This is merely a rant...
It doesn't require rocket science to go on Youtube or some other sites to find out how an indoor mini split unit is cleaned. Something, which, by the way should be done at least twice a year, at the beginning of the cold/hot season.
One of our units hadn't been maintained in 6+ years, now add the fact we USED to smoke etc....in other words IT WAS NASTY AS SHIT. Mold and crust everywhere, blower wheel, condensor etc.
So two days ago it started to smell funny and it temporarily stopped working, I found the reason was that you need to allow an AC time to dry between uses...it simply accumulated moisture. (We had it sometimes running for days on end).
So I called the landlord and she sent two nice guys, let's call them Pedro and Jose. This is NOT meant in any negative/prerogative sense whatsoever, I am in Spain so there is 90% chance they were really Pedro and Jose. (Or Ramirez or Gonzales, I don't know). Anyway I really assumed those guys KNEW their job since the landlord sends them to any renters who have problems with their ACs, to "fix things". I assumed they certainly knew MUCH MORE than I did from studying YT for a couple of hours).
So I explained it to them it needs to be cleaned. Nothing more, nothng less. A 1hr max job. Just from looking at it it's FRICKING OBVIOUS.
So Pedro and Jose took off the cover and the outer filter (something I did already the days before, I don't need "experts" FOR THIS), and spent like 80% of time cleaning the fricking COVER and the filter which were already clean. He scratched a little on the condenser with a brush...and that's it! Then they left again.
WTF
In case you wonder how you actually clean an indoor split unit:
You use a special non-acidic non-alkaline degreaser or special AC cleaning solution, and a LOW (!) PRESSURE sprayer. Either you hang a bag underneath the unit to catch all the crap, or you completely take off the unit and clean it outdoors. There is also foam cleaners etc. you can use with the unit still connected but I am not so sure about their effectiveness. It's also important that you don't use anything like vinegar, bleach, baking soda, oxy or whatever since this can corrode and damage the AC.
So after that fricking ridiculous performance of Pedro and Jose yesterday, I took my garden pressure sprayer and made a big "Aircon Bag" from a poly sheet, some duct tape, string and some hooks. Filled garden pressure sprayer with hot water + dish washing liquid and went to town. After about 30mins I sprayed it with hot water to rinse.
Needless to say now I feel like a pro. And I sure won't ever call my landlord to send someone over for the AC again. I am still baffled since the guys SAW the mold and crust etc...seriously,
Rant over...
PS: I used water w/ dishwashing liquid to be on the safe side. The result is "pretty ok" but I could've likely done a better job cleaning with a special AC cleaner but I didn't have one at hand.
It doesn't require rocket science to go on Youtube or some other sites to find out how an indoor mini split unit is cleaned. Something, which, by the way should be done at least twice a year, at the beginning of the cold/hot season.
One of our units hadn't been maintained in 6+ years, now add the fact we USED to smoke etc....in other words IT WAS NASTY AS SHIT. Mold and crust everywhere, blower wheel, condensor etc.
So two days ago it started to smell funny and it temporarily stopped working, I found the reason was that you need to allow an AC time to dry between uses...it simply accumulated moisture. (We had it sometimes running for days on end).
So I called the landlord and she sent two nice guys, let's call them Pedro and Jose. This is NOT meant in any negative/prerogative sense whatsoever, I am in Spain so there is 90% chance they were really Pedro and Jose. (Or Ramirez or Gonzales, I don't know). Anyway I really assumed those guys KNEW their job since the landlord sends them to any renters who have problems with their ACs, to "fix things". I assumed they certainly knew MUCH MORE than I did from studying YT for a couple of hours).
So I explained it to them it needs to be cleaned. Nothing more, nothng less. A 1hr max job. Just from looking at it it's FRICKING OBVIOUS.
So Pedro and Jose took off the cover and the outer filter (something I did already the days before, I don't need "experts" FOR THIS), and spent like 80% of time cleaning the fricking COVER and the filter which were already clean. He scratched a little on the condenser with a brush...and that's it! Then they left again.
WTF
In case you wonder how you actually clean an indoor split unit:
You use a special non-acidic non-alkaline degreaser or special AC cleaning solution, and a LOW (!) PRESSURE sprayer. Either you hang a bag underneath the unit to catch all the crap, or you completely take off the unit and clean it outdoors. There is also foam cleaners etc. you can use with the unit still connected but I am not so sure about their effectiveness. It's also important that you don't use anything like vinegar, bleach, baking soda, oxy or whatever since this can corrode and damage the AC.
So after that fricking ridiculous performance of Pedro and Jose yesterday, I took my garden pressure sprayer and made a big "Aircon Bag" from a poly sheet, some duct tape, string and some hooks. Filled garden pressure sprayer with hot water + dish washing liquid and went to town. After about 30mins I sprayed it with hot water to rinse.
Needless to say now I feel like a pro. And I sure won't ever call my landlord to send someone over for the AC again. I am still baffled since the guys SAW the mold and crust etc...seriously,
Rant over...
PS: I used water w/ dishwashing liquid to be on the safe side. The result is "pretty ok" but I could've likely done a better job cleaning with a special AC cleaner but I didn't have one at hand.
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