How to clean a car air conditioner yourself: important nuances of the procedure

Any responsible car owner monitors the condition of his car, units, and the level of technical fluids. No less attention should be paid to the car air conditioner. Timely disinfection of the system prevents the appearance of unpleasant odors and prolongs the “life” of the air conditioner.

Why is your car air conditioner cleaned?

The car air conditioner requires periodic attention and maintenance. Its timely cleaning eliminates the appearance of unexpected malfunctions and unforeseen expenses, as well as health problems. The fact is that inside the device an ideal environment is formed for the development and reproduction of all kinds of bacteria. During the operation of the air conditioner, moisture appears inside, which mixes with dust and dirt that enters with the air. This indicates that cleaning the air conditioner should not be neglected. In addition to the above nuances, due to the accumulation of pollution, the performance of the unit worsens, which makes it difficult to maintain the required temperature on a hot day, and the appearance of an unpleasant smell in the cabin will be the last symptom indicating a malfunction with the device.

The car's air conditioning system consists of several components, the normal operation of which depends on timely cleaning and maintenance.

Air Conditioner Treatment Frequency

The most accurate information on cleaning the air conditioner is given in the owner's manual for your car. If the frequency cannot be determined for some reason, then following the recommendations of specialists, preventive measures should be carried out 1-2 times a year. If you or your relatives are allergic, then antibacterial treatment should be carried out more often. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account how often the car is used and how often the air conditioner is used, what is the climate in your area, the roads on which you have to travel. Basically, the cleaning of the car air conditioner is carried out in the spring before the start of its operation, or in the fall after its completion. However, no one forbids cleaning at any time.

Signs that require disinfection

There are several signs that indicate the need for service of the device:

1. The appearance of extraneous sounds. Their character can be different: crackles, noises, whistles.
2. Bad smell. It may always be present in the cabin, but when the air conditioner is activated, it will intensify.
3. The appearance of moisture. If it was noticed that when the air conditioner was turned on, moisture began to appear from the air duct, then this indicates the need for urgent cleaning of the unit.

Consequences of bacterial contamination of the air conditioner

An unpleasant smell is half the trouble. It appears due to the moisture (condensate) accumulating on the evaporator. Fungi, bacteria, mold form in it, which eventually cover the inner surface of the air ducts. Gradually, the level of deposits increases so much that it leads to the appearance of an unpleasant odor when the air conditioner is activated. However, the nuance is not only in the smell, but also in the fact that bacteria are dangerous for the human body.

Untimely cleaning of the air conditioner leads not only to an unpleasant smell in the cabin, but also to damage to the system elements.

In addition, the ingress of road dirt between the two radiators (cooling and air conditioning systems) leads to a malfunction of the compressor, which can cause premature failure. Due to dirt, corrosion appears on the aluminum elements of the air conditioner, resulting in freon leakage.

Cleaning the car air conditioner at home

Under the cleaning of the air conditioner, it is supposed to be disinfected with special means. It is worth dwelling on how to use them and what processing methods exist.

Types and sequence of system cleaning

The air conditioner can be cleaned in one of the following ways:

• chemical;
• mechanical.

In the first case, aerosols and foam are used. It is worth considering that aerosol means can only disinfect the air conditioning system, and with the help of foam, you can also clean it. The mechanical method is resorted to if the chemical agents did not give the desired result and the unpleasant smell remained in the cabin. The procedure is notable for its complexity, since it is necessary to remove the evaporator in the heater unit. For chemical treatment of the device in question, you can use the products of the following manufacturers:

• Step Up (foam);
  

  Step Up cleaner is designed for professional cleaning and disinfection of evaporators and air ducts of car air conditioners
• Liqui Moly Air Conditioning Cleaner (пена);
• Mannol Air Conditioner Cleaner (foam);
• Sonax Clima Clean Antibacteriell (foam);
  

  SONAX air conditioner antibacterial cleaner is recommended to be used every few months
• Runway Air Conditioner Cleaner (aerosol);
• BON BN-153 (aerosol);
• Wurth (aerosol).
• Top Plaque (пена);
• Carmate (smoke bomb).

Chemical method

After choosing a foam or aerosol, you can start cleaning the air conditioner. Basically, all funds are completed with a tube. Aerosol treatment is performed as follows:

1. We start the engine.
2. We turn on the air conditioner and select the recirculation mode to the maximum.
   

   Turn on the air conditioner and select the maximum recirculation mode
3. We place a can of antibacterial agent near the stove on the driver's or passenger side next to the air intake pipe, after which we spray the substance.
   

   We place a spray can with a special agent near the stove on the driver's or passenger's side next to the air intake pipe
4. We close the doors and windows and wait for the time specified in the instructions.
5. At the end of the treatment, turn off the air conditioner and ventilate the interior.

If you have to use foam products, then the process consists of the following steps:

1. Remove the cabin filter.
   

   We remove the cabin filter, the location of which is approximately the same on all cars
2. We put a tube on the can through which the foam is fed to the evaporator.
   

   We put a tube on the canister with foam to supply funds to the evaporator
3. We fill the air ducts with the agent for cleaning. Sometimes the instructions indicate that the foam can be supplied through the drain hole.
   

   We fill the air ducts with foam according to the instructions
4. According to the manual, we wait for a certain time, start the engine and turn on the air conditioner, after which we let it work for 5-10 minutes, choosing different modes.
5. Turn off the air conditioner and ventilate the interior.

Video: cleaning the air conditioner with foam

Cleaning the air conditioner in a car, or how to clean the air conditioner with your own hands.

Improvised means

Depending on the selected disinfectant, you will have to pay about 150–1000 rubles. for a balloon. Inexpensive cleaners can be not only ineffective, but also fill the interior with a not very pleasant smell that is difficult to dissipate. However, for effective antibacterial treatment, it is not necessary to buy expensive products: you can also use improvised ones. With a nasty smell in the cabin will help to cope:

• Chloramine B;
• Lysoformin 3000;
• Chlorhexidine.

Chlorhexidine is one of the available car air conditioner cleaners.

The essence of the treatment is to prepare a working solution from a powdered substance, for example, Chloramine B, which is diluted with water (1 tablespoon per 1 liter of water).

Preparation of the product is reduced to mixing it with water in a certain proportion.

The resulting liquid is poured into a suitable container with a sprayer. During processing with the listed means in the car, all doors should be opened. The disinfection process is similar to the use of foam.

If the above methods failed to remove the unpleasant odor from the passenger compartment, the air conditioner must be cleaned mechanically.

Video: a budget way to clean a car air conditioner

We clean the air conditioner quickly and on a budget

Mechanical method

Mechanical antibacterial treatment of the air conditioning unit will require tools to dismantle the dashboard. Also, it will not be superfluous to replace freon, seals and pipes. The cleaning process is performed in the following sequence:

1. To gain access to the evaporator, remove the dashboard.
   

   With a mechanical method of cleaning the air conditioner, you will need to dismantle the dashboard
2. We pump out freon from the system. If necessary, dismantle the stove to access the evaporator pipes.
3. In order to remove the radiator (evaporator), disconnect all sensors and pipes.
   

   We remove the heat exchanger radiator and see how dirty it is
4. We wash the device from dirt with a soapy solution.
   

   We wash the radiator with soapy water from dirt
5. At the end of the cleaning procedure, we install all previously dismantled elements in place, followed by refrigerant injection.

Despite the complexity of the process, the mechanical method is more efficient.

Replacing the cabin filter

The main purpose of the cabin filter is to clean the air entering the car. The correct operation of the heater, air conditioner, and ventilation system directly depends on the state of this element. The need to replace the filter arises in case of fogging of the windows, the appearance of an unpleasant odor and the deterioration of the performance of the stove and air conditioner.

It is recommended to change the filter element every 10–25 thousand km. mileage, depending on the operating conditions of the car.

The cabin filter provides cleaning of the incoming air and must be replaced every 10–25 thousand km. mileage

Most often, the filter is located near the evaporator. The element in question is made of corrugated paper with cellulose or synthetic fibers, often with carbon impregnation and has the shape of a rectangle. To replace the cabin filter on a specific vehicle, you need to read the owner's manual. The process itself consists in dismantling the used product and replacing it with a new one.

Video: replacing the cabin filter on the example of Toyota Corolla

Replacing the cabin filter on Toyota Corolla

Cleaning the elements of the air conditioning system

Cabin climate system includes such basic elements as the evaporator, radiator, cabin filter and air ducts. Consider cleaning each of them.

Cleaning the radiator and air ducts

First of all, the air ducts and the radiator of the system in question are cleaned, removing dust and dirt from them. To do this, an air compressor is used to supply compressed air to the elements of the system. The procedure consists of two stages:

1. With a jet of compressed air or with the help of special means, remove dirt on the radiator. It is located, as a rule, near the radiator of the cooling system in the engine compartment.
   

   The condenser radiator is cleaned with compressed air or by washing. At the same time, you can clean the radiator of the cooling system
2. The same compressor blows through the air intake grill located under the windshield. Through this element, air enters the cabin. In the same way, the deflectors in the cabin are blown, because as they are used, dust also settles in them, which is harmful to the human body.

After carrying out the described actions, you can proceed to the disinfection of the evaporator of the car air conditioner.

Video: cleaning the air conditioner radiator on the Mazda 3

Flushing, cleaning, washing the radiator of the mazda 3 air conditioner with your own hands

Cleaning the evaporator

A large number of various bacteria settle on the evaporator, which are the cause of an unpleasant odor. Therefore, by cleaning the air conditioner, many people mean exactly the evaporator, the processing of which was discussed above.

How to prevent odor and delay re-disinfection

The procedure for disinfecting and cleaning the car air conditioner is understandable, but in order to resort to it as little as possible, you should follow some recommendations:

• change the cabin filter in a timely manner;
• avoid dampness.

If the first advice does not raise questions, then in the second case it is better to dry the air conditioning system naturally, and not with the help of a heater. In this case, the cooling should be turned off at least 5 minutes before the place of arrival, leaving only the fan to work, through which the system will dry out. Thus, condensation will form in a minimum amount, which will reduce the likelihood of an unpleasant odor.

Periodic maintenance of your car's air conditioner can help minimize system problems and costly repairs. After reading the step-by-step instructions, disinfection of the device will be within the power of every motorist. If simple cleaning methods do not give the desired result, the air conditioning system needs more thorough treatment.