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
Cleaning your air conditioning unit involves turning off the power, removing debris from the exterior, and gently cleaning the fins with a soft brush or low-pressure hose. Regular cleaning improves energy efficiency, enhances indoor air quality, and helps prevent costly breakdowns.
Why is Regular Air Conditioner Cleaning Important?
Routine maintenance is essential for the longevity and performance of your cooling system. A clean AC unit operates more efficiently, circulates cleaner air, and is less likely to require emergency repairs.
- 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 helps extend how long your AC unit last .
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:
- Cut the Power: Locate the electrical disconnect box near your outdoor unit or switch off the dedicated circuit breaker in your main electrical panel.
- Clear Exterior Debris: Remove leaves, grass clippings, and twigs from around the unit. Clear away vegetation to ensure at least two feet of clearance for proper airflow.
- Clean the Fins: Use a soft-bristle brush or a vacuum with a soft brush attachment to carefully remove dust from the delicate aluminum fins. Be gentle to avoid bending them.
- Rinse the Coils: If there is significant dirt buildup, use a garden hose to gently rinse the unit. Pro Tip: Mark Lea of Lea Heating & Air Conditioning suggests working your way down at a 45-degree angle, hosing down the front, sides, and back coils. Warning: Never use a pressure washer, as the high pressure can damage the sensitive fins and coils. Learn more about how to clean AC coils.
- Let it Dry: Allow the unit to dry completely before turning the power back on.
How Do I Maintain My AC Unit Between Cleanings?
Proper AC unit care between professional Keeping your AC in top shape requires attention throughout the cooling season, not just during a deep clean.
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." Learn more about changing your air filters.
- 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 scheduling annual AC service 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.
No, you should never use a pressure washer on an AC unit. The high pressure can bend the delicate aluminum fins and damage the coils, severely reducing the unit's efficiency. Always use a standard garden hose with gentle pressure.
Modern AC units are built to withstand outdoor elements and do not require covering.
Geothermal heat pumps are generally the most efficient due to stable ground temperatures. Ductless mini-splits often have very high SEER2 ratings because they avoid energy loss associated with ductwork. Variable-speed central ACs are efficient because they adjust cooling output in small increments to match demand, reducing energy waste from frequent on/off cycling and maintaining more consistent indoor temperatures.
Installing central AC in a home without existing ducts is possible but requires significant renovation to install the ductwork. In these cases, a ductless mini split system is often a more cost-effective and less invasive alternative.
AC size is measured in tons, and the right size depends on your home's square footage, insulation, window quality, and local climate. An oversized unit will cycle on and off too frequently (wasting energy), while an undersized unit will struggle to cool. A professional load calculation is the only accurate way to determine the correct size.
Learn More About Air Conditioners
- Find out what is a split AC unit
- Explore AC installation
- Learn about AC replacement
- Understand AC tune ups
- Discover the factors in choosing the best air conditioner and what size air conditioner you need
- Get help with an AC not workin
