Cleaning Your Air Conditioner Unit at Home

Home » Cleaning A AC Unit

It’s summertime and the last thing you want is to be stuck in a hot, stuffy house. If your air conditioner isn’t running as efficiently as it should, cleaning the unit could be the solution. Follow these steps to learn how to clean an ac unit and ensure that your ac unit is clean and running smoothly so you can enjoy a cool breeze indoors all season long.

Preparing Your Cleaning Environment to Clean an AC

Before cleaning your air conditioner unit, it’s essential to prepare a clean environment. This includes gathering the cleaning materials such as a vacuum cleaner, cleaning brush, and cleaning solution specifically designed for AC units. Additionally, it’s essential to turn off the power to the air conditioner unit before beginning any cleaning work in order to avoid electric shock.

Tools & Materials Needed For AC Cleaning At Home

Identifying the necessary cleaning materials is an essential step in cleaning an AC unit.  The following list includes cleaning materials that are essential for cleaning and maintaining your air conditioner unit at home:

  • Vacuum cleaner
  • Screwdriver
  • Cleaning brush
  • Cleaning solution designed explicitly for AC units
  • Replacement filters (if needed)
cleaning tools for an AC

Steps to Clean an Air Conditioner Yourself

Once you have gathered the cleaning materials, it is time to start cleaning your air conditioner unit:

1. Turn off the power to the AC unit

It would help if you were always sure to turn the power off prior to cleaning any part of the air conditioning unit or making any adjustments or repairs. This will help ensure you avoid electric shock and potentially dangerous accidents. 

2. Removing debris and dirt from around your AC unit

Remove any debris that has collected around the outside of your A/C unit. This includes leaves, dirt, and dust that have gathered over time. Use a cleaning brush or vacuum cleaner to effectively remove all debris from spots around the outside of the AC. 

3. Vacuuming out All Dirt Inside

Once the outside of your AC unit is clean, it’s time to move inside and vacuum out all the dirt from within the HVAC unit, evaporator, fan motor, and air conditioner’s condenser.  

4. Spraying Coils with a Cleaning Solution

Once all the dirt has been removed from the inside of the unit, you use a cleaning solution specifically formulated for ac units to spray down the coils and fins. This will help keep them clean and free of dust, debris, grease, germs, bacteria, allergens and viruses, mold and mildew that can cause problems with your AC unit’s performance. 

using a hose and water to clean an AC

5. Drying Time for Maximum Efficiency

Allow ample drying time after cleaning your AC unit. This will help ensure that all the cleaning solution is dehydrated to maximize the unit’s efficiency before turning it back on. 

6. Replacing Filters if Needed

If any old or dirty filters need to be replaced after cleaning an AC unit, use quality replacement filters designed for your particular air conditioner model. This will help to ensure clean and efficient air conditioning. 

7. Checking all Connections and Securely Fastening Them Down Again

Once cleaning is complete, check all connections to make sure they are tightened down securely to help improve the performance of your AC unit. 

8. Testing Out the Clean Unit for Proper Function

Before turning the power back on, test out the clean AC unit to ensure it is functioning correctly. If everything checks out, you can go ahead and turn the power back on and enjoy a cool indoor breeze from your freshly-cleaned AC unit. 

Why it’s better to clean your AC unit with professionals

Although cleaning an AC unit yourself can be a tempting process to do, it is still recommended to hire professional services for the job. The Duct Kings Of Dallas cleaning technicians have the proper tools and cleaning knowledge to get your air conditioner working at peak efficiency quickly and safely.

We understand how to properly maintain your AC unit so that it runs at its best year-round. With our help, your AC unit will be cleaned and running smoothly with minimal effort on your part. Call us today at 214-624-6232.

Common Questions