How to Clean Your Portable Air Conditioner

[@frempy4426]

That intro was adorable I love you

[@rudysalas9138]

I used a soft bristle brush to brush off the dust then vacuum the filter. Also, i regularly drained the water on my portable ac. When stored during colder temperatures, i used a plastic bag to cover the ac unit and stored in my closet. Yet, my portable ac smells terrible! I suspect mold build up. Idk how if i maintained it regularly and it is only 1 year old when i bought it new!

[@newairusa]

Hey Rudy, sorry to hear that your unit still produces a bad smell. Is this a NewAir unit, or something else?

[@rudysalas9138]

@@newairusa thank you for your reply. I forgot the name brand conditioner but it is a 14,000 btu single hose. I had a 10,000 btu unit before and never did give any odors. Maybe the unit being stronger gives out more condensation? I have left the fan mode running to possibly dry out the unit but it still smells. I did open the plastic compartment that cover the coil housing but no dust is present. Rarely used unit and only 1 year old. My room is clean, and no foul odors omit from the room.

[@rudysalas9138]

@@newairusa could it be safe to use a disinfectant spray such as lysol to spray thru the air intake of the ac unit? I was thinking it would maybe eliminate bacteria or mold build up if present.

[@newairusa]

We would recommend contacting the manufacturer of that specific unit so you can get better help with how to clean it. Since every portable AC is different, they all need to be taken apart and cleaned in different ways. Also, we don't recommend spraying anything into the unit, as it may damage electrical components, and the chemicals in the cleaners could cause a health or fire hazard. We apologize for not being able to help more directly, but you can probably get some good answers from whoever made that unit! Best of luck working on it!

[@TeamRespawn]

Very informative, thanks! Question. Should the drain hose be emptied occasionally to reduce the build up of water in the unit? And if so, how often?

[@newairusa]

Glad you found it helpful! How often you need to drain it depends on your conditions, how often it's running, and how the water tank works. If you're running it constantly, some units are worth checking daily. If it's used for the occasional afternoon, maybe once a week. But the good thing is that most of them will automatically shut off if too much water has built up, and some will have a "water full" indicator, like the one in this video.

[@distantj]

Hello, sorry to ask but I can't find info on this anywhere - My portable AC unit causes a stink like old dirty socks when I turn it on. The water only drains through a small hose, I've tried draining it fully and the smell didn't go away, and all the websites say to take it apart and clean it but as far as I can tell this air con unit doesn't come apart, and neither does it give me access to the evaporator coils to clean it. All I can think is if I maybe remove the drain pipe from the back of it and spray a load of mold & mildew remover through the grill in the hope that it gets it all... Do you have any suggestions?

[@newairusa]

Hi Sam, sorry to hear that your unit is having this issue. Is this a NewAir unit, or something else? If you can't access the right components to fully clean it out, you may need to have an AC tech open it up for you, if they are familiar with the unit and willing to do it. Either way, here's a recent article of ours that details some more info regarding bad smells coming from portable AC's: www.newair.com/blogs/learn/my-air-conditioner-smells

[@michaelsgriefers]

Hey thanks for the informative video! I recently took my portable AC out of storage for the upcoming summer, and I was unaware of the draining step. I went to do it a week or so ago and there wasn't even a drop of water.. Do you know if some portable AC's don't collect water unless using certain settings(dehumidify) or maybe the water evaporated and I should be concerned about mold? I've only used my AC for one year, this would be the second.

[@newairusa]

Hey Michael, good question! The amount of water buildup depends on the unit, the weather, and different settings like you said. However, sometimes the unit might not need to be drained. It all depends on the conditions. In general, it's good practice to periodically check if your unit has anything that needs to be drained, especially if you're storing it long-term. For your unit specifically, it's possible that there could be a mildew issue. But there's no way to tell without detecting a bad smell, or opening up the unit to check. Hope this helps!

[@michaelsgriefers]

@@newairusa Been running for a couple days now and nothing out of the ordinary. Opened up what I could and everything seems alright so I think I'm in the clear. Thanks again for all the information!

[@newairusa]

@@michaelsgriefers Glad to hear it! Enjoy your summer!

[@doreenaking]

@@newairusa I am noticing a faint musty odor when the AC is blowing air. What steps can I take?

[@newairusa]

Hey Doreen, here's a recent blog article of ours that explains the best way to handle a bad smell from a portable AC! Check that out and let us know if it helps you! www.newair.com/blogs/learn/my-air-conditioner-smells

[@kimalonzo4912]

Can I buy a replacement filter for the portable ac?

[@newairusa]

Hi Kim, for the unit shown in this video, unfortunately we don't sell replacements for individual filters. But if you want to reach out to us at [e-mail], we might be able to help you out somehow!

[@zakiyyamuslar]

Okay so it’s mold growing in mine that I use daily how do I fix this and why is it happening

[@newairusa]

Hey there, sorry to hear that your unit is having this issue. If this is a NewAir unit, we recommend contacting [e-mail] to get more direct help. Either way though, here's a recent article of ours that details some more info regarding bad smells coming from portable AC's: www.newair.com/blogs/learn/my-air-conditioner-smells

[@brightful5]

Jeremy from Jersey just subscribed

[@stephenlombardi5724]

mine keeps shutting off due to water level in the drip pan the unit only runs for about 10 minutes then if i open the drain plug a ton of water comes out. If i drain it every 10 minutes or so it continues to run. This is a new problem. What is causing the water to accumulate so quickly? it ran all last summer with no water problems tahnks

[@newairusa]

Hi Stephen, is this a NewAir unit you're using, or something else? Do you live in a very humid area? Sometimes in high humidity, the unit will collect water much faster. Alternatively, there could be some issue with the unit. If it's a NewAir unit, I would contact [e-mail] for more detailed assistance. Otherwise, contacting the manufacturer would likely help the most.

[@katescott6461]

I put a hose on the plug at the bottom and made it to go out the window!

[@shadwell749]

I hooked a hose to my drain plug, drilled a hole in the floor then ran the hose into the basement to be sump pumped out.

[@lasteniawilkes6146]

*somehow* essential oil has dripped into the unit I have. There was oil covering the bottom of the AC unit, and I cleaned all that off, washed the vent screens, vacuumed the dust out of the coils... when I turn the unit on, the strong fragrance of essential oil blows out. Do I need to chuck it as a loss, or is there a way I can clean out wherever the oil is coming from?

[@newairusa]

Hey there, it's possible the oil has leaked too far inside the unit for you to be able to clean it up without some serious technical work--but maybe there's a way we can get it fixed. If you send an email to [e-mail], our support team can work with you to try to find a solution!

[@NWCPcbenchmarks]

My ac wont vent hot air out and I dont get any water. Anyone have an idea I cant find anything

[@newairusa]

Hey there, do you mean that your unit isn't venting any air at all? Or the air just isn't hot? Does it have any issues with cooling?

[@williamscudgington8775]

My air unit when draining it has like a slummy film coming out of it. How can I clean out the water tank so its not slummy no more. And how much water is in it when it says water is full.

[@newairusa]

Hey William, is this a NewAir unit? If so, I would email [e-mail], so they can give you more specific help with this issue. Otherwise, we recommend contacting the manufacturer! It could be a malfunction with your particular unit, but maybe not!

[@theliporadas]

mine is not functioning well.. :( it cant cool my.room

[@newairusa]

Hey there, sorry to hear your unit isn't working well! If it's a NewAir unit, feel free to contact [e-mail] for better assistance. If not, we still recommend contacting the manufacturer of your AC, since they will be most likely to provide the right help. There are many reasons your AC may not be cooling effectively (dust buildup, poor ventilation, too much external heat, etc) but it may be a malfunction in the unit as well.

[@CalebGrahnert]

Why would my portable ac unit smell?

[@newairusa]

Hi Caleb! There's a few reasons your AC unit might put off a bad smell. It could be the "factory" smell if the unit is new, or if the unit is old, it could be mildew buildup inside the unit. If you have a NewAir unit, you can contact customer service at [e-mail] for more detailed help. Otherwise, we recommend contacting the company you bought the AC from!

[@sharonreine1612]

some time water got in and mildewed that is the smell

[@stevieguy5981]

Look like Oliver Hardy :-) ... not a bad thing