How To Clean Window Air Conditioner Filter For Soleus Air

gettyimages-185001395 — Keeping your window Air conditioning unit of measurement clean helps improve its functioning and longevity.
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Having a window air conditioner is a life-saver during the hottest months of the twelvemonth -- only all of that heavy-duty use can actually take a toll on your Air conditioning unit. In order to go on your window air conditioner in skillful working order, it's important to make clean information technology regularly.

By keeping your air conditioner make clean, you'll foreclose mold and mildew from growing inside and go more than long-term value out of your appliance. Plus, a well-maintained window AC unit of measurement uses less free energy than a dirty i.

However, cleaning a window air conditioner might seem daunting if you've never done it before. Fortunately, the process isn't equally complicated as it may seem. With the following tips, you lot can go on your Air conditioning unit clean, functional, and energy-efficient.

Assemble your materials

You'll need a few items from effectually the house to give your air conditioner a thorough clean. Earlier yous get started, grab the following materials:

Warm water
Balmy soap or detergent
Reusable cloth
Drip tray to place below your unit of measurement
Spray bottle filled with iii% hydrogen peroxide
Fin comb or soft-bristle brush
Compressed air
Screwdriver

ane. Clean the filter

Cleaning the filter inside your window Air conditioning unit is the most critical matter you can do to keep it working smoothly. Information technology'due south a good idea to wash the filter monthly, even if y'all don't clean the unabridged appliance. Here'due south how to do it.

First, make sure your air conditioner is unplugged, and then have off the front console and remove the filter. If it's covered in dust or pilus, use a vacuum to articulate abroad equally much debris as you can. From there, wash your filter with warm, soapy water and gear up information technology out to dry. Look until information technology'south fully dry earlier putting it back into your window AC unit.

It's as well a good idea to supercede your air conditioner filter regularly. The exact frequency volition depend on how much you use your AC and environmental factors, but you lot should aim to swap your filter out every six weeks to six months.

2. Wipe down the grill and outside

While your filter is drying, launder the grill with warm water and mild detergent. Or if you don't want to wash information technology, you tin instead use a clammy reusable fabric to wipe information technology down -- but make sure to clean thoroughly in between the gaps where air comes out. Let it dry completely before reattaching it.

Once you've cleaned the grill, wipe downwards the top and sides of the air conditioner. Take intendance to get inside of pocket-size spaces where information technology's easy for dirt and dust to collect. Await until the grill and exterior are fully dry before running the unit of measurement.

3. Dust off the fins and coils

Now it'due south fourth dimension to ringlet up your sleeves and go within your Air-conditioning unit of measurement. Y'all don't need to dust the fins and coils every time you clean your air conditioner, only most manufacturers recommend doing it quarterly or semiannually.

First, take a fin comb or soft-bristle brush and gently comb the aluminum fins within your AC. Take your time during this process considering the fins curve easily and can be sharp. If you notice whatever bent fins, softly motion them back into place.

Next, spray your can of condensed air inside the unit to grit off the coils. Y'all should be equally thorough as possible to remove whatsoever debris that could be preventing your appliance from working correctly.

4. Clean out the tray and drain

Finish the interior clean of your window Air conditioning unit by emptying the drip tray and clearing the drain. To remove droppings or dirty water from your tray, grab a wet-dry vacuum (if you have ane) or a clammy cloth and pull out everything that's collected inside. Exit it to dry out before reassembling.

Finally, cheque the drain to run across if annihilation is blocking it. Use your fabric to wipe around the opening and make sure there's a articulate pathway for water to leave your unit.

v. Reassemble and spray cleaner on your unit

After y'all've cleaned and dried everything, information technology's time to reassemble your window AC unit of measurement and give it a final spray to forestall mildew from growing.

Grab your hydrogen peroxide spray bottle and use the solution to the areas where air flows in and out. Wait for the peroxide to dry before using your appliance -- and y'all're done! Not only will you breathe in cleaner and colder air, but you'll extend the life of your air conditioner also.

Final tips

In addition to cleaning it regularly, there are other steps you can take to keep your air conditioner in proper working order. For instance, remove it from your window and store it inside during the winter months or when you won't exist using it for long periods of time.

If this seems like more work than you're willing to put in, you can always hire a professional to make clean your window air conditioner for you. To discover someone, ask your friends and family for referrals or bank check with reputable service providers in your surface area.

But whether you make up one's mind to bring in an expert or clean it yourself, just make certain to stick to a regular cleaning schedule. At a minimum, clean your filter monthly and spray your unit with hydrogen peroxide to fend off mildew.