How To Clean a Window Air Conditioner Filter

By | April 2, 2022

How To Clean a Window Air Conditioner Filter
Window air conditioner units need basic service every year, or they will not work as well as they should.

One of the more important things to be done is to clean the filter from dust and other debris that can block the airflow.

When airflow is blocked, an A/C unit can not work properly and can fail to cool a room as well as when it was new.
 
How To Clean a Window Air Conditioner Filter

  1. Remove the front cover. Each unit will have its own clips or the unique way the cover is attached.
  2. How To Clean a Window Air Conditioner Unit Filter

  3. Slide the filter out.
  4. Window Air Conditioner maintenace  Filter cleaning

  5. The filter can be cleaned in a sink with water. Only use water as any chemicals that are used will circulate in the room after it is cleaned.
  6. Window Air Conditioner maintanace  Filter cleaning 2

  7. After cleaning the filter, install it back into the unit. Be sure it is aligned correctly, so no debris gets past it while it is operating.
  8. Steps To Cleaning a Window AC Unit filter

 
Summary
How often the filter is cleaned will depend on the climate lived in.

For example, a desert environment has much more debris in the air than a high mountain region.

Keeping the filter clean is very important since an A/C unit works with airflow to transfer hot and cold air to the right places.

A dirty filter interrupts this process and can lead to an underperforming unit.

Never run a window air conditioner without the filter as the fins that air flows through can become clogged.

This can lead to more problems since the small fins are not easily cleaned, and if no air is able to pass through the unit, it will not work.

Cleaning the filter can also add to the life of the unit since it will not need to work as hard to pump cool it into a room.

It can also help the window air conditioner unit operate more quietly.

Have you cleaned the filter on a window air conditioner unit? Let us know your thoughts below.

Category: window mounted air conditioner

About Aaron H. Benetti

Aaron H. Benetti has worked in the HVAC field since 1991. He began his career as an HVAC installer and later began doing troubleshooting and repairs. Around 2010, he began to write books on HVAC topics, mainly tutorials and how-to information. Currently, Aaron writes many articles and posts for websites as well as books and videos on HVAC topics.

2 thoughts on “How To Clean a Window Air Conditioner Filter

  1. Yolanda Alfaro

    Why does my window air conditioner start up good and then all of a sudden stops and then it’ll start up again

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.