How to Clean Your Air Conditioner
Knowing how to clean an air conditioner could be your ticket to an efficient, long-lasting unit. Maintenance is especially important in the Arizona heat, where summer sometimes seems to last all four seasons and cool air is a crucial part of home comfort.
Keeping up with cleaning and maintenance is how you prevent breakdowns, ensure good performance, and protect your air quality. Here’s everything you need to know about cleaning your AC and when to call in the pros, including:
- Benefits of cleaning your air conditioner
- Gather necessary tools and materials
- How to clean an air conditioner
- Request professional air conditioning maintenance
Request an Air Conditioner Cleaning Today
Is your AC unit making a weird sound? Or perhaps you’ve noticed your vents blowing out warm air instead of a cool breeze. Champion Air’s technicians are trained to service all AC brands, old and new. We’re also a Lennox Partner of the Year and can tackle your Lennox air conditioner maintenance from start to finish. For more information about our comprehensive HVAC services, call today.
Benefits of Cleaning Your Air Conditioner
Learning how to clean an outside air conditioner as well as your indoor system comes with a number of important benefits.
Better Air Quality
Get rid of the dust, dirt, and other debris clogging your HVAC system and you’ll prevent all that buildup from coming out of your vents. That means better air quality and fewer irritants to annoy your lungs or cause colds and asthma to flare up.
Improved Performance
Clean systems simply work better. Paying special attention to cleaning and realigning every component can reduce friction and allow your AC to cool easily, without working against dirt or other issues.
Reduced Energy Costs
When your AC works more efficiently, it cools faster. Using less energy to achieve the same result is less taxing on the environment, and it can lower your energy bills, too.
Extended AC Lifespan
As regular cleanings reduce the workload for your AC unit, they also help extend your system’s lifespan. Air conditioners that work smarter, not harder, typically last longer and need repairs less frequently.
Gather the Necessary Tools and Materials
Before you tackle a DIY air-conditioner cleaning, you need to gather all the necessary supplies. This will help you complete the task sooner and avoid getting caught without an essential tool.
You may need:
- A vacuum
- Gloves
- New filters
- A screwdriver
- A soft-bristled brush
- A water hose with a sprayer attachment
- Eye protection
- Cleaning solutions (only use products recommended and/or approved by the AC manufacturer)
How to Clean a Lennox Air Conditioner
Here’s how you can clean your Lennox AC and other similar units.
Step 1: Unplug Unit or Turn Off Breaker
Start by cutting off the power to your unit. This ensures you can work safely.
Step 2: Clean or Replace Filter
Dirty filters can reduce your AC unit’s efficiency. Gently scrub permanent filters with a soft-bristled brush and approved cleaner, spray to rinse, and allow them to dry. Indoor filters should be replaced about once a month.
Step 3: Clean Fins and Coils
Next, clean the dirt off your evaporator and condenser coils. Follow the same procedure as the filters above, but realize you may need to let the cleaner sit in order to remove buildup.
Step 4: Clean Condensation Drain and Pan
Consult your user manual to find the drain pain. Empty the pan using a wet/dry vac, then flush vinegar into the drain line to finish the cleanout.
Step 5: Reassemble Unit
Finally, reassemble your unit, turn the power back on, and test the system to ensure everything is running smoothly.
Request Professional Air Conditioning Maintenance
If you don’t want to learn how to clean a drain line on an air conditioner or simply don’t have the time or desire to tackle AC maintenance, place a call to your local HVAC experts. Professional HVAC technicians can handle cleanings and inspect your unit at the same time. When you trust the pros, you know you’ll get high-quality results, fast service, and trustworthy advice each and every time. And if you are in need of an AC repair? Our professionals will let you know of any issues and get those tackled for you.
Schedule Your AC Maintenance Now
You can clean your Lennox air conditioner yourself—but you certainly don’t have to. At Champion, HVAC is our passion, and it shows. We’re known for fast and reliable service, and our commitment to quality and consistency has scored our company a Better Business Bureau A+ rating. Call today to schedule service and experience the Champion Air Difference firsthand.
