Cleaning the car air conditioner in a simple and cheap way
Content
To cool the air in the car, it is repeatedly driven by a fan through the evaporator of the air conditioning system, which has a temperature slightly below zero degrees. If you imagine how much air passes through all the air ducts, tubes and honeycombs, it becomes clear that the climate control details cannot remain clean.
Even the slightest pollution in the air, constantly deposited on surfaces, will quickly create accumulations of not always pleasantly smelling substances there.
Why you need to disinfect your car air conditioner
In addition to all sorts of dirt of organic and mineral origin, sections of the system will quickly become a home for microorganisms. These are bacteria that feed on the contents of air currents, multiply rapidly and organize entire colonies. The products of their vital activity give a characteristic musty smell, characteristic of places where there is a lot of moisture and little ventilation.
With ventilation in the air conditioner, everything is fine, but the same air is used for this, repeatedly passing through the cabin filter and cooler. The filter is not perfect, even if it contains activated carbon and anti-allergens. It, in turn, becomes clogged and becomes a source of odor. And the evaporator radiator is literally overgrown with mold and bacteria families.
If you remove an evaporator that has been working for a long time and has not been cleaned, the picture will be impressive. The structure of the tubes and heat exchange fins is almost completely clogged with plaque, dirt and mold.
There is always a lot of moisture here, because when the gas cools, it passes through the dew point, water is released, which must drain through the drain. But even if the drain pipes are not clogged, some of the moisture remains in the porous structures of the deposits. Bacteria take advantage of this.
This shows the difference between cleaning and disinfection. The second consists in the destruction and removal of microorganisms, simultaneously with the deprivation of their nutrient medium. In addition to an unpleasant smell, this will also relieve the dangers of infecting passengers, it is not known how many bacteria there are, just flavoring the interior, and how many are pathogenic.
How to clean an air conditioner at home
The cleaning process can be entrusted to professionals involved in cleaning car interiors in the complex, but it’s enough just to do it yourself, saving a lot of money. Everything you need for cleaning and disinfection is on sale.
All components of the system located in the cabin are subject to cleaning:
- evaporator radiator;
- air ducts and dampers;
- deflectors;
- air filter, it is not cleaned, but replaced with a new one.
Means are supplied in various forms, both in physical state and method of application, and in chemical composition. Not necessarily all of them should be designed specifically for use in a car.
Choice of purifier
Theoretically, it is possible to completely disassemble the air conditioner and wash it with washing powder or a similar product specialized for cars.
But in practice, this is not very realistic, since it is labor-intensive, it will require special skills and knowledge, as well as refilling the air conditioner, since the refrigerant will be lost when the evaporator is removed. Therefore, the main cleaning methods involve swinging through a system of various compositions without dismantling parts.
Aerosol
Compositions for disinfection can be supplied in aerosol packages. This is a pressurized container equipped with a tube for precise spraying.
Application methods are approximately typical:
- processing is carried out with the engine running;
- the cabin filter is dismantled, usually located in the glove box area under the plastic cover;
- in the internal recirculation mode, air is taken from the filter zone, and you should start spraying the product there with the heater fan turned on at maximum speed;
- during processing, the interior is airtight, that is, windows and doors are closed;
- the amount of funds for full processing and the time of the procedure is indicated in the instructions for the cylinder;
- after processing, the air conditioner is turned off, and the interior is ventilated with the doors open and the fan running.
Between treatment and airing, it is better to pause for a quarter of an hour for more efficient operation of disinfectants.
Foam cleaner
If the product is used in the form of foam, then the efficiency of its work will be higher due to the increase in the stability of the composition and the operating time.
The principle of processing is approximately the same, but the foam can be sprayed pointwise, having studied the structure of the installation and directing the foam tube to the most critical places. In particular, directly on the evaporator grate. It can be plastered with foam, let it soak, and only then turn on the fan, replenishing the foam from the side of the filter and radiator.
With difficult access, you can use a drainage tube to drain water, it goes directly to the radiator.
Chlorhexidine
This is a powerful external antibacterial drug (antiseptic) that can be effectively used for car disinfection. Destroys even a mold, fungi and disputes.
It can be purchased at the right concentration or diluted to a final value of approximately 0,05%. The solution is poured into a manual sprayer, the addition of alcohol will increase the efficiency of work.
The method of application is the same, the composition is sprayed with the air conditioner working for recirculation into the area of \uXNUMXb\uXNUMXbthe removed cabin filter. Processing times and techniques are the same as with aerosol or foam.
Mechanical method
There are situations when the car was purchased in the secondary market, and the air conditioning system in it was never cleaned.
Since in this case the layers of dirt are already so abundant and strong that no chemistry will help here, the nodes will have to be dismantled. Having thought well beforehand about the possibility of successful completion of the subsequent assembly.
The work of professionals will cost quite a lot, the price tags here from 5000 rubles are just starting. But the consequences of an illiterate bulkhead will be even more unpleasant. The modern climate control system is very complex and will no longer be able to work normally with the slightest mistake.
In addition, you will have to deal with large plastic parts, usually already deformed, which, if you do not know the nuances, will become sources of fatal sounds when driving. And you can normally refill the system only if you have a specialized automatic stand with the functions of evacuating and rationing the freon-oil mixture.
The disposable seals will also need to be replaced. Cleaning heavily soiled parts, especially the radiator, will also require special equipment.
Disinfection of the evaporator and air ducts
Additionally, the evaporator and the air ducts coming from it can be disinfected using smoke bombs specially designed for this purpose. It is better to do this the next day after treatment with cleaning foam aerosols.
Instructions for use are indicated on the checker. Usually it is simply installed on the floor of the passenger compartment and is started by a button under the fuse.
The filter is dismantled, air flows are organized by the cooling mode of the upper part of the passenger compartment, that is, smoke (steam) from the checker passes in a circle through the radiator. Processing time is about 15 minutes, after which the interior is ventilated and a new air filter is installed.
Cleaning the air conditioner radiator
The radiator (condenser) can be cleaned by successive application of detergents, pressurized water and compressed air. In other ways, compressed dirt cannot be removed from the fine structure of the tubes.
Only by successively softening the deposits with chemical surfactant detergents, washing under medium pressure and purging with a compressor. Cleaning is carried out in conjunction with the main radiator, since they work sequentially in the air flow, contamination of one will affect the efficiency of the other.
Replacing the cabin filter
Cabin filters are easy to replace, no need to visit a service station. The instructions always indicate their location, just remove the cover, pull out the old filter and install the new one in the same way, without confusing the spatial orientation. It is desirable to reduce the replacement time by half relative to the recommended ones.
Prevention
Prevention of pollution comes down to keeping the air in the car clean and cleaning regularly. It is not recommended to drive with open windows on dusty roads or in heavy city traffic.
To do this, there is an internal recirculation mode and a cabin filter. It is inexpensive, and if you change it more often, it will well protect both the insides of the climate control system and the lungs of passengers.
The more often you clean the air conditioner, the better the compositions used will work. It is best to do this twice a year, in spring and autumn, then the air conditioner will not become permanently dirty and emit unwanted odors.
