Cleaning a wall mounted air conditioning unit

[dzlor]

I have an old air conditioning unit sitting in my porch... it's dusty and dirty. Is it safe to just hose the whole thing down with water? I will also be removing the filter out and wash it. Any other tips to cleaning the unit? Any place I should avoid hosing down with water? Thanks!

[VideoJoeKnows]

@dzlor Can you pull out the insert? You can then get to the rest of the unit. Spray some cleaner on it & clean the fan blades & housing areas. Also clean the fins which are located just behind the washable filter. Make sure you have the unit unplugged before washing down. You can pretty much hose down the entire unit once unplugged. Try not to directly spray water around the electrical connections/wiring. Do a good job. Joe :0

[SaSinKaL]

yo man this is gonna sound kinda stupid..i'm in a really really dusty environment and i was told it was effective to spray water into the back of the air conditioner..I noticed it loosened up a lot of sand but it continues to freeze when put on a 'Cool' setting. My options are limited - no vaccuum, no sink or soapy water etc..you get the point.. What can I do?

[VideoJoeKnows]

@SaSinKaL Not sure if there's anything you can do since it sounds like your AC unit may be on its last legs. How old is your unit? Usually they last 5 to 7 years then they're ready to be replaced. I just ran across one that was freezing up & forming a thick layer of ice over the fins. An AC company said that it could be leaking or low on fluid & they thought by the time I paid them to look at it & repair it, it would be better to spend the money on a new unit. Joe :0

[SaSinKaL]

@VideoJoeKnows A replacement isn't feasible and I'm not sure how old it is. There are no 'AC companies' over here either. It's pretty much a "what can I do with limited supplies and tools" to get this thing running effectively for 3 more months

[VideoJoeKnows]

@SaSinKaL You could pull the insert out of the wall & take a closer look to see if you find anything suspect. Remove the outside cover then pull the insert unit out of the outside housing. You could also rinse it off after you remove it. If you can't pull the insert out of the housing, see if there's any screws keeping it from pulling out. Check for screws on the exterior of the unit & also on the front sides. Good luck. Joe :0

[Daydragon1234]

thanks for the tips. um my air condioner the filter is clean but like only little bit of air is coming out of it. and idk what to do lol. i set it lower temp and still little cold airs coming out. and my rooms hot as hell :/

[VideoJoeKnows]

@Daydragon1234 We can't have your room hot as hell can we?!! Your AC unit fan speed, may have been bumped &/or moved without you knowing it. There should be like a fan speed you can adjust when your AC unit is actually on pumping cold air. Check it out. Plus make sure you don't change the actual "mode" to fan or your fan will be the only thing on & not the cool. I will wager your fan speed is on low & you need to change it to high. Check it out & let me know what you find. Joe :0

[ItsCedesHoee]

This video help my mom and me clean our ac unit. (:

[VideoJoeKnows]

@ItsCedesHoee I am so glad to hear you were able to clean your AC unit once you checked out "joe"!! Thanks for sending in your comment. He always likes to hear from his viewers. :0

[LegendarySkoolBoy]

thank you, i found this video very informative

[VideoJoeKnows]

@LegendarySkoolBoy Glad to hear you found this video very informative. "Joe" has other AC videos for other tips......look for them. Thanks again for the comments. "Joe" always likes to hear from his viewers! :0

[68NYC2]

This really helps I have a window unit to support central air.

Thanks for the info Joe.

;0)

[VideoJoeKnows]

@68NYC2 I've got lots more AC unit videos so watch them all so you might find more tips for your application. Thanks for watching "joe". The more you watch, the more you'll know lol! :0

[VideoJoeKnows]

@AnnaLynnePark Did you notice "joe" has asthma too? Keep that baby clean & it will help with your asthma. See......you "can" do it yourself. Keep watching "joe" & he might show you a few other things you might want to know. :0

[VideoJoeKnows]

@AnnaLynnePark I am so glad to hear that you were able to pull out the insert & clean the unit out. It makes me feel good to know that "joe" is helping people with their projects. Thanks for your comments.....& keep watching "joe". The more you watch, the more you'll know lol! :0

[luv6pup]

Im a BIG fan of your work! Thumbs up!

[VideoJoeKnows]

@luv6pup Thanks for sending me your comments. I always like to hear from viewers like you! Keep watching. The more you watch....the more you learn. Joe :0

[mruzeh]

@luv6pup okkkk

[VideoJoeKnows]

@mruzeh Thanks for watching "joe" show you how to clean your wall mount AC unit. Hope it helped you with your project.  Joe :0

[lexmarks567]

I have a wall furnace and there doesn't appear t be a place to put a air filter along side the blower. can I rig up a pleated filter to the door using wire to attach it or would it restrict airflow as the blower sucks in air from the vents on the furnace door. there are no return ducts.

[VideoJoeKnows]

@lexmarks567 Are you sure there are no return air ducts to your system? Sometimes you will find the air filter(s) there. If it's just a wall heater....with no supply lines or air return lines, then maybe there is no need for a filter. You might restrict your wall furnace from working properly if you install a makeshift filter. I would suggest you go to your friendly neighborhood hardware store & talk to someone in the plumbing/heating department re: your unit. Thanks for your questions. Joe :0

[lexmarks567]

@VideoJoeKnows

its a forced air furnance with ducts but i think the vent in the door acts like a return. the gap is narrow between the blower that a filter along side would cut off the air. the furnace is built into the wall and is made by nordyne its a older model.

[VideoJoeKnows]

@lexmarks567 It sounds like you could rig up your filter behind the vent in the door then. Sometimes it's difficult to see where the actual filter is on a furnace like this. My dad had a furnace like this & the actual filter was in a compartment down at the floor line. Try looking there as well, before putting the jerry rigged filter behind the door vent cut-out. Joe :0

[VideoJoeKnows]

@lexmarks567 If you are still unsure....let your fingers do the walking & look through the yellow pages & call a heating & air service tech & I would think they would give you some advice right over the phone. Try it. Thank you again for watching "the joe".........where your questions will be answered....with you in mind. :0

[vanitysmurf4G]

you are amazing! thanks for all of your posts. thumbs up on this one :-)

[VideoJoeKnows]

@vanitysmurf4G Thanks for sending me your comments. Glad to hear you like "joe's" videos! :0

[Preeeemo]

thanks!

[VideoJoeKnows]

@Preeeemo You're welcome. Any time you have a howto or diy question, just ask....maybe I can help. Joe :0

[saluteyourshortskid]

very helpful. thanx

[VideoJoeKnows]

@saluteyourshortskid You're welcome. Thanks for sending me your comment. Any time you have a howto or diy question, let me know....maybe I can help. Joe :0

[blueeyedzena]

industrial rubber gloves that can stand HOT BOILING WATER, DAWN DISH-WASHING-SOAP,AND A BUCKET OF SOME KIND AND OLD OR NEW TOWEL 100%cotton AND LAST BUT MAYBE LEAST ELBOW GREESE! THATS HOW YOU CLEAN METAL GRATES. GO EASY SO YOU DO NOT BEND THEM PLUS IF YOU CAN REACH IT WASH IT. I BET YOU MINE IS CLEANER THAN YOURS. sorry but thats only the true

[VideoJoeKnows]

@blueeyedzena Your suggestions are well taken if someone wants to do a more thorough job. Just be careful not to drip dirty water down your wall. That would be the most difficult part of the project when using water. It sounds like you have that covered though. Thanks for taking time out to send in your comments...."joe" appreciates it very much! Keep watching. Joe :0

[blueeyedzena]

i always use the shower to clean the filter with hot water. But when it comes to clening the metal grates, vacumming and useing some kind of bristel brush really does not work that well.a bristil brush may bend metal grates, vacumming does get some dust out but not all the dirt or nicotine build up -if your SMOKER AND TOKER LIKE ME:). continue on next comment

[VideoJoeKnows]

@blueeyedzena The shower would be a good place to clean your filters too but I find the kitchen sink works the best. I agree....cleaning the metal grates (fins) is tricky. The best way to do this is to remove the entire face of the AC unit so all of the fins are exposed. Vacuuming & using a toothbrush (or plastic bristle brush..not metal brush) should be the first form of "attack". Yes, if you are a smoker & you want to do a better job, then more work could be done on cleaning the fins. Joe :0