Antibacterial treatment and cleaning of the existing split system should be carried out annually. We’ll clarify: we are talking about indoor modules that are operated in your home, and office units need to be washed more often. Maintenance of the outdoor unit is carried out as they become dirty, but at least 1 time in 2 years. Let's figure out how you can clean your home air conditioner without calling the service wizard, that is, with your own hands.
Why service more often - profitably
Unlike the old climate technology, modern split systems can not only cool, but also heat the air. Therefore, owners of apartments and private houses often use them for heating in winter, until the street temperature drops below -5 ° C. Accordingly, the main elements of the air conditioner - filters, heat exchangers and fans are polluted twice as fast. In favor of timely service, there are other good reasons:
- To your health. It is exposed to the harmful effects of fungi and mold, settling and actively breeding inside a too dusty aggregate. A sign is an unpleasant musty smell.
- Dirt accumulated in the outer and inner radiator prevents the normal passage of air flow, which reduces the efficiency of the entire installation. With the constant return of heat or cold, more energy is consumed.
- Seasonal flushing is one thing, and quite another is cleaning and antibacterial treatment of a heavily soiled indoor unit. You will do the first yourself, and for the second you will have to call a master with specialized equipment (high pressure washer, steam generator), which will cost you a pretty penny.
Note. Reducing the efficiency of any chiller leads to an increase in the load on the compressor - the most expensive part. It turns out that the heat exchangers clogged with dirt approximate the moment of its repair, or even replacement.
It makes no sense to develop the topic of harmful microorganisms living inside dirty air conditioners and harmful to human health, since this fact has long been known to everyone. But asking how much a professional cleaning of split systems with disinfection costs in your area would be worthwhile. After all, if the evaporator has not been washed for several years, then a specialist call becomes inevitable.
Comparative example. The cost of a comprehensive cleaning of domestic air conditioning systems with a capacity of up to 5 kW lies in the range of 2-3 thousand rubles. (35-53 cu). These are Moscow prices, in the regions they may be lower. If you wash the split with your own hands, then you can easily keep within 5, maximum 10 y. e., which it takes to buy a cleaner. Agree, self-prevention is much more profitable than after-sales service.
Simple foam wash
This method of removing dirt from the indoor unit is very simple and accessible to everyone, including housewives. It is carried out using detergents sold in aerosol cans (Liqui Moly, Plak, Bizol and the like). The technology is as follows:
- Disconnect the unit from the power supply, open the cover and remove the filters. Rinse them with running water and let dry.
- Apply foam from the bottle to the fins of the evaporator and keep the time specified in the instructions (from 10 to 30 minutes).
- Install filters and turn on the split system in heating or ventilation mode (depending on the recommendations on the spray) and let it work for half an hour. Ventilate the room.
Unfortunately, this method cannot be called effective, because it allows you to flush only the heat exchanger. The fan turbine, drainage bath and hidden cavities of the apparatus remain dirty.Therefore, we further propose to consider how to properly clean the split system blocks, after disassembling it first.
How to disassemble and wash the indoor unit
It is proposed to consider the cleaning process on the example of the Korean split Daewoo with a capacity of 18 kBTU or 5.3 kW. What you need to work:
- flat and Phillips screwdriver;
- Carlyclean alkaline cleaner or the like in a hand spray bottle
- a special polyethylene cover with a drain for water, made to fit the dimensions of a room module;
- latex gloves;
- another hand sprayer to flush the cleaner.
For reference. A single dose of Carlyclean can be ordered at any specialized online store for about 3 y. e. Covers protecting walls from drips are sold there (cost - about 2 y. If you wish, you can solder such a device from a plastic film.
In order to thoroughly clean and disinfect all parts of the internal module, you need to disassemble it in the following order:
- Unplug the air conditioner, remove the filters and rinse them. Remove the plastic blinds by carefully bending and pulling the ends out of the sockets.
- Unscrew all self-tapping screws located on the front panel. They hold the cover of the electrical compartment, the panel itself and the condensate bath. Some of them are under decorative caps.
- Pull the front panel toward you and tilt it up to disengage the 4 upper latches. Do not remove it until you disconnect the LCD connector on the right side.
- Mark the position of the servos that rotate the blinds with a marker, then unscrew and remove them. Release the condensate tray retainer (holds its left end) and disconnect the drain pipe. After that, the element is easily dismantled.
- Pull out the temperature sensor inserted between the fins of the evaporator and bend it towards the electronic unit. Protect the latter from the ingress of water with a plastic bag, as shown above in the photo.
Note. Split systems of other manufacturers are disassembled in approximately the same order. The differences are in the methods of fastening the panels, the number of blinds and the placement of the display.
If this is your first time servicing a home air conditioner, the disassembly procedure will take approximately 1.5-2 hours. Thanks to this, you get access to the fan turbine and the cavity behind it, which also needs to be cleaned. Then everything is simple: pull the cover on the module, slipping its edges between the wall and the case, then proceed to clean the “split”:
- Wear rubber gloves and carefully apply detergent to the heat exchanger, fan drum, and internal cavities. Turn the turbine with your free hand.
- After 5-10 minutes, take a water sprayer and rinse off the product with dirt. Spray until clean water runs out of the unit.
- Wait until all the water has drained from the indoor unit, and then remove the cover and let the unit dry.
- Wash the removed panel, bath and filters, dry them. At the same time, try not to wet the foam rubber seals. After drying, the air conditioner can be collected.
Outdoor unit cleaning instructions
The main difficulty in servicing the outdoor unit is its location. If it is installed on the wall of a high-rise building at the side of the window opening, then it is better to refuse self-cleaning, unless you live on the ground floor. It is safer to carry out work when the capacitor is located in such places:
- on a non-glazed balcony or loggia;
- on the wall of a private house where you can attach a staircase;
- under the window of the apartment.
The disassembly and cleaning procedure itself is quite simple and is performed in the following sequence:
- Unscrew the screws that hold the top cover and remove it. Remove the fan guard.
- Unscrew the impeller nut (thread - left) and remove it from the shaft.Wrap the engine in polyethylene to prevent liquid from entering it.
- Spray the cleaner thoroughly onto the heat exchanger (condenser) on both sides and wait 5-10 minutes.
- Use a hand-held sprayer to flush until the dirty water stops draining from the radiator. Wash the impeller, remove the bag from the motor and reassemble the unit in the reverse order.
For reference. The electronics and compressor installed in the external unit are separated from the condenser by a partition, so you can safely apply the product and rinse it off with water.
It is also better to put off the cooler for a day, so that the seals can dry out. How to clean the outdoor air conditioner module is shown in the video:
Conclusion
The described technology of self-cleaning is suitable for split systems that did not have time to fill up much dirt. After watching the video, you will see how easy it is to wash the parts of the cooler, which has worked 1-2 years since the last service. If at autopsy you find a decent layer of dirt, it is best for the first time to contact a service shop. Its specialists will thoroughly clean the air conditioner and perform antibacterial treatment with steam, and you will take care of further washing.