About The Author: Travis Baugh is a Digital Brand Marketing Manager for Bryant, where he creates clear, helpful content to guide homeowners through heating, cooling, and indoor air quality decisions. His goal is to empower readers with the knowledge they need to choose the right comfort solutions for their home—confidently and comfortably.
How Do You Clean an AC Unit? A Step-by-Step Guide
By Travis Baugh
Regular air conditioner cleaning is the key to maintaining its performance, efficiency, and longevity. A clean AC unit not only ensures a comfortable home environment but also improves indoor air quality and helps prevent expensive repairs.
This guide will walk you through how to clean your AC unit, provide a step-by-step approach for cleaning the outside unit, and offer valuable tips for proper AC unit care between professional services. Let's get started on keeping your AC running smoothly. how long your AC unit last changing your air filters l
Why is Regular Air Conditioner Cleaning Important?
Consistent AC unit care is essential for its long-term health and optimal performance. Regular cleaning improves indoor air quality, enhances energy efficiency, and helps prevent costly repairs, ensuring your air conditioning system runs reliably for years.
Here are three key reasons why this matters:
- Improves Indoor Air Quality: One of the main benefits of regular central air conditioner cleaning is better indoor air quality. Dust, dirt, and allergens can accumulate in your air conditioning system, and a clean unit helps circulate fresh, healthy air throughout your home.
- Enhances Energy Efficiency: A clean AC unit operates more efficiently, which can lead to lower cooling bills. When your unit is clogged with dirt, it works harder and uses more energy to cool your home. Regular cleaning ensures it provides optimal performance without wasting energy.
- Helps Prevent Costly Repairs: Routine cleaning and AC maintenance can help you avoid the inconvenience and expense of emergency repairs. Dirt and grime strain the system, increasing the risk of breakdowns. Investing time in AC unit care saves you money and extends the lifespan of your system.
How to Clean an Outside AC Unit Step-by-Step
Cleaning your outdoor air conditioning unit is a straightforward task that maintains its efficiency. Before you begin, gather your tools: a soft brush and a garden hose.
Follow these five steps for effective air conditioner cleaning:
- Turn Off the Power: For your safety, always start by turning off the power to the unit at the main electrical breaker.
- Clear Debris: Remove any large debris like leaves, twigs, or grass clippings from the top and sides of the unit.
- Clean the Fins: Use a soft brush or a vacuum with a brush attachment to gently clean the delicate metal fins. Be careful not to bend them, as this can restrict airflow.
- Rinse the Coils: Gently rinse the fins and coils with a garden hose to wash away remaining dirt. Mark Lea, co-owner of Lea Heating & Air Conditioning, advises against using a pressure washer. "Work your way down at a 45-degree angle and hose down the front, sides and back coils," Lea suggests.
- Allow to Dry: Let the unit air dry completely before you restore power at the breaker.
Regular cleaning will help your AC unit operate efficiently and prolong its lifespan. For more detailed instructions, learn how to clean AC coils.
How Do I Maintain My AC Unit Between Cleanings?
Proper AC unit care between professional AC service appointments is vital for performance and longevity. The first sign your unit needs cleaning is often reduced airflow or uneven cooling. If some rooms are warmer than others or the system runs longer than usual, it may be time for a cleaning.
Here are some essential maintenance tips:
- Change Air Filters Regularly: A clogged filter restricts airflow, forcing your AC to work harder. Depending on your filter type, check and replace it every one to three months. According to Mark Lea, this is the most important task for improving indoor air quality and system efficiency. "The most important thing changing your air filters does is improving your indoor air quality," Lea said. "It also keeps your HVAC system running at top efficiency, helps lower utility bills, can help prevent costly breakdowns and calls, and help extend the lifespan of the equipment. What happens is that the clogged air filter makes the system work harder, which puts more strain on the blower motor and causes the heat exchanger to start overheating. It's probably our number one most frequent service call."
- Keep the Outdoor Unit Clear: At the start of each cooling season, inspect the outdoor unit and clear away any leaves, dirt, or grass clippings that could obstruct airflow.
- Schedule Professional Inspections: Consider an annual inspection with your local Bryant dealer A professional can check AC refrigerant levels, perform a deep cleaning of the coils, and ensure all components are functioning correctly.
By following these tips on how to clean your outside AC unit and maintain your system, you can ensure a comfortable home all summer long.
FAQs
A homeowner can perform basic cleaning like changing filters and clearing debris, but deep cleaning of coils or ducts is best left to a professional HVAC dealer.
Professional AC cleaning typically costs between $100 and $300, depending on the size of the system and services included.
AC units should have basic maintenance and filter changes every 1–3 months, with professional cleaning recommended at least once a year.
Learn More About Air Conditioners
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- Learn about AC replacement
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