Cleaning the indoor and outdoor units of the air conditioner with a steam generator and other equipment

Air conditioner cleaning is a simple procedure that boils down to disassembling the device and sequential flushing of contaminated elements. Cleaning the filters is required at least once a month, especially if there are children and allergy sufferers in the house. Complete cleaning of the split system is carried out every six months.

Why you need to clean the air conditioner

Air conditioning systems that constantly cool and heat the air in the home, drive it through several filters. Suspended dust settles on the elements of the device and after a certain time prevents the free passage of air masses.

If the device is not cleaned regularly, the following problems appear:

• Reducing the efficiency of the air conditioner. The heat exchanger of a dirty device constantly overheats, which leads to rapid wear of the main parts.
• Dust mites multiply in the dust deposited on the filters. They thrive in high humidity conditions.
• The spread of pathogenic microorganisms around the room. Among them, the most dangerous is Legionella, which causes one of the varieties of pneumonia.
• During the operation of an uncleaned air conditioner, spores of mold and fungi are spread throughout the home. They easily provoke allergic reactions and cause dermatitis.
• One of the tenants' smallest problems is the unpleasant odor coming from a dirty air conditioner.

Climate systems installed on the lower floors of multi-storey buildings are more susceptible to rapid clogging. More often it is necessary to clean devices that are located in houses near highways and industrial zones.

Preparatory operations

The air conditioner is a complex device with many parts, so it is cleaned in a specific sequence. The main elements are the outdoor and indoor unit. The job of cleaning them is different.

Preparatory procedures consist of several steps:

• Wear gloves and a respirator. Protective equipment prevents skin irritation and the entry of pathogens into the respiratory tract.
• Disconnect the air conditioner from the mains.
• Cover the floor under the air conditioner with polyethylene.

After preparation, you can start cleaning the split system.

Cleaning the indoor unit

To clean the inside of the air conditioner, you will need tools:

• screwdrivers - Phillips and flat;
• alkali-based detergent in a container with a hand sprayer;
• a polyethylene cover with a drain for water, made to fit the dimensions of the room unit;
• latex gloves;
• manual sprinkler needed to rinse off the cleaner.

The procedure for cleaning the indoor unit of the split system:

• Disconnect the power plug of the device from the socket. Remove plastic blinds.
• Unscrew the screws on the front panel. They fix the cover of the electrical box, the panel itself and the condensation tray. Some of the screws are located under the decorative elements.
• Pull out the bezel and fold it up. Without removing it, disconnect the connectors of the XK-display.
• Mark with a construction marker the location of the servos and blinds, and then unscrew them.
• Release the condensate tray retainer and remove the drain tube.
• Remove the temperature sensor.

Differences in disassembling air conditioners from different manufacturers may lie in the methods of fixing the panels and the number of blinds.

At the first analysis, the procedure takes 1.5-2 hours. After clearing the path to the fan turbine, you can start cleaning the indoor unit:

• Apply detergent to the heat exchanger, the interior of the unit and the fan drum. Rotate the turbine with your free hand.
• After 10 minutes, take a water sprayer and rinse off the foam and dirt. Spray until clear water flows out of the unit.
• Remove the cover and let the device dry.
• Clean the removed panel, filters and tray from dirt, and then dry them. Do not wet the foam seals.

The steam generator allows you to eliminate pollution in hard-to-reach places of the air conditioner, humidify the air and carry out antibacterial cleaning. The household device allows you to quickly wash the evaporator from residual dirt. The appliance generates steam and ejects it in a thin stream. Professional devices are expensive, so they are used by employees of companies that specialize in cleaning houses and apartments.

To simplify the work, you can buy a ready-made kit of tools designed to protect walls and floors while cleaning the appliance. It contains a service bag and parts for fastening it. The package is made in the form of a funnel. In its lower part, a plastic spout is fixed, which makes it possible to conveniently fix the drainage hose.

A ready-made polyethylene apron is used to protect the walls. It is placed between the bottom of the air conditioner and the wall.

The ready-made kit for servicing the air conditioner does not include a drain hose and stiffeners for the bag. The latter are easy to replace with wooden glazing beads. The drain hose must have a diameter that matches the size of the drain spout.

Cleaning the evaporator grill

When cleaning the evaporator grill, do not use metal objects or a hard brush, so as not to damage the heat exchanger and the freon line. The work technology is as follows:

• disconnect the device from the outlet;
• clean the vents on the top cover;
• remove the cover and grill of the evaporator;
• remove dust from freon tubes and heat exchanger with a vacuum cleaner, use a soft brush for hard-to-reach places;
• apply foam to the wire shelf and wait 10 minutes, then rinse with clean water.

After cleaning the evaporator of the air conditioner, all filters are put back and run the device for 30 minutes in heating mode.

Cleaning the filters

Flushing the air conditioner involves working with coarse filters. In some cases, the fine filter element can also be cleaned, but most often it needs to be replaced with a new one. Cleaning the coarse filter includes the following steps:

• Brush the element with a long bristle brush or vacuum with a small nozzle.
• Place the part under running water for 5 minutes and then rinse thoroughly.
• Treat the filter with soapy water and leave for 20 minutes. Do not use standard detergents. They can damage both the grille itself and the internal parts of the device.
• Rinse the wire shelf thoroughly under running water.
• Treat with antimicrobial agent.
• Dry the filter.
• Wipe dry with a clean cloth.

After complete drying, the filter is replaced.

Automatic cleaning system

Modern air conditioners are equipped with an automatic cleaning system. The principle of its operation is quite simple - at a certain time the device starts to work "idle". In this case, the air that passes through the filter dries out all the elements of the device.

In addition to the usual cleaning, some models are equipped with an ionic air filtration system. Dust particles are ionized and enter the dust collector more easily. Many modern devices are equipped with sensor sensors to monitor the composition of the air. If necessary, they include an automatic cleaning system. Such functions ensure a long service life of the split system.

Cleaning the external block of the split system

It will be possible to independently clean the external unit of the air conditioner at home only in cases when the climatic equipment is installed in a private house, and working from a ladder is safe. Another acceptable option is to clean the air conditioner from the balcony. It is prohibited to work at height without insurance and special equipment.

To properly clean an external unit, you need to follow a series of simple steps:

• Disconnect the air conditioner.
• Dismantle the front panel of the unit.
• Remove large debris from the housing. It is taken out by hand.
• To remove a layer of dust from hard-to-reach places, use a hand-held vacuum cleaner and brushes.
• Vacuum the fan blades.
• When carrying out wet cleaning, care must be taken that water does not get on the electrical contacts.
• The panel is well washed and dried before being installed in place.

Do not touch the electrical unit of the device. The outer part must be protected from rain and snow with a special visor.

Cleaning the drainage system of the air conditioner

When the air conditioner operates in cooling mode, water condensate accumulates on the heat exchanger. Moisture serves as a favorable environment for the development of various microorganisms, therefore, the system for its removal must also be cleaned.

The condensate formed in the indoor unit is discharged through a special tube into the external unit, from where it flows down. If the drain wire is clogged, water may stagnate in the air conditioner or drain into the room.

Timely cleaning of the drainage system will help to eliminate this situation. It is done in three ways:

• Flushing the system with soapy water without disassembling.
• Flushing a disconnected drain. The procedure is performed with a vacuum cleaner. Drainage must be blown out with a powerful jet of air.
• Complete disassembly of the block. This option is the most difficult, since the device will have to be disassembled into many parts. The drain line is pulled out and flushed along its entire length.

You can flush the drainage system within 2-3 hours with a complete disassembly.

In most cases, you can clean the air conditioner in an apartment only from the inside. Regular flushing of the main elements and replacement of fine filters can extend the life of the equipment.