Central Air Conditioning Cleaning Is Very Important! How Much Does It Cost At One Time? How Often Should It Be Cleaned?

Deep cleaning of home central air conditioners: an “invisible battle” related to respiratory health

While you are enjoying the constant temperature and humidity brought by central air conditioning, have you ever considered that the fan coils and winding pipes hidden in the ceiling are very likely to become a warm breeding ground for bacteria and mold? As a housekeeper who has provided services to more than a thousand households, I have seen too many problems caused by neglect of cleaning. Just today, we are going to carry out an in-depth science popularization on central air conditioning cleaning, so that your home can truly achieve a state of "clean breathing".

Scenario application: Why does your home urgently need a “general cleaning”?

Imagine that in a closed bedroom, after the air conditioner is started, a sour smell wafts out, or the air conditioner in the living room has been running for half an hour, but the indoor temperature has not dropped. This is not just a matter of comfort, but a health warning. After returning to the south or after long-term use, the inside of the air conditioner becomes humid and warm. The dust accumulated on the evaporator fins mixes with the condensed water, which is extremely easy to breed pathogenic bacteria such as Legionella and mold. These pollutants are blown directly into the room with the help of the air supply system. It is the culprit of inducing "air conditioning disease" and is also the culprit of respiratory discomfort.

Tool selection: Professional-grade equipment can penetrate deeply

Ordinary rags and water can only treat the surface. In our so-called professional cleaning tool box, we must have several things that can be called "sharp tools": One is the cleaning agent specially used for neutral air conditioners, which can effectively deemulsify and decompose oil and dirt, and will not cause corrosion to the expensive hydrophilic aluminum foil. Second, it is a high-temperature steam engine, which uses high temperatures of 140°C and above to carry out secondary sterilization operations on the water tray and air outlet; finally, it is a special protective cover and extended spray gun to ensure that the liquid can be accurately sprayed into the depths of the condenser, while also protecting the wall from being stained.

Operational process: Transformation from "bare leakage part" to "core heart organ"

Many people think that just flushing the filter is the end of the matter, but that is just like scratching someone's itch. In fact, deep cleaning is carried out in three steps:

1. Pre-processing of the shell and filter : Carefully remove the return air vent panel and filter . This is the most basic step. Dust accumulation on the filter will directly reduce the air volume .

The first step is to drain and restore it. After cleaning, be sure to check whether the condensate pipe is smooth. Many cases of water leakage are due to the drain pipe being blocked by algae, and this measure can effectively prevent the subsequent hidden danger of the ceiling being soaked by water.

Detail processing: these "dead corners" are professional touchstones

Whether true professionalism can be reflected is often demonstrated in the details. For example, when cleaning a cross-flow impeller, you must use a brush to clean out the fluff in the gaps piece by piece, rather than just simply flushing. In addition, the back of the louver blades indicating the air outlet and the filter slot of the return air outlet are all severely damaged areas where dust accumulates. After cleaning, we will apply a layer of antibacterial agent to form a protective film on the metal surface, thereby delaying the speed of secondary pollution. This is the key to extending the service life of the air conditioner.

Guide to avoid pitfalls: Don’t let “non-professionals” ruin your air conditioner

There are many "guerrilla" cleaning methods in the market. One is to use a high-pressure water gun to blast hard, resulting in the circuit board being short-circuited due to water intrusion. The other is to use strong acid and alkali cleaning agents. In the short term, it may seem clean, but in fact, the hydrophilic coating on the surface of the evaporator has been corroded away. This results in reduced cooling effect of the air conditioner and increased noise. My suggestion is that you would rather spend a little more money and look for a regular housekeeping company that holds professional cleaning qualifications, has a physical store, and promises after-sales guarantee. They will issue formal invoices and have more professional protection measures for the precision components in the air conditioner.

Effect comparison: Visible cleaning and saving money

Take a home with an area of ​​120 square meters as an example. Before cleaning, the air blown by the air conditioner in the living room has a musty smell, and its power consumption is always very high. After completing the cleaning, we set out to make a set of comparisons:

In terms of cooling effect, before cleaning, the temperature of the air outlet was only 12 degrees Celsius, but after cleaning, the temperature dropped directly to 6 to 8 degrees Celsius, and the cooling speed became significantly faster.

The "energy consumption situation" presents such a situation, because the "heat exchange efficiency" has been improved, which has shortened the working time of the compressor, and the final electricity bill has intuitively dropped by about 15% to 20%.

Concentration of particulate matter: Special testing instruments show that the content of particulate matter that can enter the lungs and the overall number of bacteria have dropped significantly, and the indoor air is refreshing and there is no odor.

Cost and Period: How to spend this investment in health?

Split household air conditioners, regarding the cost of cleaning a central air conditioner that everyone is most concerned about, a single cleaning of the internal unit, which includes cleaning of the filter, panel, and evaporator, is usually around 60 yuan. The price of a single outdoor washing machine is 60 yuan. If the outdoor washing machine is oily or extremely dirty, it may cost 80 to 100 yuan. The combined cleaning of internal and external machines generally costs between 100 and 150 yuan. But this is just a basic reference. Central air conditioners have many air outlets and complex pipelines. Generally speaking, billing is based on the number of air outlets or the points of the system. The cost incurred per time will be higher, but at the same time it will be more valuable.

Regarding how often cleaning is required, according to the guidelines of the "Air Conditioning Maintenance Manual", central air conditioning equipment should be cleaned and maintained once or twice a year, especially before the equipment is turned on at the turn of spring and summer and autumn and winter. This is the most appropriate time to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth cleaning.

Please do not wait until the air conditioner is in a "sick working" state before remembering to repair it. By then, not only will the repair cost be extremely high, but the health of your family will have been damaged. In daily life, you can wipe the outer shell and the exposed parts by yourself, but the internal evaporator gaps and the air supply system must be left to professionals like us. This is more than just a cleaning, it is a long-term investment in your family’s respiratory health.