How To Clean Ac Filter At Home

Download Article

Download Commodity

The filter in your air conditioner can go pretty gross without regular cleanings, and a muddy filter doesn't do every bit good of a chore keeping dust, dirt, and droppings out the air yous're breathing. Fortunately, cleaning the filter in your air conditioner is simple one time y'all know what to do. Bank check out the steps below to acquire how to clean the filter, how often yous should clean it, and how to determine if your AC filter even needs to be cleaned in the first place.

1
Determine if you tin can make clean your filter. Some air conditioners have filters that tin be cleaned. But other types of air conditioners accept filters that are meant to exist disposed of after a given amount of fourth dimension. Consult your air conditioner'southward educational activity manual to decide whether cleaning your air conditioner's filter is an selection.^[ane]
- If you take a replaceable filter on your air conditioner, replace it at to the lowest degree every 3 months.^[2]
2
Plough the air conditioner off. Y'all should never clean your air conditioner's filter with the air conditioner on. This will cause a blitz of unfiltered air into your residence and cause your air conditioner's evaporator coils and other internal parts to collect clay and particulate matter.^[three]
- Do non use your air conditioner until yous've replaced the filter.
Advertisement
3
Access your filter. On big primal air conditioning units, you should exist able to locate your filter by looking along the return duct's length. You might demand to unscrew a few screws to admission it. In pocket-sized window-mounted air workout units, you'll accept to popular the front face of air conditioner off with a putty knife.^[four] In wall-mounted air conditioners, you lot might have to slide the forepart console off in order to access the filter.^[5]
- Consult manufacturer directions for more than data on how to access your air conditioner's filter.
Advertisement

1
Utilise a vacuum cleaner for routine cleaning. Just popular the filter out or unclip it (depending on the make and model of your air conditioner) and apply the tube extension on your vacuum cleaner to suck all the grit and dust out of the filter. Replace the filter when you've finished cleaning information technology.^[six]
- If you've taken skilful care of your air conditioner's filter, y'all might not see a visible change in the filter when cleaning it. Residual bodacious, it is getting clean.
- On the other hand, you might non be able to become all the dust and grit out of the filter. Just employ the vacuum to suck upwardly as much equally you tin can.^[seven]
- This method is best for giving your filter its regular cleaning. Yet, if you're planning to launder your filter, you should still vacuum it first to remove any large particles.^[8]
two
Rinse the filter for a deeper clean. If, after you've vacuumed your filter, it still has a good deal of particulate attached, attempt washing it. To become started, remove your air conditioner filter. Mix one function vinegar and one part water. For instance, you might mix five cups of h2o and five cups of vinegar. Pour the mixture in a tub or a wide sink that tin can accommodate your filter.
- Submerge your filter in the mixture for at least ane 60 minutes. If it is exceptionally grimy, leave information technology in for two hours or more.
- Drain the water and vinegar solution and dry the filter on a rack. Replace it when dry.
- Instead of water and vinegar, you could mix a minor corporeality of detergent or liquid dish soap into a volume of h2o that will embrace your filter when information technology is submerged.^[9] Y'all could likewise soak the filter for about 15 minutes in one l (34 fl oz) of water mixed with 30g of citric acid.^[10]
three
Hose your filter down. If the weather condition is nice and your filter is too large to fit in your sink, take your filter outside and lean it confronting a wall. Spray your hose on the filter. Do not use a pressurized hose nozzle or yous might chance fierce or damaging the flimsy filter.^[eleven]
- You could also hose your filter down in your shower. Only prop the filter up in your shower and, using your shower'due south detachable showerhead, spray the filter's unabridged surface, front end and back, in a zig-zag motion.
- After hosing your filter down, allow it to dry, then supplant it.
- For added effect, you could sprinkle a few spoonfuls of baking soda over your filter before spraying information technology down.
iv

Use the automatic cleaning office. Some mod air conditioners might be equipped with a function that cleans the air filter for yous. These air conditioners utilize an internal cassette and brush device to remove particles from the filter, so deposits the dust and particles in a small chamber from which they are blown exterior. If your air conditioner has such a feature, set information technology to clean your filter regularly.^[12]

Advertizing

1
Clean your filter regularly. Different air conditioners accept dissimilar filter cleaning requirements. Some filters need to exist cleaned once every ii weeks.^[13] Some manufacturers recommend cleaning only once every 30 days.^[14] Still others require cleaning but one to 4 times per yr.^[15]
- Consult your manufacturer's directions for information virtually how frequently you lot should make clean your filter.
- Y'all should clean your filter more often if you take pets or allergies, or if you're using your air conditioner regularly.
ii
Discard your filter if necessary. Despite your careful and regular cleaning, your filter volition somewhen vesture out. If yous observe any tears, holes, or harm to your filter, supersede it with a new one.^[xvi]
- You can buy an air conditioner filter at your local home appliances store or online.
3
Clean the condenser coils. Cleaning the condenser coils can make your air conditioner more efficient and improve its lifetime. If you have a window-mounted air conditioner, you'll demand to blow compressed air in brusque bursts at the back end of the unit of measurement (the part of the air conditioner that sticks out the window).^[17]
- Alternately, utilise a soft-bristled castor to scrub between the grating of the air conditioner'due south intake. Be conscientious not to bend whatsoever of the coil fins.
- If you desire to clean the condenser coils of your large central air conditioner unit exterior, remove its outer case, then blow compressed air beyond its surface in short bursts. You lot could likewise choose to use an industrial-strength vacuum fitted with a soft-bristle castor attachment to suck the grime and clay from where it has collected between the coils.
Ad

Add New Question

Question

What'south the all-time way to make clean an AC filter?

Victor Belavus is an Ac Specialist and the Possessor of 212 HVAC, an air condition repair and installation visitor based in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to HVAC and air conditioning units, Victor as well specializes in furnace repair and air duct cleaning. He has over 10 years of experience working with HVAC systems.

Air Conditioning Specialist

Expert Reply

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

I recommend using replaceable filters for your air conditioner—just use a new one every 3 months or so. However, if you have a reusable filter, clean it by vacuuming it first to remove whatever large particles, and then soak the filter for 15 minutes in 1 liter of water mixed with 30g of citric acid. Afterward, launder information technology thoroughly with water.

Enquire a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advert

Cleaning or replacing your filter tin can better your air conditioner'southward efficiency by v% to xv%.
Article of clothing a dispensable confront mask when cleaning air filters. This will forestall you from breathing in harmful grit particles that may behave bacteria.

Things You'll Need

soft-bristled brush
compressed air
vacuum
vinegar

About This Article

Article Summary X

To clean the filter on your air conditioner, make sure the unit of measurement is turned off before you pop out the filter. For routine cleaning, use the tube extension on your vacuum cleaner to suck the clay and dust out of the filter until it looks clean, and so put it dorsum on the unit. If the filter still has a lot of dirt afterwards you vacuum information technology, try soaking information technology in a mixture of 1 part vinegar and 5 parts h2o for ane to 2 hours. Then, permit it dry earlier putting information technology dorsum on the air conditioner. For more than tips on how to keep your air conditioner clean, like how to know when your filter needs to be replaced, go on reading!

Did this summary help you?

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 125,753 times.

Did this article assist yous?