How to Clean a Dirty Moldy Window Air Conditioner
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- Опубликовано: 29 май 2020
- In this video I show you how to take apart and clean dirt and mold from a window air conditioner.
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The problem is that modern window/wall AC manufacturers are using styrofoam evaporator chambers instead of evaporator chambers made of galvanized steel, aluminum or even plastic which were used on older units. Mold loves styrofoam, which is a stupid, boneheaded move that could have been easily avoided, but hardly any consumer commodity is truly engineered anymore these days. The bean counters are the engineers.
I'm looking up videos right now after taking the grill off of mine and seeing that the styrofoam is COVERED in mold. I'm feeling quite depressed atm...
I am going to be taking apart and cleaning mine next week. It's basically the same as this one just a little newer. It has the styrofoam chamber. I have a role of aluminum duct tape. After reading your comment I think after I clean it thoroughly I am going to line the entire chamber with the aluminum tape. Not only will that cover and protect the styrofoam and hopefully prevent the mold it will block out the light that bleeds through the styrofoam. Oh and maybe improve airflow since it will be a smooth slick surface rather than the rough surface it currently is.
And even the thickness and quality of the Styrofoam is worse than it was 15-20 years ago (when they were already being made from Styrofoam)...
Yup, and if they are engineered, they're over-engineered to the point that you wouldn't be able to do something like this because you can't take it apart.
@@PimpTwzt How about just painting over the styrofoam?
I kept smelling mildew in my room where the ac is, finally shined a flashlight in and that’s pretty much what I saw. Very thorough video. Thank you much as now I have the confidence to take mine apart. Man I love RUclips
Hey Joe! Sounds like it is a good time to clean it! Hope the video helps you out. Good luck and let me know how it goes! Thanks for watching!
From a hvac tech from Phoenix. Dam good job taking it apart and cleaning it and improving air quality without the mold
At 1:42 you see why AC is the no. 1 reason for cronic respiration infections, if not properly maintained and cleaned. And don't expect hotels and other public places to do this mandatory maintenance as required.
Your absolutely right. Several years ago I got a respiratory infection do to a dirty moldy ac unit.
They don't do maintenance on the wall a/c unit in my apartment either.
@@Og-Judy You can, by law, refuse (withhold) rent OR give them written notice via USPS with tracking and signature mail, that they have 30 days to do cleaning and maintenance on the unit or you will pay for it to get done and send them the bill with additional charges for time, labor, etc.
They have no choice. It's literally law.
Do u remember what kind of symptoms?
Honestly I've taken apart a ton of things in my life (cars, motorcycles, electrical outlets, fixtures, small aerospace units, computers, electronics, etc.) And by far the most annoying thing I've ever had to take apart was a window AC unit.
These things are built with zero user friendliness in mind and cleaning them is a huge pain in the rear. You would think a drip pan should be the easiest accessible item? Nope. You have to take apart the whole unit from the outside until you get to the interior, and even then, you're going to need to take apart the interior to get to the pan.
I have no idea how an engineer has not thought this through more clearly
Engineers are laughing right now because they designed it like this purposely do you think engineers for companies want a design that the buyer can easily fix,clean themselves? No they want it to break so you buy another one
Speaking as an engineer, I hate designing stuff that is horrific to fix/clean/repair. Unfortunately, this is rarely a priority for the company, so we have to put out crud like this.
As a hotel handiman I used a fin comb to straighten and clean between fins. There was also a special spray cleaner but it was pretty harsh. I'm rather upset the manufacturers did all they could to keep us from easily cleaning these but they need to sell as many units as possible so it's really up to us to learn what you're teaching and nudge them towards what we want by not considering these things disposable. Peace.
God help us!! I'm not able to clean mine like that anymore,bad back,neck,should er r and too old!! Whi can i hire to do it?
@@deloresmiller3853 Same here. My hubs and I used to take out of the 12000 and 15000 btu window units over the years and clean thoroughly but we're in our mid and late 60s now...ain't happening. I have some Frost King coil cleaner and I just want to know if I can use it on the inside coils while the monster is still in the window 🤪
Getting old sucks!
They set it up so we'd have to keep buying new ones
Try compressed air. Just do it in short spurts
I'd never heard of a fin comb, so.your comment is immensely helpful. Thank you.
Great video! My daughter wanted to trash the units (5) because of the mold but you saved the day and a lot of money. Thanks Joe
I trashed my $400 two-year-old unit after I took it apart and saw how black it was, but now I'm regretting it. It was a great machine, much better than the $160 unit I replaced it with. The neighbor's weed comes in around this one.
Same exact model. Video helped me complete this very easily. Thing is smelling and running like brand new. Thanks 👍
Awesome to hear! Happy to help out. Thanks for watching!
Yea i have the same model as well gonna do this some time this week, it'll be hot before you know it
This is part of my Fall maintenance schedule. You do this when you do not need the A/C to keep cool. I set my Window A/C on the bench, take it apart, clean and straighten the fins on the heat excanger, all internal ductwork, filters (mine has two), all fans (both squirrel cage and bladed fans). I use a cleaner that all HVAC technicians use that dissolves and decontaminates all non electrical internal parts. I also use the fine machine oil to lube up all bearings or bushings (a little bit goes a long way, so do not flood the rotating parts. Cleaning the leading edges of bladed fans is a must, or your work is incomplete, squirrel caged fans must be cleaned, too with an old toothbrush and your spray bottle with 1/2 oz of soap and one oz of bleach to 16 oz of warm water. And, a fine toothed fin comb is a must whether the fins are dented, or just slightly bent (this helps in the cleaning of the exchanger).
Clean the thermocouple carefully with the toothbrush lightly moistened with your soap/bleach mixture. This part senses the incoming air temperature and partly controls how long your unit runs.
Let the unit dry completely over several days in your shop or covered back porch, then reassemble (take many pictures with your phone so you can see where everything goes back in case you forget). Then reassemble and restore your unit back in the window/ wall where it came from. If it is a heavy unit like mine, ask someone to help you reinstall it in that space. COVER your outside part of the A/C unit with saran wrap, foil, or plastic so dirt and moisture will not ruin your hard work - remember to remove this cover before the cooling Summer season starts! When you do this after the Summer cooling Season ends, you can take your time and do a GOOD job! My A/C unit is 25 years old, and apart from adding R-22 to it once three years ago, it has run like a champ cooling my 1017 square foot house all by itself. I learned this all from a friend that works on HVAC systems, watched him do it once, did it myself the rest of the time. Someday, it will die, but take the measurements with you and get the best replacement you can afford - it is worth the trouble and expense.
Thank you for this very informative comment. It seems like a project, but I can do it. The only thing that makes me nervous is messing around with the internal wiring, as The Fixer did. I think I will skip that part. May I ask: What brand of machine oil did you use to lubricate? And where is the "thermocouple"?
Same. What is the thermocouple? I guess I can Google that lol...but do they look the same for every unit?
HOW and who did the adding of the R-22 (refrigerant) to the window ac unit? I ask becasue i believe mine might need some but i cant seem to find a video on how to do it. Can you please help.
This was the exact window unit I was looking to clean, so this was beyond helpful for me
Same. LoL. I was like “no wayyy, this is MY unit”
I came here looking to. Never thought i would actually find one with the same unit I have let alone it be the first video I click on!!
Same. And having just looked, mine is almost that gross. No wonder I feel like crap.
You don't have to be a professional for this, right?
Same this is the best unit I’ve owned so far
Best DIY video ever! I've used this information twice for my 18,000 BTU behemoth and my 6,000 BTU unit. I've saved untold amounts of money on repairs or replacement and saved space in my local landfill. Win/win!
Thanks to your video I was able to clean up my ac in less than an hour and saved myself a few hundred bucks on a new one. I have the same one brand and you made it look easy. Bless you!
Never thought about cleaning my a/c this intently, but looks like I have a big project ahead of me. Thanks for the video.
Hey, Jill! Thanks for watching! Hope the video helps out!
Please Clean it, that mold inside almost killed me, u breath it in long enough you'll start to have difficulty breathing, make sure to clean it at least twice a year
@@desmondhack7038hi what if I can’t open it can I just open the front piece and clean the front only I’m scared now I haven’t cleaned mine like him I only clean the vent smh 🤦🏻♀️
@@iamprincessjulesakajuliagr7429 u need a screwdriver only it's easy, watch a couple vids on how to open and clean them, trust me u definitely have to clean them
My a/c had mold the year before. So remember that if you get mold in the a/c, you may need to clean it once a year because my mold came back the following year. So now I will do it every spring before the season starts. NOTE: I cleaned my a/c in the bathtub by putting down garbage bags to protect the porcelain. Headaches caused by the mold are lessoning. I'm washing my walls in my space and washing everything to get rid of mold spores. Thank you for this video!
Black mold alergies is not fun.. prevention is best, clean and care every so often.. so it doesn’t build up like this unit in video
Mold smells, musty and disgusting.. keep it clean and fir god sake don’t live in moody space
I just want to come here and say I was hesitant at first if this would work but I did it, and my air conditioner is like NEW! blasts out 60f ice cold air and this just saved me $600 vs buying a new one. Thank you!!
Awesome to hear! Thanks for letting us know!
This was so helpful!! We couldn't figure out why the AC drained indoors....we did everything average person can do. So we had to look at what was clogging up our drainage....yes, we took apart and low and behold! Leaves, dirt, pollen, yuckies! Thank you for showing us that we could clean our unit and still keep a good unit after one year. we will screen the intake and cover during the winter. Thx!!
Good reminder for everyone to check their a/c for mold. I'd add 2 things: try to keep the GFCI plug dry- if you leave it on the ground in the water it can permanently damage it, and they are expensive to replace. Second, run the a/c for 30 minutes or so after cleaning, in order to evaporate water that might have gotten in the bearings. I've cleaned a/c units without running them immediately afterward and several times a bearing apparently got water in it, making it very noisy, and replacement of fan motor bearings is a hassle that is best avoided if you don't have to do it.
Better yet, don't get water in the bearings in the first place. I had to replace my bearings. Total PITA.
Run it IMMEDIATELY or after letting it dry in the sun for a bit? I'm going to bag and tape the shit out of mine.
@@josephdockemeyer6782 How did it turn out?
@@GuerreroUrbano100 Haven't done it yet. Severe mosquito infestation here with 15% positive for West Nile. Swarmed just getting into the car. So don't want to be out in my driveway that long... 52 bites just taking out trash and carrying in groceries. Sucks lol.
Wd40 the fan bearings first - check
So helpful! While helping my daughter move into another apartment and installing a window unit she'd been using a while, I noticed the moldy mess that you show. I was able to clean up the front, but I'll remove the unit at the end of the summer and finish the job as you demonstrated. The recirculation fan is a mess and the styrofoam chamber looks just like yours did. Cleaning is such a big part of keeping most things working well. Your video gives a lot of people the know-how to get through it with an AC unit. Thank you.
I followed this video and got my AC unit super clean. For those videos that recommend NOT taking the unit out, I think it's downright dangerous. When I took my unit apart, the interior Styrofoam, blower wheel, and even bottom of the unit were filled with black mold/green mold/mildew/sludge. I spent two hours scrubbing and washing the thing before I didn't want to puke anymore when I looked at it. If you can't take it out, I get it, but if you can, DO SO because at best cleaning it from the outside removes fifty percent of the nasty stuff inside.
Pro tip.. Use foam cleaner (acid) rinse very well, then, a good coat with Lysol.
Great video as far as how to disassemble the A/C but please note that bleach does not kill mold and for some people bleach can cause allergic or hypersensitivity reactions. To abate mold one must use a product that is designed specifically for mold (like Concrobium)--it's non-toxic and actually kills the mold spores. Also, as a general rule if the mold is at or more than a third of the interior it's best to replace the unit altogether, then work to keep the new unit free from mold by cleaning as you describe here. Good video, thanks for taking the time to make and post it.
bleach kills mold
@@NE-Explorer this is an instance when both people are right ... and wrong. I stand corrected in that bleach does kill mold on non-porous surfaces like tile, etc, but I stand firm on my comment, too, because it does not kill mold on porous surfaces like drywall and wood.
Thank you
Vinegar kills the mold itself and keeps it from spreading and coming back.. bleach will make it white again but will not kill the mold itself. It will keep coming back.
Hydrogen Peroxide is mainly what all the mold professionals were using with Hurricane Ian cleanup!!!!!
lowes sells a product called coil cleaner that is amazing and safe for the evaporator and condenser coils, its an aerosol can and foams really good to creep deep into the coils to clean them.
Great idea! i wish I grabbed a can of that before I started this! Thanks for watching!
They also sell a coil straightener tool. We bought it from Lowe’s. Looks kind of like a metal comb. Works good.
You can get kits for cleaning AC's off of amazon for crazy cheap. Comes with a comb brush and a few other goodies to help make cleaning a bit easier.
@@TheFixerHomeRepair use the foam its much easier and less messy. and use a lighter water spray. Please please cover the motor unit and electronic capacitor unit w plastic bags...... the electronics will short circuit or the motor may rust.
The problem is they are not fungicidal, and you will still have to use bleach or a black mold killing fungicide cleaning product after using the coil cleaner
I didn't know you could take an ac part like this and clean it like this. I'm not mechanically gifted, so I replaced mine this year-but for those who are this is an awesome video.
Thanks, Brenda! And as always, thanks for your continued support!
Lol “mechanically gifted” AKA unscrewing a few screws
@@CoercedJab most men can't do it anymore man. Women it's even worse. Most would poke themselves in the eye if you handed them a screwdriver.
My 5 year old daughter used my screwdriver to take all her dollhouse furniture apart!🤦♀️🤷♀️🤣...I must be doing something right if she has mechanical skills more than most people already! It was interesting asking her where all the screws were lol...kid is quick! Lol
@@Mom4Reel That is amazing, she is going to be a little fixer!
Bleach doesn't kill mold at it's roots. However vinegar or peroxide does. Just a tip for future reference. And they're non toxic, so you could actually spray them into the unit periodically to prevent mold from returning.
Can I leave the peroxide on without rinsing it with water?
@@hunnybsilly Yeah it should be fine, but it's going to foam up and break up any build up so I would wipe up as much as possible after it sits for at least 20 minutes. And with the white vinegar, you can let that dry on it too and it will fight it from coming back. Both of them have to sit on the mold and stay wet for at least 20 min to be sure it kills it. I would treat it once a day like that for at least a week to make sure it soaks in and kills all of it and then just spray it once a week after that. And remember,.the more dirt and grime is in there, the more places mold have to start growing, so clean out as much as you can. Good luck!
@@hunnybsilly Also don't forget to unplug it first and while it's wet and try to keep electronic parts and wires as dry as you can.
@@earthdaddy Thank you for your help!! I did take my AC apart and cleaned it with bleach water but when I read your comment here I wasn't sure if it was clean also I didn't take the fan and the wheel out cause I was afraid I couldn't put them back correctly.. it was my 1st time. Thanks again
@@hunnybsilly You're welcome. Glad I could help. I used to think bleach worked too until I had to deal with a massive mold issue from renting from a slumlord. So I did lots of research and experiments. Plus the mold is irritating enough and if you can find something natural that works It's always better to use that than harsh chemicals. I know what it's like to be affected by mold and sick and it's miserable. I actually had mold growing in my tonsil stones and sinuses and I had no idea that was even possible. Crazy smh...But anyway I hope it all works out for you and you stay healthy. Take care 😊
I have the exact same one, and I left it in the window without covering it for 2 yrs. My other unit i pull out every year (it’s much lighter )and its 18 yrs old n has minimal mold. I looked it up and the reason they get moldy is by not covering or removing after summer. 🙂 The site that I got info from says the blk mold could circulate thru house n cause health issues 😮💨🤕 so I wouldnt use it til i cleaned it, so Im so glad you posted this! 🙏🏻👍
I had no Idea it was safe to really get in there, let alone hose it down. Thank you!
If they can stand up to rain water, a hose won't hurt.
@@tnbn55not how that works. Rain it’s mostly shielded from vs pressurized water directly on internals is quite different in damage potential
My daughter just got the same model as your own. Your video was the most complete tutorial I have watched. Going back at it tomorrow.
I need to thank you BIG TIME! This video helped me cool off the office/dog bathroom on a hot season. May The LORD bless you richly.
Great video, just cleaned two window units after watching your videos. Thanks clear and simple instructions
Your video on how to clean a window unit air conditioner was very helpful. Pretty simple and elementary. But sometimes, some of us need to go back to the elementary things to get things accomplished. Thanks. - A.J.
This answered all my questions! I cleaned it without a hitch and am so very grateful! Thank you!!
Excellent video. I had one that was impossible to remove the top half of the foam without removing the electronics (older model), so I ended up just slicing the top off to access the fan wheel, then my best friend velcro tape came to visit. Did that yearly for the life of the unit (about seven years). I'd tip it sideways and spray right in.
The fin sludge dust does not vacuum off. Too sticky. I use a fin tool, but just a light touch with tweezers will also start it peeling.
I'm impressed that your case had no stripped screws. I swear there's one on every unit just to make my life annoying.
The thermostat clip pops right off those front fins. Easier to work without it in the way.
Take the directional grills out each year. Heck, bleach them monthly. They are so easy to pull out. They need a good scrub to get all the black off. Just did it today. My house is 81F inside and the only thing standing between me and sweet relief was the annual maintenance. A/C was new last year, so I'm not taking it apart as it's not so bad inside to make it worthwhile. The grill/spinny bits needed cleaning, though.
I really wish there was an easier way to keep the evaporation chamber clean. Manufacturers made them quieter with the styrofoam, but it makes them harder to clean (and dirtier). It's very humid where I live in the summer, so it's just a mildew factory. For some folks, it's just wet dust, but wet dust doesn't smile like rancid socks. Mildew does.
We've also had some luck running a small HEPA filtration unit near the window a/c unit. It reduces dust going in and captures some of the stuff coming out.
It's amazing how people don't take care of things today. The units built today are all plastic and strofoam and have a big tendency to get like this. When they made ac units out of all metal, you never had this issue. Ac units are made cheaply today as you can see. You need to keep your air filter clean and vacuum the front coils when you clean the filter which should be done one a month. I have some old ac units that are clean and run great and would never get like this unit. Good video, I hope it helps to educate the public on taking care of their appliance.
Yes! It's the damn styrofoam and cheap plastic. Mainly the styrofoam imo. It's a breeding ground for mold!!!
Things are made so horribly nowadays. Nothing is made well.
People like you frustrate me . Straight Karen . Move along .
@@josephdockemeyer6782 even the education seems garbage
Maybe it could help to foil-tape the Styrofoam, that is if it would still fit back in there..
It’s amazing how many people just live in poor air quality and breathing in mold spores..
Excellent video. I had a different AC make and model, but the procedure was similar. Following this guide eliminated the weird odor that was starting to come from the unit, and it seems to run more efficiently now. There was so much hidden dirt and mold--absolutely disgusting. I also appreciated your points that it is natively wet and that you could get it running shortly after cleaning. This helped reduce my anxiety when turning it back on.
I just installed a used window unit yesterday. Suddenly have very bad allergies. Your video saved my life.
I'd trash the AC and buy a new one. I'm a DIYer and love repairing everything, but am too much of a neat-freak to be comfortable with an AC as dirty as that one.
Sadly, had to do that with this exact unit
@@milklordnomadic might have to do that where we are now. Our AC has had black stuff in it for who knows how long. I feel like even if we cleaned it nothing will be enough 😮💨
Wow, I have a window unit I bought in 2004. I usually wire brush the coils gently, but I am prepared to get to the 16 years of filth on the inside. It certianly cannot be healthy breathing in some of the spores being blown out of the unit! Thank you for the video. Very informative and helpful!
Hey, Celena! Yeah, definitely not good to breathe this stuff in. Thanks for watching! Hope it helps!
Are you breathing better cos of the cleaning?
Thanks for posting this. Watching it gave me the confidence to follow suit and pull mine apart and do the same. Followed your procedure and it came out great.
Spray primer inside styrofoam...let dry completely..will never mold again! Ac guy told me this..I did it..used regular Grey metal primer..zero mold for almost 4 yrs now!
USMC 7207 oh great tip! Thanks!
What type of primer did you use?
Pretty sure oil base paint will melt styrofoam?
@@MrBadchad644 never mold again.
Name and brand
(see my other comment) The foam part is where the air blows into the house and the mold will return if you haven't killed and removed all of it. You should soak it with vinegar or peroxide periodically to make sure the roots are all eliminated.
Bleach can be harsh on the fins and copper tubing that runs through them. Best bet is to use a coil cleaner or just water/mild soap. I prefer non-acidic as the acid can eat through the coils if not rinsed thoroughly. Also, good practice to cover the electronic box with a plastic bag. Can also remove the boards from the facings on just about any model/style ac.
What will disinfect MOLD tho for that?
BLEACH and mold are a bad combo. I was very sick from mold poisoning and was told never use BLEACH to clean mold.
You can prevent all that mold in the first place by simply drilling a hole to let that condensate water drain from the unit. You will take a small hit on efficiency, but you will not ever have to deal with a moldy unit, OR do a really deep clean like this. It's the standing water in these units that causes all the problems. Using a step drill bit is recommended so as not to puncture the condenser and let all the refrigerant out. This is another example of energy efficiency standards causing more harm than good, with all these clogged up units that get sent to the dump every year. Do yourself a favor after you get your unit all cleaned up, and drill a hole in the case to let that water drain out!
Yeah????
The problem is using eco mode on air conditioners. The fan isn't left running long enough without the condenser on to get rid of the water in the back of the unit. Use eco mode during the day and use the normal cool mode at night so when the condenser shuts off after reaching the desired temp the fan stays on expelling the rest of the water.
I have this same unit and there is a drain hole in the bottom but it is located rather far foward toward the wall of the house. It gets clogged with debris and slime frequently gets clogged. Here in Florida it is a constant problem.
@@Dallas_K go to home Depot and buy window screen. The cheap stuff. Wrap it around the outside so the vents are covered. Clean it off when it gets dirty. Put an extra layer on top of the ac, that where most of the stuff falls in
I drilled mine out with step bit due to hole placement being not right it will still clog based upon where your unit is located ...near trees or near shade or having shingle roof or several factors
I live in Tx i clean mine every 6 months keeps it running awesome , the key is clean it !!! Don’t wait years
Frost King has a coil cleaner out there. And it works GREAT. I spray down each of my units with it once a month. You won't believe how much cooler the air is. Oh yeah and there's zero scrubbing involved. It lifts the dust right off.
Excellent video, thanks very much! I've had a window unit for the past 2 seasons and it didn't occur to me it should be cleaned (duh). My son was complaining of a mold smell...we took it out of his window today and OMG...I'm tempted to throw it out it's sooooo gross! Love that you mentioned the fin comb, had no idea these were a "thing". Thanks again :)
Happy to help. You don’t want to mess around with mold. Let me know if you decide to clean it and how it goes! Thanks for watching and for the comment!
I now know how to take apart and fully clean my air conditioner thanks to this video. I broke the knobs though lol. Now I can clean it every year and not have so many allergy issues. Thanks.
Nice to see that the foam can be removed easily. Even the bottom piece might slide out.. I'll have to try this on mine, if I can figure out how to get it down the stairs and out to the driveway without dropping it, falling down the stairs, or breaking my back.
Actually, I think I'll just remove the foam and bleach it outdoors. My coils are pretty clean since I vacuum the indoor one several times a year. (Furniture nozzle and stiff brush works well for this.)
Thank you for your video, I did it and it worked great!!!!!! I used Dollar Store mold and mildew remover and it really cleaned the grate fins. I covered the electric panel with a plastic shopping bag and sprayed the whole unit. My air conditioner works and looks like new!!! My pets thank you too!!!!! God Bless you for taking the time to make and post this video! Peace
That is awesome to hear, Elissa! Thank you for letting me know. Stay cool!! 😁😁
Thank you so much!!!!!!! ♥
People like you make the world a better place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@elissahoran1130 aww ☺️ thank you, Elissa!
I was given an ac unit that is disgusting! After watching this I think The one I already have could use a cleaning. But the one I was just given I think is beyond help.
This video helped me realize what to look for when getting used ones in the future. Now I have to give the nasty one back without hurting the persons feelings. Thank you for showing me it is possible to clean these things. I imagine they last longer if they are cleaned as well
Great stuff! Gotta love that blowing away the grime thing, I agree, so satifying. Tyfs
Yes it was satisfying for sure! Thanks for checking it out!!
Great video. Didn't realize you could just go ham with spraying the hose as long as you don't hit the electronics in the silver box. So I took mine apart this morning (same model as you) and used my hose to spray everywhere. Again, I had no idea that it was ok if everything got wet (except for the electronics, of course). Thanks!
Thanks! Yes as long as you are careful around the electronics it is fine. Thanks for checking out the video!
Simple trick from a pro. Outside coil ( condenser ) spray from the outside. Interior coil ( evaporator ) spray from inside. It will allow the cleaning agent to clean the entire coil between the fins.
Thank you!!! 👏👏👏
Thank you! Couldn't fathom why he sprayed the dirt from the outside in.
A quick Google search says use vinegar OR (DO NOT MIX) peroxide to kill mold. So I would use a disinfectant liquid, dish soap, and water in a spray bottle to soak everything first. Then rinse off with a garden hose. Then I would use pure vinegar on all the parts to kill mold and disinfect the cleaned unit. Or at least in the moldy areas after the initial cleaning.
This! Bleach is actually not that effective at killing mold/mildew and yeasts. Good for virus and bacteria. Like you said peroxide OR vinegar. Vinegar might help avoid regrowth for a smaller while due to the acidity left behind but it also can wear our the plastics and corrode metals.
@@Zanuvar yep only use bleach, vinegar, and/or peroxide in an air conditioner IF you can soap and hose out to clean all the acid out so it doesn't eat/weaken any metals and plastics if left in. I need to take out my window acs every year before summer and soap and rinse out then vinegar then rinse out all my ac coils and air box, (the part where the air comes out) because the air box is usually very dark, cold, and damp and covered with black mold so yeah good to clean twice a year, once before summer and once before the dead of winter if you need the heater on. Also cleaning the coils will help with heat transfer so the compressor and fan don't have to work too hard to not take years off the life of the ac.
I can tell you by experience that washing down an AC with water is a very bad idea as the shaft bearings will rust and will need replacement, which is not all that easy. Of course one could just live with the screeching until it finally comes to a halt but by then replacing bearings may not still be an option. I've found it's better to vacuum the fins while agitating the debris and blowing out whatever remains with an air hose. For those hellbent on hosing off the AC, I'd suggest coating the shaft with petroleum jelly or some other thick substance to prevent water from entering the shaft bearings. Since moisture is a big part of how an AC works, sealing the bearings with Vaseline might be good preventative maintenance. I have an old AC I bought new from Sears in the late 80's (after winning a check pool) and it doesn't even have bearings. The shaft is lubricated by an oil impregnated fibrous material that I merely had to refill to stop the screeching. Well if lasted over 30 years...until I decided to wash it.
I use L.A.'s Totally Awesome to clean almost everything. I just sprayed my window units filters yesterday, and they were pretty dirty. The Totally Awesome cleaner literally melts gunk and goo off of stuff. Use in a well ventilated space though. It is pretty intense, but works great. You can get it at the dollar stores, and pretty cheap too.
It's definitely one of best cleaners we keep around and probably the cheapest
Yeah bc that 💩 is like pure acid. 😂😂
Great simple way to get rid of mold. Thanks, Mike.
So timely! Learned a ton and just cleaned out an old AC unit thanks to you and Becky's Homestead. Cheers!
I got an old GM Frigidaire A/C unit in my room. I took the front panel off and used lysol on the air duct, but it still needs a deep clean. It's not mine though. Thanks for the video. Keep up the good work! 👍
I just learned bleach can make mold react and go into hyperdrive. Vinegar and a comment below from a professional says hydrogen peroxide. I don't know what strength. Cover electric board with upside-down Ziploc too. Thanks.
Thank you so much. My Kenmore AC looked just like yours and needed a good cleaning. Thank you for your video.
I also have a Frigidaire. I usually take the filter out and clean the evaporator coils with coil cleaner and an old tooth brush. I spray water on the outside to clean the condenser. There's some mold on the inside like yours but I don't think it's much of a problem. The unit works fine. I'll probably just spray some mold and mildew cleaner through the vents and call it good.
Thank you so much for making this video! Great job 😊
Excellent demo and instruction! Thank you!
yep. in a terrible heatwave here in cali. had mine set at 82 and my room was 91. 930 at night. took my ac's face plate off and discovered some mold and a ton of cat hair and gross dust. vacuumed most of it off and its finally cooling properly. gonna bleach clean it tomorrow. my cats have been acting like they have an upper respiratory illness and ive developed the same symptoms. my cats outside my room who interact with me and the cats in here dont have those symptoms. theres a much nicer ac out there than in here. so i realized that was the common denominator since all my cats are vaccinated against the most common illnesses. feels nice in here at 83 finally. thanks for the vid. ive fixed these a ton of times but i still love watching the how to vids. :)
EVERY household needs YOU!
Yes, do an install video!
Do everything videos!!
TY for sharing your good ideas!
Thanks for checking it out!!
Thank you for this video. I’m always nervous that I’m going to ruin mine, but I’m confident that I can deep clean it now!
new air conditioner is only 200-350...why u need to clean it ?? you are not going to kill all mold in there... just buy a new one after 3-4 yrs ...i never clean it.. i just get a new one after 3-4 yrs.... you are wasting time if u clean ịt and it wont get rid all mold inside
@@BabyGangsterIsMe I live in the south where it’s extremely hot and humid. I’d be buying a new one every 6-8 months, not 3-4 years. My house is also old and large, so the window units that I have are $500-$700 since even the bedrooms are large and have no air conditioning other than window units. I also wasn’t cleaning the inside of mine because of mold, I was cleaning them to get rid of the bugs and leaves that get into the back of it. I spray bleach on the styrofoam parts on a weekly basis to prevent mold.
@@slippypippy ic.. i live in Virginia.. i only use it in summer... i dont want to spend my time to clean it... i dont want to smell it bc it is dirty and i can get sick... i just throw it away every 3 years and buy a new one
@@BabyGangsterIsMethats real eco friendly for the land fills!
Typical mindset 🙄
this was so helpful, thank you!!! i live in an apartment and have two window ac units that they have had “permanently” installed and haven’t been cleaned in YEARS. after me and my cats feeling sick all summer and smelling mildew from them i inspected them and they were way worse than ever the one in this video😳 i’m talking absolutely caked with dirt and mold! i tried cleaning it by hand but couldn’t reach the majority of it so i’ll be following this tutorial to get them as clean as possible. i should probably just ask them to replace them but i’m up for the challenge of cleaning them out💪🏻 saving them $ and preventing it from ending up in a landfill 😊
This video was incredible! I am not mechanically inclined and thanks to your instructions I was able to disassemble, clean and reassemble a unit exactly like this!!! Thank you so so much this video is worth it’s weight in gold!!!
Ive used a toothbrush to straighten the bent fins. Just start at a straight point abd guide the toothbrush down slowly straightening the fins. They are very soft metal.
I use my thumb to lightly brush over the fins and straighten them. To be fair however, my units are stored carefully to avoid the fins bending.
There’s no way I’m putting mine back in the windows without doing this first. I could see a small amount of mold spores in the front vent...I can imagine what it looks like inside 😱. I wanted to do this last year but, had no idea how involved it was to get it all apart.
Thank you for sharing! 👍🏻
BTW...this video alone is subscribe worthy but, after looking at your channel...I’m all in! Subscribed! 👍🏻👍🏻
Yes because that mold can/will really mess you up. I just learned that the hard way.
Thank you so much! Our hvac is on the fritz in north Carolina in july! We borrowed an AC for the window but it's moldy. 😮 this is going to be a lifesaver. Blessed be
I wasn't sure where to start when it comes to cleaning a window unit until I watched your video! Thank you for posting! Quick tip I learned flipping houses - use white vinegar with a small amount of hydrogen peroxide for porous parts containing mold. The combo bubbles below the surface and kills the roots of the mold. Only use it outdoors though - the combination creates a toxic fume! Thanks again for posting the video!
Thanks for watching! 😃
I had an older unit I wasn't using and left it in the garage for a few years. Well, I need it this year with a new house. It smelled so bad when I plugged it in. Sure enough, mold. Nowhere near as bad as the one you did. I'm taking it out tomorrow and gonna clean it the way you did. Fingers crossed. 👊
Thanks! I have the exact same A/C so this helped me. Thanks for specifying that it's not going to be perfect, that helped my wife understand. :)
Great to hear! Thanks for watching!
So do I. Ive seen so many people having issues with mold in this specific AC.
Wives are funny that way lol. We guys cut corners so much, their trust diminishes even when we don't...
Thank you so much for making and sharing the video. You are the best man!
A very good vid. I plan in cleaning our ACs in a few weeks. Long past due. I an only going to do one thing different. After cleaning, I will spray the styrofoam with Pledge furniture polish. This will create a barrier that any future mold will had a hard time sticking too. Pledge is a wax.
Thank you so much for this video my ac was getting hot in the back and blowing breaker after taking apart I realized why I went 1 step faster and removed screws to the back vent behind fan so I can get it totally super clean that's why it was over heating it had super thick dust in the back I was shocked my front not bad it was the back one. Was gonna trash it till I seen this video so thank you so much.
Mega satisfying video! Great job, thank you
Awesome to hear! Thanks for watching!
M.A.G.A
Your air conditioner looks exactly like mine. Same brand and everything. And I was thinking about cleaning it, I'm glad I found your video that's showing the same(or similar) model.
I am pleased with this air conditioner. It’s extremely quiet compared to the smaller unit we were using. Would buy again if we have no issues in the near future.
Great video! I always use a hose to clean out all the dirt though; makes it much easier. Obviously don't want to damage the electronic components as you said.
I have the exact same one and I have mold allergies. I could tell when mine is dirty. I would not wait until how dirty yours is. That is crazy dirty and mold would kill me. Nice, I will take it apart like that to kill that mold.
This video is amazing! simple and to the point! Thank you!
Awesome video….new subscriber just watching this and the installation video. Can’t wait to watch others!
I'm happy to have found this video. I have an identical window unit and have the same problem. I was worried about the mold on the styrofoam but I will probably initially kill it with bleach and then maybe use peroxide and vinegar on it. Styrofoam that's located under the fan, I know you did not take that out. The question I have is should you be worried about mold underneath that styrofoam? I know it's extra work and I could probably take it out if I wanted to and clean it but I just wanted to know your thoughts. Great video thank you so happy to have found this! I was worried that I was going to purchase a new one. 👍
Drainage is always poor very poor. You should have drilled about 4 holes about four or five inches apart in front maybe 3/8 holes for drainage an air circulation it will prevent the fins from rusting out. Also should have sprayed it laying on its side so as you spray all the dirt falls out
I am glad I came across your video. I am painting my home interior & widow frames. I had to take out my window air conditioner unit to paint the window frame. I thought this would be a great time to really clean out the unit while it's out.
I have this same unit in my apartment. I appreciate this video because now I see it is not something I will be able handle from just inside the apartment, I'll need to replace the unit. I was hoping for a way to clean it out while it's still in the window but I knew it was a long shot.
I do similar yearly to my window units at the end of every summer. Only thing I do a bit different is I go to Walmart and buy a can of foaming AC condenser cleaner for the final cleaning.
vintage units from the 80s and before were made so much better, instead of styrofoam they used metal with fiberglass so mold did not grow as easy, not to mention alot of them had service ports to ad refrigerant should you have a leak and the motor had oil ports so you could oil the bearings.
Yeah but that meant you got what you paid for. And they couldn't sell you another one in 5 years.
I had to do this last year and will have to do this again this year. I like to use a soft tooth brush to gently help clean the fins. Works pretty good.
This is so helpful, As I need to get my window Air conditioner installed before tomorrow and it's pretty dirty inside and looks like it might even have about a half inch of mud in the bottom of the back from all the dust it sucked into it from the road work going on here last summer.
Thank u so much!!! I was looking for a video to clean the ac . My ac has mold and it’s disgusting! We were gonna throw it away and I was thinking I could clean it
Hey there! I didn't know that you could clean an air conditioner like that. I have one similar to that one and I thought I was doing something by washing the filter lol.
I would be afraid of messing up the wires and putting it back together property.
GOOD JOB!
Hey, June! As long as you dry the AC out before you plug it back in you should be fine even if you accidentally get the wires wet. Thanks for checking out the video!
Awesome Video! I have the exact same AC so this is great for me! Thanks for taking the time to make this video.
Very good job and good demonstration
I needed to watch this, mine is so dirty thank you
11:44 DO NOT repeat DO NOT spray water anywhere near where the motor shaft enters the motor (front or back). He is spraying water all over the motor and shaft. You will get water into the motor bearings and they WILL rust and seize, which means the fan won't work and your a/c will be useless.
I did this and had to take my a/c apart to get at the motor. Then I had to take the motor apart, remove the bearings, buy new bearings online, and replace them. Total PITA job.
The lesson is yes you can clean your a/c but keep water away from that motor.
yeah, i would use the airconditioner foam spray to coat the fan and blower and reverse fins.......then using a light water spray spray down the foam , avoiding the motor. Another way, use plastic bags to cover tight the motor and the electronic unit and capacitor.
@@streetrider2487
That's what I was going to say. All needs to be done is cover the ingenuity with plastic sheeting.
@@tenfour000 Huh?
@@mattfoley6082 Did he mean "engine"?
@@josephdockemeyer6782 Maybe but it's not an engine, it's a motor.
So happy I found this video. I have the same brand of this unit but a little different model(maybe older, maybe newer, but still old lol). And I took it apart last week and seeing how gross and disgusting everything was I didn't dive into the whole clean up right away. It was about 10x worse than the one in this video....
But tonight I finally brought it out of the basement and cleaned the absolute shit out of it. I used the exact method in this video(bleach, soap, medium sized scrubber and hot water). I even used a small old toothbrush to get those harder to reach spots.
Now I am letting it sit out for a day or 2 before reassembling. I also need to bend the back grill pieces back so they're straight. I am super proud of how clean I got it though. It was discouraging to see how disgusting it looked and I hope the work pays off. Really really hoping I didn't screw anything up...
It was leaking last year and I am hoping I unclogged whatever was making it leak during the clean up.... Thankyou for taking the time to show us how to clean the AC man.🙏
Hey!! Glad to see that the video helped you and thanks so much for watching! 😃
@@TheFixerHomeRepair Got her all put back together and running today! The only thing now is it keeps shutting off on its own after a few minutes and switches modes on its own(which it was doing before the cleaning). So I read to take the circuit board off and see if any condensation or water was built up in it and as a matter of fact there was. So now I have a little fan drying the circuit board out while I still have the unit running and it has only done it once now within the past 10 minutes. Really hope it solves the issue here.. would you have an idea why it is changing fan speeds on its own and shutting off randomly?
Thank you so much! My roommate would NOT believe me when I tried to tell him how filthy and how sickening the smell coming from the A/C was in my room. I called the landlord and got someone to take my unit apart and clean the thing. Preferably, they should have given me a new unit, not this thing from the 90's, but hey, I got it fixed. Again, THANK YOU!!
Our window unit is 2 years old, and is not getting cold, never been cleaned out, and when we turn it on (which is almost all the time) we hear a cracking sound like ice chipping or dirt dobber nest breaking apart. Aside from the ice thing, I think we found a culprit. ☺️ Thank you for the tips!
Low freon or clogged filter cause icing.