Best Ways to Remove Dust & Dirt from a Central AC

Dust and dirt can cause your AC to fail, so getting rid of them as soon as possible is essential. There are multiple ways how you can keep your central AC in good shape. In this article, we, CLIMATECH, will show you how to remove dust and dirt from your unit.

Ways to remove dirt and dust

After turning off the AC, remove the cover. Once everything’s powered down, remove any screws holding down either side of where the air conditioner meets the ceiling before gently pulling out both sides, so they’re sitting flat against each other.

Clean The Condenser Coil

The condenser coils are one of the essential parts of your central AC unit. They’re where the air coming from outside is cooled and then blown throughout your home, cooling it down. If they become blocked with dust and dirt, they won’t be able to do their job correctly. It would be best to clean these coils often because they tend to get dirty very quickly when you have pets or kids running around in them all day.

The best way to clean the coils is by using cleaners. These can be commercial cleaners or homemade cleaners. This will help break up the gunk.

Clean The Evaporator Coil

If the evaporator coil is accessible, clean it with a soft brush or vacuum. Make sure to wear gloves and eye protection when using this tool.

It is not a big deal if you can’t access the evaporator coil. The air conditioner will still work correctly without being cleaned in this manner.

Clean The Air Handler and Air Handler Cabinet

You can also clean these components with a vacuum cleaner at the lowest settings. Move the vacuum along the entire length of your air handler and cabinet to remove any dirt or dust.

You may also use a damp cloth and wipe down the surface of your central AC unit with water only, do not use alcohol or bleach. You may also want to run gentle streams of room-temperature water through all unit parts while cleaning with this method. This will help stop the damage from occurring as a consequence of extreme temperatures.

Once all areas have been cleaned thoroughly by either method above, be sure not to touch them again until they’ve dried completely. This way, there won’t be any risk of getting sick because there’s still some moisture inside these parts, which could irritate upon contacted later down the line if left untreated for too long.

Clean The Drain Lines

The drain line is the pipe that moves water from your AC to the outside. If it becomes blocked, you’ll notice less air movement inside your home, and it can cause problems like a decrease in temperature or overheating.

There are several reasons why this could happen:

You might have a clogged drain line. This is most common when dirt or debris gets stuck in one of the three main parts of a central AC system: 1) condensers, which filter out dirt and moisture, 2) evaporator coils, which cool down incoming air, and 3) condenser fans which blow out warm air.

Clean Up the Loose Debris or Dirt

 A vacuum cleaner is the best option to remove any loose debris and dirt. If you have one, make sure it’s powerful enough to pick up all the dust accumulated on the floor or furniture in your home.

If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner, try using a brush attachment instead. This will help get into small crevices where dirt may hide, so brushes on other models of vacuums don’t miss them.

A shop vac can also be used if there are areas inside your central air conditioning unit where dirt collects quickly, such as around vents or between blades on fans.

Clean or Replace the Air Filters

This is one of the most important and most manageable steps of all. Although it is a fundamental, cheap and easy step, it requires patience.

You should replace your air filters every 3-6 months and clean the space in which your air filter sits. This will help keep your central AC working at its best and give you the most effective cooling.

The sort of filter you use depends on how often you use your AC unit, but some general guidelines apply to most people:

• Use high-quality filters by brand name or generic brands. These will last longer than cheaper ones and provide better filtration than non-brand name items do.
• Replace dirty or clogged filters immediately with new ones of the same size and type as those currently being used in your system. Never try to clean them up first. If you cannot find replacement parts for cheap online, go ahead and replace them yourself.

Clean or Make Sure the Vents Are Not Blocked

The return vents are located near the floor in the room where your central AC is located. Before starting your cleaning process, make sure they aren’t blocked by furniture or other objects. If you can’t see them, use a vacuum to clean them out thoroughly.

Clean out the air vents you see on the side of your AC so that it is completely clear and no dirt may cause the AC not to work correctly.

Now that you’ve completed all of the steps, your AC should be clean and ready to go. If any of these steps seem unfamiliar or challenging, don’t worry. CLIMATECH is always prepared to help you. We will guide you through it step-by-step until everything is done correctly, or go for the better option and give us a call, and we will take care of this task through our highly trained and experienced workers.