How To Clean A Moldy Window Air Conditioner

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Solved! What to Do Nigh Mold in the Air Conditioner

Determine the extent of mold growth in your AC and accept the proper steps to remove the health adventure.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Q: At that place'south been a mysterious, slightly moldy smell in my home all summertime, and this morn, when our window air conditioner kicked on, I noticed that the odor unmistakably came from the unit. I know it'southward unhealthy to breathe air that contains mold spores but I'd rather not purchase a new AC if I can remedy the problem myself. Is at that place any way to remove mold from an air conditioner?

A: Molddoes have a tendency to grow inside air conditioners that sit down unused for a while. Information technology's probable that mold developed in the unit of measurement over the winter and you didn't find information technology until you turned on your Air-conditioning unit of measurement this summertime. And you're right to exist concerned nearly the wellness bug this can cause: Mold spores produce allergens that can lead to sore throats, headaches, and various respiratory symptoms. While odds are the mold in your AC unit is not the scary black mold (Stachybotrys chartarum) that you've heard nearly, inhaling mold spores of whatever type can issue in respiratory disorders.

RELATED: 14 Surprising Places Where Mold Hides in the Home

Successfully banishing mold from an AC depends on where it's located. If the mold is accessible, you may well be able to remove it; but if it's growing in an area that's difficult to admission, yous'll probably have to supplant the unit of measurement. Read on for the sleuthing tips and cleaning steps you lot need to bring clean, safety, cool air into your home again.

Turn off your air conditioner to forestall further mold spores from inbound your habitation.

If you suspect that mold is in your AC unit, the US Environmental Protection Agency recommends turning it off and then no more mold spores can circulate and contaminate your home.

Inspect the unit to determine the extent of the trouble.

Unplug the unit, remove the front grille embrace (near snap off but some are held in identify by screws), and and so pull out the filter below the grill. Grab a flashlight and inspect the inside of the unit for the signs of mold growth, which may announced as streaks or clusters of brown, black, or greenish stains, some of which may appear fuzzy. Mildew, a common blazon of mold, produces powdery gray or white stains. If you find only a few traces of mold on the hard surfaces inside the unit of measurement, proceed with cleaning. If information technology's filled with heavy mold growth, indicated by mold and mildew deposits that cover ane-third or more than of the surface expanse of the case and the internal workings, information technology'due south probably time to replace the unit of measurement (see below for the problems associated with heavy mold growth).

Photo: istockphoto.com

Clean pocket-sized amounts of mold from inside the cabinet and/or the grille.

Air conditioning units vary in the fashion they are assembled, so check your owner's transmission to decide how to identify and detach the outside chiffonier so that you can access the interior. Before you lot commencement, assemble your tools and materials and then don a grit mask, goggles, and gloves.

MATERIALS AND TOOLS Bachelor on Amazon
– Screwdriver
– Wet/dry vacuum with a nozzle attachment
– Commercial Ac curl cleaner
–  Garden hose
– Dish soap
– Bleach
– Large plastic bucket
– Scrubbing sponge

1. Remove the unit from the window, using a screwdriver to remove the frame that secures it. Ac units are heavy, then recruit someone to help you take it to your k or driveway and place it on a physical surface or on a large piece of plywood.
2. Remove the grille and the filter from the front of the unit. Soak the filter soak in a sink with hot soapy h2o to which y'all've added approximately ane/two cup of bleach.
3. Remove the height and the back of the cabinet, following the directions in your owner'due south manual.
4. Vacuum out dust and debris from the inside of the air conditioner. Employ a nozzle zipper to get out equally much as possible.
5. Spray the coils (U-shaped metal tubes near the front and the dorsum of the unit of measurement) with commercial coil cleaner and let the product dwell as directed by the manufacturer to dissolve anything that'southward nerveless on Air-conditioning coils. Cleaning the gunk on the coils is crucial because it provides a breeding ground for mold.
6. Spray the coils with a garden hose to remove the curlicue cleaner solution. It will have dissolved the gunk and it should spray right off. While window Air-conditioning units are fairly waterproof, avoid spraying the controls and the spot where the electrical cord is attached.
7. Fill a plastic bucket with a few gallons of hot water and about 1/2 cup of household bleach.
8. Saturate a scrubbing sponge in the bleach solution and use it to wipe the inside surfaces of the AC unit, removing all traces of visible mold. The bleach will kill rest mold spores.
9. Spray the filter that's been soaking in the sink with the hose to remove all debris.
10. Allow the unit to air-dry completely, which could take upwardly to 24 hours, before reassembling the unit and reinstalling information technology in your window.

Take precautions to forbid future mold growth.

In one case you've had mold in the air conditioner unit, in that location'due south an increased chance that it volition develop again despite your cleaning efforts. This is because mold spores could remain inside the inner workings of the unit that you were unable to attain. The presence of dust in the unit of measurement helps mold spores attach and grow, so brand information technology a do to remove the grille and filter every few weeks and vacuum the interior of the unit to keep grit from settling.

RELATED: The Dark, Dirty Truth About Household Mold (And How to Rid Yourself of It)

In addition, don't close off your Air-conditioning if y'all won't be using it for a few days or longer during hot atmospheric condition. This is a common do when people get on holiday, just when the weather is warm and humid, mold is more likely to go a foothold in the Ac unit. The air movement that occurs when the unit is running helps prevent mold growth. If you want to save on cooling costs when you're gone, set the thermostat on your air conditioner to a college-than-normal temperature. For case, if you usually prepare the temperature to 75 degrees Fahrenheit when yous're home, set up it 10 degrees warmer to 85 degrees Fahrenheit before you exit. That way, the Air conditioning will non run every bit often, but it will still bike on occasionally when the temp in the house rises. This will allow air to circulate through the unit of measurement and reduce the risk of mold growing while y'all're gone.

Replace a window AC unit of measurement that'southward filled with heavy mold.

If upon your initial inspection, you discover rampant mold and mildew in the air conditioner, do not attempt to clean it. Visible heavy mold indicates that more mold is flourishing in places you cannot see or easily reach, such equally within the fan motor casing. Alternately, y'all could phone call a mold remediation specialist to inspect the unit to see if it tin be professionally cleaned, but the consultation could cost as much as purchasing a new air conditioner. Bottom line: It's unhealthy to breathe air contaminated with mold spores, so if yous tin can't effectively clean the unit, it should be replaced.

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Source: https://www.bobvila.com/articles/mold-in-the-air-conditioner/#:~:text=Fill%20a%20plastic%20bucket%20with,will%20kill%20residual%20mold%20spores.

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