How Professionals Clean Air Conditioners (& What You Can Do Yourself)

Annual preventative maintenance is a necessity for your air conditioner. Air conditioners have a number of parts which can be covered with dust, bacteria, pollen, chemicals and other particulates. When particulates gather on the coils and filters, your air conditioner’s efficiency can seriously drop, resulting in the unit using up to 40% more energy and providing 30% less cooling, costing you a bunch of money each month for a reduced benefit.

Let’s look at how a professional maintains and cleans air conditioners, and what steps you can take on your own in between annual maintenance and cleaning. When it’s time, call H&S Heating and Air Conditioning!

Air Conditioner by asi24

Air Conditioner

How Professionals Clean Air Conditioners

  • 1. Measure

    H&S professional maintenance staff will measure how your air conditioner is operating. With the a/c running, we’ll hold a scanner at the output vent to measure the number of particles going into your home.

  • 2. Safety

    Before beginning any work, we’ll turn the air conditioner off at the thermostat and unplug it from any power sources. It’s also important to wear proper eye protection, a filter mask and gloves, to prevent irritation from dust, bacteria, pollen, etc. Depending on how the air conditioner is oriented, plastic sheeting may be utilized to prevent particles from falling on nearby floors or furniture.

  • 3. Disassemble

    We’ll have to remove screws and other fasteners, and place them aside along with the front panel somewhere safe.

  • 4. Filter

    Once the filter is exposed, we’ll remove it.

    Using a vacuum and soft brush, we’ll remove any excess dust from the filter. Don’t use a wire brush or hard-bristle brush, as it can damage the components.

    Next we’ll use a compressed foam, letting it sit for a few minutes to soak in. We’ll remove that with a dry steamer, taking with it the remaining dust, pollen and other particles.

    Next comes a disinfectant spray, which is safe to leave on the filter. This kills any remaining bacteria.

  • 5. Coils

    Once the filter is removed, the coil is visible. The coil isn’t removed from the air conditioner, but we do use the same process we just used on the filter to clean it.

    After the disinfectant spray, we also place solid disinfection tabs into the air conditioner for long-lasting disinfection power.

  • 6. Reassemble

    Lastly, we reassemble the equipment and power it back on.

    If your air conditioner filters or coils appear heavily soiled or are dirty enough to seriously affect air conditioner function, you should schedule a professional cleaning and maintenance appointment with H&S Heating and Air Conditioning!

What You Can Do Yourself

In between professional cleanings, you can use a mild detergent and warm water to clean the filter and coils. Just be certain to completely disconnect the air conditioner from any power supply, and follow all safety instructions. If you don’t feel comfortable cleaning your air conditioner, call us anytime.