Share This Page - Learning how to clean an air conditioner can increase its efficiency, prevent breakdowns, and prevent mold, mildew and other allergens from entering the home. Often, air conditioners, whether they are window units or central air systems, sit for months or years without maintenance. This can subject the machines to moisture, degradation, and that terribly foul smell of mold and mildew that piles up when an air conditioner hasn’t been cleaned for a while. Follow the steps below to effectively disinfect and clean an air conditioner. Vacuum the outside fins to remove debris that can block the air flow. Remove the fan and clean the inside fins with a disinfectant cleaner like Lysol Power & Free®. Clean the indoor unit With central air systems, a clean air conditioner works best when it also has a new furnace filter. Prevent pollutants and allergens from entering your home with a new filter regularly. Vacuum the blower compartment. Clean a clogged condensation drain with a stiff wire or a bleach solution.

Knowing how to clean an air conditioner that sits in the window is just as money-saving as cleaning your own central air system. Apply Lysol® All-Purpose Cleaner to the coils on the back of the unit and scrub with a stiff brush. Wash the air filter with a disinfecting cleaner like Lysol Power & Free®. A disinfected, clean air conditioner will allow for a fresher smell, safer environment, and will help your family remain healthy year-round. Share This Page -Mold in window air conditioner units is a serious problem because every time you turn on your air conditioner, it will blow tiny, invisible mold spores into the room. Mold spreads and grows easily and before you know it, you can have mold growing throughout the room. After that, it won’t take long before it begins to spread to other areas of the home. Mold growth in the home can lead to serious health problems. It can also cost thousands of dollars to remove mold from the home. Fortunately, if you take quick action, you can get a handle on the problem before it progresses that far.

You might see mold in window ac units if you look carefully or you might see mold on the filter if you remove and examine it. You might not be able to see any mold, though, at least not right away. Small amounts of mold can be very hard to see, although given time the mold will grow and will probably become easier to see.  Another way to know if there is mold in your air conditioner is if there is a musty smell when you turn on your ac. Mold produces chemicals called microbial volatile organic compounds that give off a characteristic musty odor. If you smell that, there is mold somewhere in your home. If you smell it most strongly when you turn on your air conditioner, the mold is probably in the ac unit, even if you can’t see it. If you or other members of your household are experiencing symptoms of mold-related illness, you might suspect the presence of mold somewhere in the home. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(1), symptoms of mold-related illness are wide-ranging and include shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, sneezing, irritated eyes, sore throat, headaches, respiratory infections, fatigue and a general feeling of malaise.

If you’ve recently started using your window ac for the season, mold in the ac unit might be the cause of your symptoms.To find out for certain, you can have a professional come in to test your air conditioner for mold. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to thoroughly remove all traces of mold in window ac units. It is actually cheaper and easier to simply replace the unit with a new one. central air conditioner unit reviewsThat way you know you don’t have to worry about mold anymore. cost of high efficiency ac unitIn addition to replacing the ac unit, we recommend having a professional come in to check for the presence of mold in the wall around the window in which the mold ac unit was installed. best performing ac units

It’s easy for mold to spread from a window air conditioner to a nearby wall, especially if the air conditioner was leaking any moisture, and mold frequently grows inside walls where you can’t see it. There it can continue to grow and spread throughout the home. Catching it early can save you much trouble, not to mention money, down the road. It can also prevent the development of serious mold-related health problems, including respiratory disorders like asthma and pneumonia. That’s right, you can schedule a free inspection for mold if you’re concerned about mold in your home. We recommend doing so if you’ve found mold in window air conditioner units so that you can make sure there is no mold in the walls adjacent to those windows. A mold removal professional will visit your home and inspect carefully for mold and if any mold is found, provide a written estimate for the cost of having the mold removed. There is no obligation, though, so even if you plan to handle any mold removal on your own, you can still benefit from some free professional advice.

To schedule a free inspection for mold, just follow the link.Return From Mold In Window Air Conditioner To Our Main AC Mold Page Published on September 16th, 2013 | Many people make the mistake of leaving their window air conditioner in place during the winter or not taking the time to properly prepare the AC unit for storage. This can cause premature wear and broken components. Take an hour or so to prepare your window AC unit for storage to prevent damage and ensure that it runs well when the new cooling season begins. When should you get your air conditioner ready for storage? Once outside temperatures drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, it may negatively affect the performance of the air conditioner. For many parts of the U.S. and Canada, now’s the ideal time to remove your window air conditioner and prep it for storage. Here are seven simple steps to prepare your window air conditioner for the off season: 1.       Read the unit’s owner’s manual for care, de-installation and storage instructions.

2.       Remove the unit from the window with care. Never attempt removal of a window air conditioner without the assistance of another person. 3.       Inspect the unit for damage.Enter your air conditioner’s model number here for model-specific troubleshooting and how-to repair help for air conditioners. RepairClinic has replacement parts for air conditioners including knobs, remote controls, curtains, fan blades, blower wheels and many others. How to find your air conditioner’s model number 4.       Replace or clean the air filter. On most models, the air conditioner’s air filter should be cleaned or replaced once monthly during the cooling season. Get it ready for next season by cleaning or replacing it now. 5.       Clean the condenser coils and water pan. An air conditioner’s condenser coils will accumulate layers of dust and dirt over the course of a cooling season, which may cause the air conditioner to work harder to remove heat.

Follow the owner’s manual instructions to remove the outer cabinet so that you can access the coils. The easiest way to clean the coils is by blowing compressed air or using a soft bristle brush. Don’t use a pressure washer, as the high pressure may bend the condenser coils’ delicate fins. Use warm water, dish detergent or white vinegar to remove dust, lint and dirt from the condensation pan at the base of the unit.  Make sure the pan is thoroughly dry before storing. 6.       Use touch-up paint to cover scrapes and scratches on the unit’s exterior. RepairClinic has biscuit, white and black-colored touch-up paint for air conditioners. 7.       Find a good storage location. It’s best to store window air conditioners during the winter. Leaving window air conditioners in place can cause drafts and lead to increased energy consumption. Air conditioners are best stored in an attic, basement or utility room. Garages are not a wise place because small animals and insects are more likely to seek shelter inside of AC units in those locations.

Mice and other rodents are known to chew on wiring and cause expensive damage. If you must keep the unit mounted in the window during the off season, be sure to use an air conditioner cover that’s specifically designed to protect AC units from weather damage. How to determine what size window air conditioner you need Six simple ways to get your window or through-the-wall air conditioner ready for summer Shop for Air Conditioner Parts and Accessories How an air conditioner works Love DIY tips and discounts? That’s why we give them away. Have you joined our free VIP email list? Need help finding the right part? We’re here for you 7 a.m. to midnight ET, every day. Since 1999, three and a half million people have purchased replacements parts and accessories from RepairClinic and saved more than $260 million in repair costs by fixing appliances, lawn equipment, power tools, and heating & cooling equipment on their own. From the beginning, RepairClinic has provided free troubleshooting and how-to resources on its website.

The company’s 2,000+ free how-to repair and how-it-works videos on its YouTube channel have been viewed more than 41 million times. RepairClinic’s free, advanced online repair help system empowers do-it-yourselfers to fix common problems associated with home appliances, lawn equipment, power tools and heating & cooling equipment. DIYers can enter a model number to choose from a list of common symptoms for that particular model, troubleshoot and watch award-winning, expertly-produced videos to learn the most likely causes and conditions and purchase the correct part. stocks more than one million parts and accessories for 160 brands of lawn mowers, small engines, snowblowers, string trimmers, furnaces, air conditioners, air handlers, heat pumps, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, power tools and many other products. Since 1999, the company has served more than three million customers including homeowners, first-time and beginner DIYers, advanced DIYers, appliance repair professionals, small engine repair shops and landscaping and lawn care business owners.