Air cleaners do a great job of cleaning the air in your home, but occasionally they need a bit of attention to continue performing at their best. Over time, all the dirt and other particulates removed from the air build up in air cleaners and can cause them to become clogged and not work effectively.
How to Clean Your Air Cleaner
The best way to clean your air cleaner is to follow the instructions in the owner’s manual. If you no longer have the manual, try visiting the manufacturer’s website to look for washing instructions for your air cleaner. Using instructions that are specific to your particular model of air cleaner is the best way to effectively clean your machine.
Here are some general instructions for cleaning electronic air cleaners:
1. Power off your air cleaner; wait 30 seconds before opening the access door. Turn off the power to the HVAC system also.
2. Take out prefilters, post filters (should you have these), as well as collector cells. You should not clean carbon after filters or post filters. You may vacuum post filters, but carbon after filters should be replaced every three months.
3. You may soak collector cells and prefilters for a half an hour in warm water with electric dishwasher soap.
4. Rinse the prefilters and collector cells with clean water.
5. Allow prefilters and collector cells to dry a half an hour before reinstall.
6. Turn on the air cleaner, as well as the HVAC unit.
You can also clean collector trays regularly by sliding them out, washing them, allowing them to dry and replacing them.
For more expert tips on washing air cleaners to keep them performing at maximum efficiency, contact us. Around The Clock provides fast and reliable service for your HVAC needs in Los Angeles.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Los Angeles, North Hollywood and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about Air Cleaners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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