How to Clean Your Air Conditioning Filter

A clean filter is critical to the performance of your reverse cycle ducted or split system air conditioner. It is important to clean your air conditioning filter media regularly to avoid costly problems and keep your system working at its best. The filter media surface is designed to collect dust, pollen, and other particles in the air. Depending on how often you use your air conditioning system, this matter can quickly build up. This stops air from flowing freely into the air conditioning unit, leading to problems. Read on for our handy tips on

How Often Should You Clean Your Air Conditioning Filter?

As a rule, we recommend that air conditioning filters are cleaned every three months. The start of each season is a great time to consider checking and cleaning your filter. However, some systems might need more; some might need less. This depends on how often you use your system and your lifestyle.

If you have indoor pets, smoke inside the house, or use the system daily, you may need to clean your filter more often. If you have family members with allergies and asthma in the house, it is also good to clean your filters more regularly. Therefore, we recommend a quick check once a month to see how your filter is going and give it a quick clean if needed.

How Do You Check If Your Filter Needs Cleaning?

To check, simply slide out the filter and see if it is covered in grey dust. If you are unsure, hold the filter to the light and see if there is any space left. If it is covered in grey or looks dusty, then it is time for a clean.

How Do You Clean Your Air Filter?

1. Identify where your filter is in the house. If you have a ducted air conditioning unit, it will be connected to the intake air grill. This is usually a large grill situated in a hallway or off to the side of the main room. If you have a split system, this will be under the front cover.
   
2. Carefully open the grill or split system cover and slide out the filter. The filter can be dusty, so it may be useful to lay down a drop sheet to capture any fallen debris.
   
3. Take the filter media outside and hose it down gently until the water runs clear.
   
4. Leave the filter media to dry in the sun, and once completely dry, slide it back into the grill.
   
5. Do not replace the filter media until it is completely dry. We recommend not using the air conditioning system till you have replaced the filter.

When Is It Time To Talk To An Expert?

Changing your filter should be a straightforward process, but sometimes you may need to ring the experts...

• If you are having trouble locating the filter or removing the filter
• If the filter is omitting an odd smell or is wet or mouldy
• If the filter gets stuck or you cannot put the filter back in
• If you damage or tear the filter

Can You Replace Your Filter Media?

While it’s easy to clean the filter, the filter can get damaged or start to deteriorate with time. That is when it’s time to get a new filter replacement. It is easy to replace and can ensure that your filter captures all those nasty pollutants while helping your system run its best.

We also provide a filter clean and replacement as part of our annual preventative maintenance service. If you would like to find out more, give us a call.