DIY cleaning of air conditioning using a high-pressure cleaning machine

I have purchased three Xiaomi air conditioners, which have been in use for three to four years and are quite energy-efficient. Essentially, the air conditioners are kept running throughout the year, except for the one or two months during the Spring Festival and autumn when the temperatures are comfortable. The air conditioner filters are cleaned every one to two months by simply rinsing them with tap water to remove dust. Do not use a brush, as it can easily damage them. The impeller of the centrifugal fan needs to be cleaned once a year; otherwise, the airflow will become irregular, and there will be noticeable, intermittent hissing sounds

This is the air outlet channel that hasn't been cleaned in over a year. The dark areas are covered in dust.

The dust on the impeller of the flow-through fan can be said to be piling up like a mountain. In previous years, it would take more than half an hour to clean it with a small brush, piece by piece. Moreover, the arms would feel extremely sore, and the cleaning effect was not thorough. After the first cleaning, the fan would also emit a lot of fine dust when it was turned on again.

Because when the Xiaomi air conditioner is turned off, the delay time for the indoor circulation fan is not long enough, and the indoor heat exchanger is not completely dried, it leads to the growth of slimy fungi on its surface, which looks like dirt in the picture. Even with a long-haired brush, it was impossible to completely clean it in the past. And now, after just one summer, it has grown back like this.

It looks semi-transparent when photographed with a flash, and has a slippery texture that is quite unpleasant. Due to concerns that disinfectants might corrode the heat exchanger, it has been difficult to completely eliminate this issue.

So every year, the thought of cleaning the air conditioner gives me a headache. Hiring someone to do it from outside, in order to improve efficiency, involves using some corrosive foam to clean it. When the heat exchanger is cleaned too many times, the air conditioner’s heat exchange performance will significantly decrease. This year, I tried using a high-pressure cleaning agent, which is basically a car wash machine. The two items below are what I used this time, but this time I opted for the one on the left, the white one.

The cleaning of algae is quite effective, but I have had a bad experience in the past when using a high-pressure spray gun from a car wash shop, which caused the aluminum fin on the condenser of the car's air conditioner to become misaligned. There is some concern that if the product is returned, it might also cause the aluminum fins to become misaligned, which could negatively impact the performance of the air conditioner.

First, remove the filter mesh. This can be done in just 5 seconds using a spray gun, and there is no damage to the filter mesh as a result.

Then, remove the air outlet guide panel. The dust accumulates little by little. It’s unclear whether mold spots first formed and then dust adhered to them.

Using a spray gun also takes only 10 seconds, which is much faster than using a brush and a rag.

Next, put on the air conditioner cleaning cover that was purchased on Pinduoduo. When putting it on, simply attach the short edge of the water collection cover to the wall; it won't be pressed by the air conditioner and will not leak. Hook the four corners onto the grille above the air conditioner's intake vent.

During the 618 event, 35 yuan for shipping. The plastic is quite thick and the accessories are good. It doesn't leak when used. There is a slight new plastic smell, so I left it on the balcony to air out for a while before using it.

Then, adjust the nozzle of the high-pressure cleaning machine to create a fan-shaped spray pattern, and sweep it from left to right.

After 10 seconds, it was completely clean. The years-long problem of the slimy mold was gone in an instant. There was no deformation or damage on the fin. It appears to be a home-use car washing machine, as opposed to a professional car wash machine from a shop, which has higher pressure. Additionally, the water jet was set to a fan-shaped pattern.

Next are the air outlet and the recirculation fan blades. It is important to note that when rinsing the recirculation fan blades, they will spin rapidly due to the impact of the water flow. It is necessary to use a separate hand to control the speed of the fan blades, as excessive speed could damage the blades and bearings. All the water that flows down is captured by the air conditioning cleaning cover.

It took 2 minutes to clean the fan blade, as it was deeply embedded in the air duct. Due to the dim lighting in the evening, it was hard to see clearly. However, by just blindly spraying with the nozzle, the cleaning effect was as good as if it were brand new.

This is water that has been released from the drainage pipe of the air conditioner.

This is the water that flows out from the drainage pipe of the air conditioner cleaning cover. As the scorching summer is approaching, cleaning the air conditioner using a high-pressure cleaning machine is a DIY project. Considering the air quality, it seems like a good idea. After doing some calculations, it turns out that the volume of air that one breathes in a lifetime is roughly equivalent to the circulating air volume of this air conditioner working for one month. Well, that’s about one-twelfth of two buckets of water. Quite a challenge, literally speaking. As the scorching summer is nearing, cleaning the air conditioner using high-pressure cleaning machine is a do-it-yourself project. It’s better to keep the windows and doors closed during this time.

Do not remove the cleaning cover immediately after cleaning, as the first time the air conditioning is turned on, water droplets may be ejected from the air outlet.

The entire process, from preparation to cleanup, took a total of 20 minutes. The cleaning process itself took less than 10 minutes, which was much easier than in previous years. The majority of the time was spent moving tools, disassembling the air conditioner, and hanging up the cleaning cover. As a result, an additional 200 yuan was saved, and no chemical cleaning agents were used, making it a healthy and environmentally friendly process.