If you own an air conditioner, it's important that you regularly clean the filters on the indoor unit. This helps to make sure your unit's operating properly and as efficiently as possible. But how do you do that safely, and without doing any damage to your air conditioning unit?
Filters are designed to clean the air by removing fine dust, mould spores and other harmful organisms. Cleaning the filter regularly will keep your home and family healthy, and will also help to make sure your air conditioner doesn't break down. The best way to find out how to do this is to check with the manufacturer. All air conditioners will have instructions on how to clean the filter supplied with the instruction manual - if you didn't receive one when you bought the air conditioner or if you've lost it, visit the manufacturer's website for further instructions.
How to replace an air conditioner filter
Most air conditioners feature a removable front fascia which can be easily pulled opened allow convenient access to the filters inside the unit. In many cases, these filters are disposable and replaceable. If that's the case with your air conditioner, it's just a matter of getting your hands on some replacement filters.
How to clean an air conditioner filter
Some air conditioners have permanent filters that need to be manually cleaned, though. You should be able to easily remove the filter from the front of the unit. Once you've removed it, submerge the filter in a mixture composed half of warm water and half of white distilled vinegar. Leave the filter in this mixture for an hour. The water will clean the filter while the vinegar is necessary to kill harmful organisms.
Be careful not to damage the filter when cleaning it. Once it's clean, give it a gentle wipe and allow it to air-dry. Before you reattach the filter, make sure that it's completely dry. Water and electricity are a lethal combination.
Depending on the quality of the air, filters should generally be inspected every three to six months and cleaned according to manufacturers’ instructions. Airflow is critical to the effectiveness of air conditioners and clogged or dirty filters will have a big impact on their performance.
How to clean the remote control
Remote controls tend to get dirty after a while - especially because they get more use when people are all hot and sweaty. The best way to clean a remote is to remove the batteries, and give the remote a wipe with a damp cloth. Make sure the cloth is only very partially damp - you don't want moisture to enter the remote control and ruin it. Once you're done, just replace the batteries.
Other maintenance
For all repairs or any other work that needs to be done to your air conditioner, you should always employ a licensed technician. In addition to the fact that they're high-powered electrical appliances, refrigerative air conditioners contain harmful gases. If not properly handled, these gases can cause a great deal of damage to the environment.
