Cleaning your aircon is one of the things that you need to prioritize if you want to ensure that it stays in great condition all the time. Other than increasing its life time value, replacing your aircon unit is potentially an expensive and time consuming process that you definitely would want to avoid. As such, investing small periods of time on a regular basis to maintaining your aircon compressor actually goes a long way to extending the unit’s life.

Typically found outside your house, an aircon compressor compresses the refrigerant liquid, thereby concentrating heat. Subsequently, it sends the liquid to the condenser where the heat is expelled from the system.

Compressor cleaning is often performed as part of professional aircon service, but you too can perform basic maintenance works. In this article, we have listed down 5 simple steps to follow for DIY compressor cleaning.

1. Turn the power supply off.

Before attempting to do any cleaning, you should first turn off the air conditioner unit and also cut off its power supply. While seemingly an obvious first step, many DIY enthusiasts forget that power is still running through the circuit even when the unit is not in use. This unnecessarily exposes them to the risk of an electrocution and possibly an outbreak of fire.

2. Remove the Grill

The second step requires the use of a screwdriver to remove the grill, which covers the compressor and prevents larger debris (e.g. birds) from entering the system. A quick tip after unscrewing the grill, would be to keep all screws in a small box so as to not lose them.

3. Do the Manual Cleaning

Step three marks the start of the actual cleaning of the compressor. For starters, remove any debris or foreign objects like leaves from the bottom of the vent. After which, you should use a cloth to wipe any remaining dirt. This helps to unclog the system and improve its efficiency. As this part of the task is especially dirty, you may wish to use a pair of gloves.

4. Spray Water Hose

After removing all the debris left, the next thing to do is to hose down the compressor. A word of caution though, only low pressure water hoses should be used as too high pressured streams may damage the compressor’s components. Additionally, you should remove any accumulated water in the unit.

5. Attach the Grill Back

This is the final stage where you have to screw the grill back to the air conditioning system. However, before doing so, perform a final inspection to ensure that the unit is truly clean. You will have to wait at least two hours before reconnecting the power. The purpose of which is to grant sufficient time for the unit to dry.

Regular maintenance of the compressor will help you to maximise the returns of your air conditioning system. However, you should engage professionals to conduct more thorough inspections and maintenance as well. Aircon cleaning Singapore companies use more advance and effective cleaning methods. Moreover, they often help to recalibrate the system’s settings, thus increasing efficiency and reducing your utility bills.