Do you know the proper way of how to clean portable air conditioner coils? I am going to show you the easy way to do it in this article.
Over time, portable air conditioners lose their ability to deliver cool air. The biggest cause of this is the lack of maintenance. To lower the temperature, refrigerant tubing needs an abundant and constant flow of fresh air.
For that to happen, the air conditioner coils must be perfectly clean. Sometimes, the action of air filters isn’t enough to retain the smallest particles. Over time, dust and hair residues accumulate between the coil’s grooves, blocking the passage of fresh air.
So, if you don’t clean the air conditioner coil frequently, the performance of your unit will decrease considerably. Fortunately, doing this kind of maintenance is easier than you think. You just need the right tools and cleaning products.
If it’s been several years since you bought your device and you’ve never cleaned it, maybe it’s time to do it. In this article, you’ll know all those little secrets that you won’t find in any user manual and that will turn the cleaning process into a breeze.
Pay close attention and make sure you have everything you need at hand before you start. After reading this article, I hope you will know how to clean portable air conditioner coils.
What is Portable Air Conditioner Coils?
A portable air conditioner coil is a metal grid surrounding a metal tube folded several times forming a flat surface. Its main function is to catch fresh air so it touches the tubing surface.
In portable air conditioners, there are coils in both condenser and evaporator. In the condenser, the coil catches fresh air to reduce the temperature of the tubing. That way, the refrigerant in the form of hot gas, cools and turns into liquid and then passes to a capillary tube.
In the evaporator, the coil cools the warm air while the refrigerant absorbs the high temperatures and again becomes hot gas.
So, the more air the coil catches, the better. That’s why it’s important that the coil’s empty spaces are free of debris that can impede the airflow. Fortunately, cleaning an air conditioner is the easiest thing to do when you have the right tools.
In this article, you’ll learn how to clean portable air conditioner coils done in record time without too much effort.
Step by Step Guide: How to Clean Portable Air Conditioner Coils
First of all, make sure you have all that you need. Here’s the complete list:
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- Screwdriver.
- Brush with hard bristles.
- All purpose cleaner spray.
- Air blower.
- Vacuum cleaner.
- Dry cloth.
- Coil fin comb (optional).
- Face mask.
- Security lenses.
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Once you have all the necessary tools and products on hand, it’s time to start work. To do this, you must do the following:
- First of all, remove the plastic case from the portable air conditioner to get to the coils. You’ll need a screwdriver to remove the screws.
- Then, manually remove the outer layer of dust accumulated on the coil. Slide your hand vertically so as not to deform the coil fins.
- After that, use an air blower to remove any remaining residue. Wear a face mask and safety glasses at this point. Then use a vacuum cleaner to suck all the dust off.
- Apply all-purpose cleaner spray over the entire surface of the coil. During application, make sure the cleaning product doesn’t touch the delicate electronic components of the device. After applying, wait 20 minutes for the product to take effect.
- Using a hose, remove all the cleaning product with water. Again, make sure the water doesn’t touch the electronic components of the air conditioner.
- Once there’s no dust inside your air conditioner, use the air blower and a dry cloth to remove the remaining water.
- Optionally, if there are twisted fins on the coil, you can use a coil fin comb to straighten them. You just have to slide the bristles vertically and the tool will do the job automatically.
- Finally, install the plastic case again and then turn on the air conditioner.
Conclusion
Certainly, cleaning a portable air conditioner coil is very simple and you don’t need to spend too much time in the process. You must be very careful because the fins tend to deform easily. The fins must be completely straight to ensure optimum air passage.
Don’t apply too much pressure while cleaning because you could break something. Remember that any leakage of refrigerant fluid will damage the device. If you don’t want to have problems, carefully follow the advice in this article.
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