned.

At present, there are special evaporator cleaning agents on the market. When using, shake the cleaning agent evenly and spray it evenly on the air inlet surface of the air conditioner evaporator. If there is too much dirt, wipe it off with a wet cloth and then rinse with a small amount of water. But please note that the evaporator must be wiped dry after cleaning.

Condenser cleaning

The outdoor unit generally does not need to be disassembled for cleaning, as disassembly for cleaning can easily lead to mechanical failure and fluorine leakage. The fin-shaped aluminum foil heat sink of the outdoor unit can be directly rinsed up and down with a tap, or scrubbed up and down with a long-bristled brush dipped in water. The condenser is installed between the compressor exhaust port and the electronic expansion valve. The high-temperature and high-pressure gas discharged from the air-conditioning compressor enters the condenser and is cooled by dissipating heat through copper tubes and aluminum foil. If dirt accumulates here, it will affect the normal operation of Freon and various components. At present, there are special condenser cleaning agents on the market, which can be used directly after purchase. Of course, the condenser can also be rinsed directly with tap water, or scrubbed clean with a long-bristled brush dipped in water.

Cleaning of air outlet and roller

Idle air conditioners can easily accumulate dirt on the air outlets and rollers, sometimes even blocking the air outlets. In particular, the rollers have many grooves and gaps. If blocked, this will affect the air volume and easily breed mold. To clean these two places, you must scrub them carefully with a brush. There are professional transparent air conditioner cleaning covers on the market. After putting on this cover, you can use a high-pressure water gun to clean it easily and thoroughly.

Cleaning and disinfection of air conditioning radiators

Many people mistakenly believe that air conditioning pollution is on its filter, so even if they have the habit of cleaning the air conditioner, they only clean the filter. However, the real source of air conditioning pollution lies in the core component of the air conditioner - the heat sink. According to a survey conducted by relevant departments on household air conditioners, the total number of bacteria on more than 80% of air conditioner radiators exceeded the standard, and the most serious one exceeded the standard by more than 1,000 times; in addition, a large number of Staphylococcus aureus, Legionella, Bacillus, influenza virus, etc. can also be detected, so it is very important to clean and disinfect the radiator carefully and thoroughly.

It is understood that cleaning the air conditioner radiator requires purchasing professional air conditioner disinfectant. When cleaning, first turn off the air conditioner power, then open the air conditioner surface panel, remove the filter and air purification filter, and you can see the heat sink. Then shake the disinfectant evenly, and spray the entire radiator in an up and down order, about 5 cm away from the radiator. Wait for about 15 minutes, install the filter, and then run the air conditioner cooling program for 15-30 minutes, so that the sewage will be automatically discharged through the drain pipe. Generally, doors and windows should be opened for about half an hour after disinfection, and the ventilation function should be used until the residual disinfectant evaporates before it can be put into normal use.

Experts pointed out that cleaning air conditioner radiators is a highly professional job and should be done by professionals as much as possible; when choosing air conditioner disinfectants, attention should be paid to selecting products with relevant national safety certifications and disinfection numbers, so as to fully guarantee the disinfection and sterilization effects and human health and safety.

In the above article, we introduced the importance of how to clean the air conditioner. If we do not clean the air conditioner for a long time, it will be very easy to have problems with the air conditioner. However, we need certain methods to clean the air conditioner and cannot do it casually. The above article introduces in detail the correct method of cleaning the air conditioner.