When warm days are officially here, it also signals that your air conditioner will soon be put to good use. To ensure that your system can offer the most comfortable and efficient cooling, it is important to know how to clean a window air conditioner evaporator coils.
Signs of dirty evaporator coils
The first and most common sign that the evaporator coil of your AC unit is already dirty is a noticeable drop in the unit’s cooling efficiency. Accumulation of dirt along the evaporator coil can form a layer of insulation between the air and refrigerant coil. It makes it more difficult for the refrigerant to soak up the air’s heat, causing an increased room temperature. You can never expect your AC to cool your room if its evaporator coil is already too dirty.
Importance of cleaning AC evaporator coils
There are several small parts in your air conditioner that play a crucial role in the overall function and performance of the system. Evaporator coils and condenser coils work together to lower the temperature in a room.
While the unit’s evaporator coil removes heat and humidity from inside your home, its condenser coil is the spot where heat is eliminated from the air conditioner refrigerant.
The accumulation of debris, dust, and dirt can reduce airflow and prevent heat absorption. It can make the air conditioner consume additional energy to lower the temperature of the room.
How to clean window air conditioner coils inside the house
While your air conditioning unit might still be functioning properly, it is always a good idea to clean evaporator coils regularly to ensure that system remains in tiptop shape.
Here are the steps you need to follow for cleaning the evaporator coil on your own:
- The very first step to clean the evaporator coil is to determine its location. For many central air conditioning systems, the evaporator coil is the copper coil in pyramid shape found inside the AC unit.
- After you found the coil, don’t forget to turn the thermostat off.
- Wear the necessary protective gear to keep your eyes safe from dust and other dirt particles while cleaning.
- Look for the evaporator coil in the air conditioning panel. Check the user’s manual prior to doing this so don’t get confused once you start cleaning.
- Remove the screws that hold the panel and store them properly to ensure that you don’t end up losing them.
- Brush the buildup of dust to start cleaning the evaporator coil.
- Use a piece of cloth or smaller brush to clean those finer dust particles.
- Ensure fine cleaning or get rid of those stubborn dust particles using an air compressor. Put an even application of compressed air around the coils at an angle of 90 degrees.
- To guarantee a deeper clean, you can apply foam especially meant to clean evaporator coils. See to it that the foam is really specifically designed to clean oils and is also safe to be used on other plastic AC components.
Follow the process at least every 3 months or as often as necessary for your air conditioner to function efficiently all the time.
You may also try cleaning air conditioner coils with vinegar.
