What kind of maintenance does a portable air conditioner need?

Proper maintenance of a portable air conditioner’s internal components and exterior unit will ensure that the AC is working efficiently and is cooling spaces competently.

Having an air conditioning unit in your home is a common way of keeping your indoor spaces cool when the weather is extremely hot and humid. The various types of units one can get installed in their home can provide much-needed relief from humidity, depending on your unique needs.

Portable air conditioners come with the benefits of portability, mobility and being standalone units that only need to be vented through a window to cool properly.

As simple as these units sound, it is important to take into account that they do require a lot with regard to maintenance, as their performance relies heavily on how well-kept they are.

Maintaining portable air conditioners

Portable air conditioners offer users the freedom to enjoy cooling in any room they are in because of their portability and mobility.

These air conditioners do not have complicated installation, and they simply need their exhaust hose to be vented via the window to operate well and cool competently.

Portable units can accumulate a lot of moisture inside them, hence they need to vent so that most of the accumulated moisture can be expelled outside.

When moisture is trapped in a closed-off environment such as the shell of a portable air conditioner, it is prone to develop moisture-related dirt and debris, as well as moisture-related bacteria such as mould and mildew.

This is why it is imperative that you clean and maintain your portable air conditioner.

What kind of maintenance does a portable air conditioner need?

The maintenance of a portable air conditioner can be a lot, especially if you want to keep the unit in good working condition.

A portable unit that is not adequately maintained will be prone to developing internal functionality and performance issues, which will likely result in it not working efficiently, and eventually failing.

Portable units are extremely sensitive and can break quite easily, so it is imperative that all the crucial components are well-maintained and clean, to ensure that the unit is working optimally.

Certain components of your portable air conditioner require attention when it comes to maintenance. This is because if they are too dirty, they can cause the air conditioner to struggle to blow cool air, or they cannot blow cool air at all.

These components include the air filter and the coils. With the amount of moisture that a portable air conditioner can collect, their self-contained water tanks will fill up with water that eventually needs to be drained if you want the unit to continue cooling.

Mould and mildew can easily grow where there is an accumulation of moisture, such as in water tanks. For this, you can use this store-bought mould and mildew remover. The outside of the unit also needs to be cleaned.

Maintaining the air filters and coils

When the air filters and the coils of your unit are dirty, the air conditioner could run into cooling problems, making it ineffective and inefficient.

To clean air filters, you can remove them from the AC and use a vacuum to clean all the dust and debris off of them. Furthermore, it may help to dip them in warm water with a bit of soap to lift off any stubborn dirt or build-up.

The filters need to be set aside to dry completely before you reinsert them into the unit. The coils are one of the expensive components in the portable unit, so they must be cleaned gently.

Use a clean cloth dampened with a vinegar solution and gently wipe away any dirt you can see. A prefessional coil cleaner can come in handy if you are deep cleaning the coils.

How to clean a Friedrich air conditioner How to fix a short-cycling air conditioner
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Draining the portable unit of the water

The most important step in cleaning a portable air conditioner is draining it. Some units have self-contained buckets inside them that need to be manually removed and emptied carefully.

Other units have drain outlets through which water can be drained into a container.

A better way of draining through the unit’s draining outlet is to use a drain hose or connect a condensate pump to the AC that can suck the water out of the unit more easily.

How to use a drain hose on portable air conditioners
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You can read this article on How to use a drain hose on portable air conditioners to better understand the process.

Polish the exterior of the unit

When you are done with all the internal cleaning and maintenance of the portable air conditioner, you should also wipe down the exterior of the air conditioner.

This time you will need to use a clean damp cloth to wipe down the exterior of the air conditioner thoroughly. Ensure that you polish every nook and cranny properly, as dirt and dust can hide in those areas.

It is important that you do not use any abrasive chemicals or detergents. You can dry the unit with another clean, dry cloth.

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