How to clean the air conditioning in the car with your own hands?

Car owners must constantly take care of the condition of the main parts and mechanisms of their vehicle. After all, keeping them clean and in good condition allows you to get the optimal level of security, as well as saving money on repairs.

The presence of an electronic climate system in a car today is no longer a luxury, but a necessary element. It has long become an indispensable attribute of any vehicle. Indeed, thanks to the air conditioning, the driver can feel completely comfortable in hot and stuffy weather. But, like any device, over time, the air conditioner can completely or partially fail. In this case, the driver will have to repair it or completely replace it by buying a new system. But such consequences can be avoided. To do this, the car owner must comply with all the rules for handling this device and clean it in time. Of course, you can contact the service center, but this will entail additional financial costs. Therefore, many vehicle owners are wondering how to clean the air conditioner in the car themselves, what to pay special attention to and what means are best to use?

Why does pollution take place?

The main reason for the failure of this equipment is the clogging of the main parts and mechanisms of the system with dust, which is collected in the device itself during its operation. To create comfortable conditions in the car, this electronic device must be constantly in good condition, so the vehicle owner must know how to clean the air conditioner in the car. Indeed, the implementation of such measures may be required at any time.

How to determine the malfunction of the climate system?

To answer this question, the car owner needs to carefully study the instructions for handling the air conditioner. And also at the first signs of an unpleasant odor from the system, after it is turned on, it should go to the nearest service station and repair and clean the main parts and mechanisms of the device. If the vehicle owner knows how to clean the air conditioning in the car, all actions can be done independently.

The principle of operation of the air conditioner

The first sign of malfunction of this device will be an unpleasant smell in the cabin, which appears when the climate system is turned on. This is due to the natural laws and design features of the device.

The air conditioner is based on two main elements - an evaporator and a condenser. For good performance, both components must function properly. The operation of such a device is that it takes away heat from the evaporator and transfers it to the condenser. In this way, the condenser heats up and the evaporator cools. The placement of the first element is very close to the cooling radiator. Therefore, airflow and thermal efficiency of the element increase. And the evaporator is installed in the passenger compartment. He hides under the center console, through it the chilled air and gets inside. This is the main principle of the device when cooling the passenger compartment in the summer heat.

The street air is quite humid, this leads to the formation of condensation (water droplets on the evaporator). For an hour of operation of the climate system, about three liters of liquid will be collected. Design features of the equipment allow you to output it through a special tube that is attached to the bottom of the car. Thus, the discharge of water mass occurs.

Why is there an unpleasant smell in the cabin?

A wet evaporator quickly collects dirt and dust from the incoming air. Such an environment promotes the propagation of various kinds of fungi. And even after turning off the climate equipment, the process of formation of harmful substances in the form of mold continues. And the heated elements of the system are an ideal environment for the emergence and reproduction of bacteria. Therefore, there is an urgent need for system maintenance, and the car enthusiast wonders how to clean the air conditioner evaporator in the car.

What to do next?

A complete cleaning of the entire climate system is required. It should be noted that this procedure should be carried out at least once a year, if necessary and more often. The process is simplified if the vehicle owner knows how to clean the tubes of the car’s air conditioner and independently performs this procedure. Indeed, in order to get rid of the unpleasant smell in the cabin and increase the performance of this system, it is necessary to free not only the evaporator from dirt by disinfection, but also other parts of this equipment.

Experienced auto mechanics know that a “fur coat” formed from a layer of dirt acts as a heat insulator and prevents the air from cooling to the maximum possible temperature.

How to clean the air conditioner in the car

In practice, there are various ways to clean the air conditioner in a car. It is possible to carry out such maintenance operations by completely or partially disassembling equipment using various chemical and disinfectants.

Partial disassembly of the device is carried out only on expensive cars no more than five years old. This is a kind of prevention. Then you need to choose a high-quality cleaning chemical aerosol or foam for automotive air conditioners. In any specialized store, you can choose the right solution.

The easiest way to clean

1. On a wound vehicle, the air conditioner is turned on in recirculation mode with a maximum fan speed.
2. The windows and doors of the vehicle must be in the closed position. A spray can is placed under the feet of the front passenger. This is exactly where the air collects during the recirculation process. In some cases, the upper ventilation hole is used to the right of the front passenger.
   
3. Then the spraying process begins.
4. The time for airing the cabin should be indicated in the instructions for use of the spray can.

This is a fairly simple way to clean the radiator of the car’s air conditioner and its internal parts. Any motorist will be able to understand the correct use of the tool without special skills and experience.

How to clean the conditioner with a foaming agent?

Such a composition not only cleans, but also disinfects parts of the equipment. For those who are thinking about how to clean the air conditioning in the car themselves, experts recommend just such a means. To use a foaming composition, you must:

• remove the cabin air filter;

• remove the drainage tube and fill the ducts with the product;
• after the lapse of time specified in the instructions, the climate system is activated and driven in different modes;

• After cleaning, the car interior must be ventilated for 30 minutes.

This method is suitable not only for those who don’t know how to clean the drainage pipe of the car’s air conditioner, but also for car owners who just want to disinfect their vehicle’s climate system.

If there is a question about how to clean the radiator of the car’s air conditioner from the outside, then experienced craftsmen recommend still to carry out this procedure from the inside, after applying the insect repellent. The fact is that all the dirt gets clogged from the outside, and if you send a strong stream of water, the dirt is easily removed.

Popular conditioner cleaners

In the consumer market, there are many different types of such funds. All of them are classified according to their properties and manufacturer. The most popular products are CRC Airco Cleaner, PRESTO Klimaanlagen-reiniger, LIQUI MOLY Klima-Anlagen-Reiniger. Their use is allowed only according to the attached instructions.

Using improvised tools

How to clean the air conditioning in a car with chlorhexidine is a fairly common request among motorists. But not only this cheap solution can be used when cleaning the climate system. The following tools can be used to solve this problem:

1. Condicline 200 ml. The basis contains the chemical element chlorhexidine bigluconate. This reduces the cost of cleaning the device.
2. Chloramine B This tool is used to clean various surfaces, household items and medical devices. It is used to disinfect foci of infection. To prepare a cleaning product, you need one tablespoon of powder, which must be diluted in water. After that, the contents are poured into the sprayer. The device filter is removed, the air conditioner is left on, the fan is used at maximum load, and then this solution is sprayed. The vehicle doors must be in the open position. And the means of blowing are covered with a cloth so that the substance does not enter the salon.
3. Chlorgescid. This product is mixed with alcohol 1: 1 to improve properties. The cleaning process is the same as for the above composition.
4. "Lysoformin 3000". This 5% solution for disinfection of surfaces may well be used for cleaning the air conditioner. For this, 50 ml of the drug is taken and diluted in 1 liter of water. But to effectively clean the car air conditioner, you need to remove the evaporator.

Preventive actions

It is worth noting that it is always necessary to carry out preventive measures to prevent severe pollution of the climate system. Only due to timely proper care, the equipment will work continuously and without fail and there will not be an acute question of how to clean the air conditioner in the car. To do this, you must adhere to some rules:

1. The main thing is that the car was structurally provided for the possibility of using a passenger compartment filter. If it is not, then you must definitely install it.
2. If recirculation passes the cabin filter, then use it if necessary.
3. Twice a year, it is necessary to check the condition of the drainage pipe. It should not be clogged or pinched.
4. It is necessary to regularly replace the filters in the cabin. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the conditions in which the car is used.
5. The air conditioner turns off a few minutes before the trip is completed. The fan does not turn off. The evaporator should dry.

Conclusion

In order to keep the air inside the car always clean and comfortable in driving in hot and stuffy weather, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures to prevent severe pollution of the climate system and to organize its cleaning in a timely manner.