How To Clean An Air Conditioner Filter

Knowing how to clean your air conditioner filter is a key part of your regular maintenance routine. How yous approach this step plays a huge part in determining whether your HVAC systems function properly. In this mail service, we'll await at all aspects of cleaning your filter. That includes the steps required as well as how often you actually demand to go most doing this.

How To Clean An Air Conditioner Filter: The Basics

A row of air conditioners used to reference the concept of "how to clean your air conditioner filter."

First things offset, not all air conditioner filters tin be cleaned. If your filter has a cardboard frame or contains some written indication of non-serviceability, yous'll need to replace it outright. You can find replacement air filters in most home hardware stores. Make sure y'all find the right size; bring your old filter along so you tin can compare.

Why Should Yous Clean Your Air Conditioner Filter?

Air conditioners circulate air throughout your dwelling. They rely on filters to trap clay and debris that would otherwise go circulated aslope your fresh air. When a filter is clogged, the air conditioner has to work a lot harder to pump air. This uses more electricity and reduces your air conditioner's lifespan (here's how long your AC lasts in Arizona). Of form, it also reduces your home's air quality.

How Often Should You Make clean Your Air Conditioner Filter?

Cleaning your air filter shouldn't exist something you practice only twice a twelvemonth when you take a professional await at your air conditioner (read more well-nigh why nosotros recommend services twice annually here).

You lot should accept care of your filter (whether that ways replacing or simply cleaning it) on at to the lowest degree a monthly basis. You might practice this much more often than that if you alive in an expanse with loftier pollution or have a dusty hobby like woodworking.

Allow your eyes be the judge. If you detect lots of grit built up on your filter during your monthly inspections, consider increasing your cleaning and replacement frequency to every couple of weeks.

How To Make clean A Central Air Conditioner Filter

Allow's begin past walking through the steps for cleaning your central air conditioner's filter. And so, we'll await at window and ducted units. Keep in mind that these steps but employ if your air conditioner's filter is reusable. If you accept a dispensable filter, you'll take to replace it in lieu of cleaning.

Footstep Ane: Determine The Air Conditioner Filter Location

With fundamental air conditioners, the filter typically resides near the cold air return. Throughout much of the U.s.a., this component lies within the basement. With air conditioners in Phoenix, however, it will typically be in the garage or some other blazon of storage room since houses generally don't have basements here.

Yous may besides take filters backside your return vents, which volition be scattered throughout the house.

Step Two: Close The Power Off

Whenever you perform any type of servicing on your air conditioner, it's a good thought to turn the unit off. This will protect it and y'all.

Step Iii: Remove The Filter And Vacuum It

Typically, at that place will exist a skilful corporeality of dust caked onto the filter. Y'all can remove most of it using a vacuum with a bristled zipper. Exercise this for all of your central AC'due south filters, including those hiding behind the returns. They're just every bit important! Make sure you lot vacuum either side of your filter.

Step Four: Soak The Filter In A 50/l Mixture Of Water And Vinegar

Of import: Read your filter's manual (or the instructions printed directly onto it, if applicable) before y'all do this. Some air conditioner filters aren't designed to get wet and you definitely desire to avert causing harm.

If your filter is water-friendly, soak it in a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar for most an 60 minutes. Before reinstalling the filter, let it dry completely.

If you don't accept a basin large enough to concur your air conditioner filter, utilise a hose instead. Make sure you lot set the pressure very low as anything as well intense will easily rip through the filter.

Step Five: Reinstall The Filter

Once you've cleaned the filter (meaning no grit or debris remains), reinstall information technology. Most filters have an arrow indicating which way they're supposed to face. This pointer needs to bespeak in the direction of the airflow.

Congrats! You're all washed. While you're in a cleaning mood, however, check out this post for some tips.

How To Clean A Ducted Air Conditioner Filter

Now that you lot know how to clean a central air conditioner filter, permit's wait at ducted units.

Stride One: Locate The Air Conditioner Filter Location

With a ducted unit of measurement, your filter will exist located behind the main return air duct.

Footstep Two: Shut The Power Off

As mentioned previously, shutting your air conditioner off while cleaning its filter can help yous avert damage.

Step Iii: Vacuum And Soak Your Filter Down

Follow the same steps we discussed in the department on cleaning primal air-conditioning filters. That includes leaving the filter to dry out thoroughly before y'all reinstall it. While all reusable filters will be vacuum-friendly, double-check whether yours is waterproof.

Footstep Four: Reinstall The Filter And Plow Your Air-conditioning Back On

Voila! You're skilful to get.

How To Clean A Window Air Conditioner Filter

Cleaning your window air conditioner filter doesn't require annihilation radically different than with other types of systems. Still, it's a proficient thought to cheque for the presence of mold or mildew on your filter when you clean it. Either of these substances would indicate a need for more thorough cleaning.

Pace Ane: Shut The Air Conditioner Off And Unplug It

This is an specially important pace for window air conditioners since you lot'll be working in close proximity to the air conditioner's moving parts, whereas the previously-discussed types of units are fairly afar from where the filter is.

Step Two: Remove The Air Conditioner's Forepart Console To Access The Filter

This panel volition be held in place by screws, pressure level, or some simple plastic clips. Once you remove the panel, information technology'll be incommunicable to miss the filter.

Step 3: Vacuum And Wash Your Window Air Conditioner Filter

As always, read your air conditioner'due south education manual to make sure water won't harm the filter. If the filter smells a lilliputian musty, that may be an indication of moisture issues inside that would crave a more thorough cleaning of the entire unit.

Footstep Four: Let The Filter Dry Before Replacing It

Return the filter and front end panel to their proper places. Later that, you're skillful to become!

How To Clean Your Air Conditioner Filter: Conclusion

Cleaning your air conditioner filter is not complicated at all. Notwithstanding, it's easy to adopt a policy of "outta sight, outta mind" here since you probably won't discover the immediate effects of a dirty filter. Information technology'south important that you make a addiction of cleaning the filter, however. Dirty filters make your organisation run inefficiently and jeopardize your health.

For more than air conditioning and water filtration blogs, check out these articles on "Different Types of Hot Water Tanks" and "How to Remove Nitrates from Well Water".

Ofttimes Asked Questions

How often should you clean an air conditioner filter?

You should get in the addiction of checking your air conditioner filter at least one time a month. As part of that check, you lot should either make clean or replace the unit, depending on whether information technology's reusable or non.

Is it ok to spray water on your air conditioner?

If you accept an outdoor central unit, you can definitely spray water on it. Window air conditioners are as well by and large not averse to h2o simply read the instruction manual to be sure.

How oftentimes should yous clean your air conditioner?

General cleaning on a monthly ground is a good idea. Yous should carry more rigorous cleaning every season (or fifty-fifty multiple times during the summertime months, when air conditioners get the most apply).