DEEP CLEANING a window air conditioner unit (step-by-step details)

[@binershock]

really incredible editing... 7 minutes? wow. if only all of YT could be this concise.

[@georgedavall9449]

Indeed !

[@socalRooster]

7 minutes is more like 24 hours to 48 to let everything dry out not including the disassembly and reassembly ….😀

[@andmoreagain]

@@socalRooster no shit sherlock

[@thomassemich4627]

I’m impressed right from the start. She tells us how to take the covers off without breaking them and this is disassembling some of the unit and good mechanical skills using the vice grips and pliers on the other side of a screw when it is rusty!✋

[@HisDearMissK]

I've been cleaning all of our window units for years, but never have I taken it apart as thoroughly as you just showed! Thank you! So now I'll be really giving them a good cleaning from here on out! Thank you. All of ours are different brands so although similar, each has unique assembly and disassembly requirements. So don't assume yours will have the same front opening as this one did. The folding back of the side baffles (or whatever those sliding accordion pieces are called) was new info for me so Thanks again. Excellent video!

[@jessiemorgan5851]

Just came here to say this video was perfect. Skillful at AC cleaning AND skillful at KZbin.

[@randythomas3478]

If your unit has mold, clean it as video shows. Then buy spray can of Concrobium at Lowe's. Make sure entire unit is dry. Spray Concrobium on all parts and let dry. Repeat. Let completely dry! Reassemble! If you have mold, you'll have it appear again! Repeat mid-summer and at end of summer use. Mold makes humans sick! Clean filter weekly. Vacuum room weekly and dust! Dust gives mold a place to grow.

[@1655zz]

Will any of the comcrobium be blown into the air once the ac is back in? I’m trying to clean an air conditioner in my kids room, I don’t want them breathing in anything that would be harmful.

[@ChipChurp]

People don't understand that majority of illnesses come from poor indoor air quality. It can even lead to legionaries disease. People need to take indoor air quality SERIOUSLY.its better to be outdoors

[@brian2100]

just buy a new one

[@poolahpot]

@@1655zz buy a new one. Once mold has formed - it’s there forever sadly

[@JetSettingBotanist]

@@1655zzYou’ll have to take it apart and treat every surface that the air contacts with a mold and mildew killer like the concrobium the above commenter mentioned. You can’t just spray it in the coil and hope it gets sucked up, that just won’t cut it

[@marcdewey1242]

My window ac had mould build up and was beginning to give off musty oders in the house,so I took it apart yesterday and gave it a good cleaning like this,the front coils were absolutely filthy on the inside don't know how it was cooling at all but got it cleaned up and back together and it's working just fine,thank you

[@052970]

I love KZbin. KZbin is just like real life in every way. Life is about showing. To be useful and relevant you must have things to show. Thanks for showing this.

[@astavri1]

You did the most amazing job. You skipped over the unneeded parts but briefly showed all the parts that needed explanation. I skipped nothing from your video unlike everything else on KZbin. Thanks for your tutorial!

[@HisDearMissK]

I didn't skip anything, but I did run the video at 1.5 fast-mo speed just because I'm so impatient lol

[@billyhunley3329]

This lady was great...it was nice to have an instructor that wasn't trying to be "mr intelligent " teaching kindergarten like 80% of the men on KZbin. Thank you my good lady

[@butchdoster329]

Well done,I've literally taken apart a thousand air conditioners because I buy them from the scrap yards and sell them back for the copper and aluminum, motors and wires.i clean them my self when I find the ones that are just neglected.kudos to you and thanks for your downloaded info,you left nothing out.thumbs up

[@vitmast5262]

are you in USA or another country ? if in USA... seems like too much time spending for just selling for copper and aluminium..no?

[@overratedprogrammer]

@@vitmast5262 copper is high right now

[@HomebrandFishfood]

That sounds like my job I have I seperate the copper and things and I get paid from an electrical company

[@jonathanbonanno9749]

@@vitmast5262 buying for nothing and selling for something is good business in any part of the world

[@timothycostello7045]

The narrator does a very good job of explaining. This inspires confidence.

[@thomassemich4627]

I’ll say it again, I’m impressed. Are used to work at a place that had an HVAC shop and they used to clean when the units but I don’t think that extent.! Great work nobody has the patience for that kind of detail anymore. Nobody wants to do any maintenance and then they just buy a new one!

[@thomassemich4627]

That should have said i used to work .... and they used to clean window units...

[@davidcarper5411]

"Throw it in the gutter and go buy another" sums up the consumer mentality today. She is very thorough, I use full strength dawn though, let it soak in that foam tape on top and drip down into the fins and in between the tubing, especially a 4 row evap coil like this.

[@EMILY4DAYS]

I never knew this was a possibility, but I should have known if something is possible, it will show me how to do it on KZbin!

[@MrJdsenior]

Nice job, most of these videos suck. Yours is quick, thorough, and to the point. Thx.

[@KenIbenduova]

Your the man, make that you're the woman ma'am. A lot of people can learn from you and not just about cleaning a window AC unit. Thoroughly explained every step on how to take apart unit, how to clean it, and do's and don'ts, in under 10 minutes. Straight to the point without any extra chit chat the way others do, on top of that they don't explain the process like you did. 20 minute videos of them talking about themselves more than what they're trying to show how to do, at the end they don't end up showing crap. I still believe there should be KZbin awards video, where people get rewards for great videos, not because of views tho because a lot of people rather watch dumb ignorant chit instead of videos they can learn something from. Thanks to KZbin, I'm part plumber, mechanic, handyman, tailor, auto body worker (didn't feel right calling myself technician out of respect to the ones that have actually put in the work to learn their craft), and now window AC cleaner. My pooch thanks you, I can deal with the heat but she suffers. I haven't been able to put the AC on for her because all of a sudden she starts acting weird soon as she hears the beep from me turning unit on. She gives me this weird look, looks at unit, looks back at me, then starts pacing all over sniffing the air so I turn it off. Hopefully this solves that problem, and go back to keeping room cool for her. Thanks again.

[@tony27ortiz]

This is the wright way of cleaning an A/C. I had see others videos and this one is the only one that impressed me. Well done,,,congratulations

[@308hit]

Thanks that's the exact AC unit I have 6,000 BTU bought it in 2011. Still blowing nice and cold. I take some simple grain as a degreaser and some coil cleaner that foams tip it up on an angle and hose it off on the deck and let it dry in the sun I'm done never took it apart.. Good video thank you!

[@365-hi2u]

I have a newer GE- going to give cleaning a try. Appreciate that she put plastics bags over the electrical components👌🏼-BTW- first demo video I’ve seen where the demonstrator actually TURNED THE UNIT ON AFTER CLEANING👏🏻👏🏻👌🏼 because one wonders if after all that; “will it work?”

[@tinaashcraft2743]

Just watched the video @ 135am, need it to finish cleaning and replacing parts on my air condition window unit after cleaning it. I needed more instructions and was thoroughly impressed with the video. Very informative. Thanks!❤

[@bmastel]

Well done. I watched another video displaying the exact unit that I have, but did not get the information I needed to remove the front of the unit. This video gave me the whole enchilada. I could not remove the unit from the window, but I’m happy I could get access. Now I’m up to my elbows in grime…but well worth the effort. Thanks.

[@rayreineu]

Great detailed cleaning video! Ironically helped me decide to buy a new unit since I don't have the space, tools, or energy to take mine apart like you did lol

[@nas2838]

You did an awesome job and I am impressed you took the time to it 100 percent correctly by taking it all apart thank you

[@th1nk88]

Yeeessss!!! This is my exact model!! Exact specific instructions for my exact unit! This excites me very much. This is a great video by the way. Very informative and to the point.

[@Angelskris333]

I didn’t wanna clean mine as thorough because I’m in an apartment but I definitely wanted to get some mold cleaned out and other videos didn’t show how to take the front out and yours was perfect. Thanks .

[@trumpingtonfanhurst694]

This has got to be about the best how-to I've seen andI have this exact model a/c running in my shop. Life is good, Thank You!

[@kathieloumoser6205]

Wow, I wouldn't even try this diy project. However, I do want to have our ACs services. I know know all of the right terms and the ins and outs of the job. Excellent KZbin video!

[@magcol9211]

Thank you so much this is the unit I have and was very worried about taking the unit apart, you've given me the assurance to know that I won't! YAY thanks again!

[@MadDogClyde741]

The Best Video I’ve Seen On Cleaning Your A/C Thoroughly ! Excellent !

[@DurzoBlunts]

The fact you have a warning for the cap is impressive.

[@jdrs4214]

You could pick up one of those long 3 to 4 foot Phillips screw drivers for those hard to reach screws holding down the fan motor assembly to the pan. T’would make your life so much easier. ...and if the screws down there are rusted, or damaged by rust (..and they usually are), to where your screw driver is useless on them, a long Bosch extension bit, with the correct Easy-Out bit, and a reverse capable portable drill can help you remove those screws. I bought a box of those stainless steel screws that resemble the original screws on those units, to replace the rust damaged screws. I do this AC cleaning work for the peeps around my block on weekends for a little extra cash.

[@WatchingTrainsGoBy-PassingTime]

Very nice instructional. Gonna help a lot of people do it the right way if they're careful and take their time following this.

[@jasonlombardi472]

thank you for making this video! My ac is in the second story window now, so I was only able to clean the front side, but when I take it out in the fall, I will use your video as a guide!

[@MrMjrob]

It' always a good idea to wipe out the inside of the styrofoam with a mix of bleach and water. I had mold grow inside there one year and produced a very musty smell. Also, I noticed that you washed the squirrel cage fan. You may want to cover the bearings and motor because I once made the mistake of cleaning my unit before storing it in the fall. I had gotten some water in one of the bearings and it must have rusted because the following Spring, the unit HOWLED terribly from the rusted bearing. AC still worked fine but I had to scrap the whole thing because of a $5 rusted bearing. Excellent video tutorial, you should offer classes on how to make such clear, concise KZbin vids!

[@dancook4993]

I just want to that you Doll, you saved me I have been trying to get the front off my Danby window ac unit to no avail always felt like it would breakout was a simple as pushing in on the sides popped right off.Thank you for this Fabulous video it is so clean now.

[@wandameadows5736]

Be very careful with the ac coolant lines. If you cant identify them just research your model but they are pretty obvious copper lines. I was cleaning one of this same model & the line got a tiny leak around a weld & lost its charge. Sure you can fix the leak & recharge but it sucks finding this out in the summer.

[@TM08226]

Thank you for the tips and tricks! I have putting off this task but you've given the tools to do it!

[@jrkorman]

Thank you very much! We have that exact A/C and it really does need a serious cleaning. That styrofoam is terrible about attracting "ick".

[@DP-jv4gn]

This is an outstanding video. My ge matched yours almost exactly. At 2:20, when the tabs were pried off, mine lifted straight up and off the tabs just formed a slot. Massive wasp nest inside! Next time I’ll spray it a day or two before I clean!

[@jmstrsn5148]

this unit was pretty clean compared to some of the videos I've seen !! you can see light thru yours others had caked crud that blocked all the light .

[@animenerd-4206]

Thx! I have this exact model now I can clean it 😌

[@beckybatey6012]

Me too!! Did yours ever slow down with it's air flow?

[@nickcassidy6896]

Nice job! Very informative thank you! Mines a bit musty so I'm going to follow your steps then add a bleach clean at the end.

[@ronmoore6598]

Best tutorial I've seen on KZbin! Liked and subbed!

[@petergmal2513]

hi my name is peter gmal from egypt i learn a lot from you thaks alot and hope to be frind

[@tammywaters7351]

This is the best and thorough video. Thankyou so much

[@tallycahamuhlhetru26]

Okay. I understand the process, but what if one is scared sh!tless of spiders?

[@ithehappy1]

How often is this deep cleaning needed? I've not had our window unit serviced in like 10 years!

[@nickadams7696]

Fantastic video even for someone with a different brand and model.

[@frankyhenderson8073]

The back of your evap coils are exposed? Mine has a steel plate.. those strofoam panels behind the evap the ones with the hamster wheel fan they just lift out ?

[@blueskies6475]

Thx! I hope I can find all the screws! The inside of my ac has styrofoam, believe it or not. Very hard to get the mold out of that!

[@Ninja_Gaiden]

That jet engine at the end!

[@carolynscott9007]

Wish I could do this myself, but can't due to disability. How hard is it to find someone who can do a job like this? Will a regular Hvac person work or a handyman person?

[@CheeseBawls69]

Make a family member watch this, it's honestly not that hard :) u don't have to remove everything, even just hosing away the dust helps

[@carolynscott9007]

@@CheeseBawls69 Thanks, we cleaned coils front and back but still wouldn't cool.

[@daletron303030]

thank you for posting this. I have the same unit and used this as a reference

[@PeaceJourney...]

Very impressed, and grateful for the walkthrough a deep clean. Liked and subbed 💙👍🏽

[@livefree6878]

Glad you enjoyed the video👍

[@outerlimits7527]

I haven't tried it myself, but I'd imagine using a Steam Cleaner judiciously would allow a deep clean of the coils without using chemicals. Just do it outside, get in close with the steam nozzle, and aim away from yourself. I'm going to give this a shot soon myself hopefully.

[@mollykincaid]

Did you ever try the steam clean? I’m considering it myself by putting in the tub as bit of challenge to get it outside

[@outerlimits7527]

@mollykincaid yes indeed. I did it for Two window ac units. Now for the whole story I not only steamed the front coils (aka the evaporator coils) from the front and back, but I also srubbed the blower wheel on each unit, and then wiped down the plastic channel that the incoming air travels through and then is released, after being chilled, back into the room. Anyway after all that both of my units had absolutely no mildew odor coming from the blown out air that I could detect. Even if you don't or can't take it apart to really thoroughly clean it, i would think that if had a steamer and all you could do was steam the front coils from the front only, you would kill possibly the worst source of mold in your machine since it's the front coils that are always moist (much less so in dry climates though) when the machine is running.

[@garyrichmond7857]

Yes you can use soap and water and you can use and that 409 Works real good and always let it sit for a while after spraying the 409 and you garden hose ranchers out never had no problem

[@jamiemelissa1740]

Get a magnet on a string or stick, you'll get the screw if dropped!!

[@artdecco8617]

Excellent!

[@Babyboomer_59]

I do know that most if not all HVAC installers and service will not service window units as they are considered disposable but for those that have the extra time and or strapped budget I can see how this video would come in handy, I have one aside my main HVAC that I use in my bedroom as I like it cold when I sleep only problem I have is that it is in a wall casing and not a window so pulling it out through the house might be a bit of a hassle and pain as I didn't know what all was involved in doing a full maintenance, that's what I get for doing an inwall install I guess.

[@wendysw714]

Just an FYI: store bags have micro holes in them (to help prevent suffocation), so it would be better to use an actual trash bag.

[@6mtzhp55]

This was a great video, though my identical GE unit simply trips the breaker every time as soon as it's plugged in. Some sort of nasty slime grew in there that, though I can't see any infiltration into the electronics area, must have gotten into something. Guess it's time to scrap it.

[@derpherpp]

i did this and the motor sounds louder than before because of the water or rust going on. i'm not sure if thats common problem whenever cleaning window ac. but its happened to two of my ac

[@GoldSeals]

the dirt on the fan blade could be dampening the noise.When its washed off the blade it then cuts through the air,and is louder.The dirt acts like insulation.

[@linda27387]

Followed your steps... Thank you ... It was extremly dirty, we've been living here for almost 4 yrs and we have asked multiple times our landlord to do a deep cleaning on our ac window unit but he never wanted to do extra on this house, so our ac started to smell really really bad and was throwing out black stuff through the vent, so we did that today, my husband and I took everything a part and cleaned it ... It was EXTREMLY DIRTY ...the inner fan was black and when we cleaned it off it was a white color, there was mud in between it and the coil was black and now the light can shine right through it, just one question ... How often does an ac window unit require deep cleaning?

[@livefree6878]

Typically clean ours about every three years, if you open it up and it’s really dirty after three years you may wanna clean it more often. Did you open it up after three years and it’s really clean then you could wait a little more to do it. If you’re not sure if the unit has ever been cleaned, it’s always a good idea to make sure that it’s running clean and efficient. It’s really important to keep your filters clean we usually rinsed them out twice a year these are really easy to clean. It takes about 10 minutes. I hope this answers your question

[@linda27387]

@@livefree6878 Thank you! The filters we do clean it often but we never cleaned the inside, it is good to know this info, and your video helped us very very much with this

[@brycebullard3619]

I have cleaned many of these units including my own. They need to be cleaned once a year before using it. Window ac units that become too plugged become a fire hazard.

[@istandalone3870]

Yeap, it that time for that deep cleaning, sure saves money too.

[@ElohiSilverEarthVentures]

Oh my goodness I sure wish ide found your video before I totally broke and ripped and lost half the parts and pieces to my ol air conditioner..it's all nice n clean but now I'm missing half the bolts and a couple clips snapped off from me pulling and prying apart.

[@CheeseBawls69]

Thank you so much for this video ❤️ no longer overheating myself lol

[@genevievewilson9271]

THANK YOU!!

[@mrcrowleyoz]

Can the squirrel cage be sound proofed in some way in order to reduce outside noise to the inside of the house?

[@stampeder1686]

Really great video. A LOT of really great info. Thanks.

[@novafrio]

Genial buen trabajo, este tipo de mantenimiento debe ser una vez por año mínimo, lo ideal es 1 vez antes de la temporada, otra durante la temporada y después de que pase lo fuerte del calor para no forzar el equipo

[@ahmadmohammadi8922]

Thank you very much.

[@grrrgrrr4805]

Can you let the fan motor get wet? I always clean my window ac but not as thoroughly as that and I'm always afraid to get the fan motor wet.

[@MexhomieXlll]

Can a unit sit down at an angle or does it have to be 100% leveled?

[@johnsteiner75]

Only video that made me want to do mine. Works great!

[@saupham8192]

An amazing job!

[@kelcie20]

Wish I found this 2 weeks ago. Have this exact a/c and couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get it all apart!!

[@kelcie20]

Okay, maybe not exact. Ours is missing the metal covering for the electrical area and the top of the coils that has the foam with the hidden screw. I did however wonder why I had 4 screws left over, answers I so happily found in this video

[@kate7478]

Is there any way to remove the top front plastic directional vent?

[@udfty]

I was working in a workshop and I dismantled the air-conditioning device perfectly, but it came without a window, so I do not know the correct way to break the window of the air-conditioner. Thank you

[@jonitalia6748]

Awesome vid thanks!

[@shaniaphillips5188]

I don’t wanna take apart my whole ac but can u show us how to take does two windows down the adjustable windows

[@Akichan1990]

Thank you so much for this video.

[@ElohiSilverEarthVentures]

I really couldn't get that grill to stay normal and straight while cleaning though and they got pushes all every which way looks bad now...and now that I've been through all this I must say the compressed air would definitely be the most simple method to clean those aluminum fins

[@lp3037]

May I know how long it takes to complete the whole cleaning process and have the air conditioner ready to be used? Thank you.

[@whoodiestyle]

If first time it could take 2-3hrs or more. My unit had no drain holes causing dirt and rust to build up at bottom. I made several drain holes and ruffed up the rust and repainted those affected areas.

[@lostintime8651]

I have always wondered why they never have installed a handle on those damn things?

[@steamynoodle2010]

This is so much work.

[@zarinaabdurahmanova7616]

I really need to clean my AC units, but I am afraid, that I won't be able to put it back together.... 😬😬😬, but I am at a point, when I think I need to do it or have to buy a new one... latter option being the least favorite

[@DGonzRobotics]

So here's my issue with this method, and I've done this for a few ACs before: When you take a window AC apart and reassemble it, you can never get the vibration dampening to work the same way again. So the AC gets way too loud and vibrates too much, and it's nearly impossible to get it as quiet as it was before you took it apart. It just keeps you awake all night.

[@rehanclub5348]

Thanks

[@ccollins9981]

Two points I'd like to make First spray Clorox in the green or yellow bottles one is scented one is not from the front of the front coil and the back of the back coil will do a good job without disassembly, particularly if you follow it up with compressed air. The second point is that's about a $380 to $450 air conditioner. If you use the Clorox method without opening it up for 3 or 4 years by year 5 just chuck it and buy another one. I applaud your work effort!

[@tessacraft2367]

Thank you so much for making this video!

[@dallasnateweyes899]

I am learning what you doing

[@JunPVlog]

Thank you for sharing sir new supporters here

[@bloodbond3]

I have a question but first, thank you. This was instrumental in my complete teardown and cleaning. Thankfully, mine was fully dry so I was able to sweep and scrape away most of the gunk. One day I'll hose down the fins too. One issue I've always had with this model is that, when the AC has stopped running for a while, the temperature on the AC reads lower than the room. Because of this, it doesn't actually turn back on even when the room is at 75º F since the AC still thinks it's 68º. Do you know what could cause that? The thermometer is still lifted about half an inch away from the front coils, but I can't help but wonder if it's not just affected the the coils or if the thermometer probe is faulty.

[@rakeshpk9648]

very well done.

[@macoy321]

WoW… she is good

[@blueskies6475]

At 7:05 there is a cut copper tubing, bottom left. The copper coil close to that is green. To the right is a crimped copper wire. Why is that? I have the same thing but lots more green oxidation in the coppers wire. Either it's condensation or ac fluids leaking out. Thank you Mam! You gave me the confidence to do it myself tho I did not unscrew everything because I was afraid I would not be able to put it back together..

[@Lesrevesdhiver]

I think the cut or crimped copper tube might be where it was charged at the factory, one of my window units has that.

[@SimplyChem32]

Really great video, thank you for posting! : ) I will certainly utilize this when I get around to cleaning my LG.

[@josedelgado1273]

Great video! Thanks! Just finished deep cleaning a AEM10AX. I've a model AEM14AX, must be different one. I can't figure out how to get it out of the casing......By any chance anyone knows how and willing to share? Thanks.

[@gamer_rabbit19]

how do u put the front piece back on?

[@claudiewest9260]

Great job! Best video

[@moladhdodhia164]

I bought my air new,but after a short period of use it gets black mold on the white foam,my husband takes it apart to clean it,but the mold quickly comes back, and maybe it's not put in at the right angle because it drips water down the side of the house and leaves rust mark's,my husband has Dementia and not able to lift it in the window,so no more air-conditioning for us.

[@PolishHammer]

great video thanks!