Cool tips for cleaning your air conditioner

Being cool will cost less if you clean your air conditioner properly. Whether you have ducted air conditioning (evaporative or refrigerated), a split system or window units, dirt and debris can restrict airflow through the filter and the cooling elements, forcing the unit to work harder and use more electricity than necessary to do its job.

• This is the most important thing you can do to keep your air conditioner functioning well. The air filter, which snatches dust and other gunk from the air that's being distributed around your house, is located behind the front grille in the indoor unit of your split system, or behind the ceiling grille of a ducted system.
• Every two weeks, open the front grille of the split system and pull the filter out for cleaning.
• Clean the filter with a vacuum cleaner or warm soapy water.
• Dry it upright in the shade, letting it dry thoroughly before sliding it back into place.

• Use a screwdriver to remove the ceiling grille plates, remove the filter and wash as for a split system filter.
• The ducting of an evaporatively cooled central air-conditioning system should be professionally cleaned every 18–24 months, as the humidity created by evaporative systems can encourage the growth of mildew.

• After removing the air filter, remove the plasma filter and soak it in a solution of water and a pH-neutral detergent for about 30 minutes.
• Allow it to dry completely, in the shade.
• It should be perfectly dry before re-installing.

Instead, remove it from the unit and place it in the sun for two to three hours, before re-installing.

It should be removed and replaced every two years.

• This should be done once a year at the beginning of the peak use season. Have it done more often if you live near a dirt road or other source of dust and grime.
• Manufacturers do not recommend that you do this yourself.
• By all means, regularly check the exchanger coils and air intake and outlet vents, as dirty or clogged coils will reduce the operating efficiency of your system and cause higher operating costs.
• Use a brush or vacuum to clear dust, cobwebs and other debris from the vents. If they seem very dirty or clogged, call the manufacturer.

• This is just as important to do regularly during the cooling season as it is for a split or centrally ducted system.
• A window unit usually has a plastic filter that slides out of the front of the unit at the top, side or bottom. On some models, you have to open the front panel to lift out the filter.
• To clean the filter, wash it with warm soapy water in the sink or laundry tub, or spray it with a garden hose.
• Make sure it's absolutely dry before you replace it.
• The coils on the outdoor side of the air-conditioning unit should be checked regularly, and if they are very dirty or clogged with grime, they should be professionally cleaned.

• Do not be tempted to use a hose on any outdoor unit.
• Although the units are made to withstand outdoor conditions, they aren't meant to have probing jets of water flushed through their electrical parts.