Moldy Aircon making me sick - how to clean blower wheel / inside?

[SS1]

Despite having my brand new aircon units cleaned professionally every 3 months, they start to get a moldy smell after just 4 weeks. Cleaning the filters don't help since after inspecting with a flashlight, the mold appears to be on the blower wheel and probably behind it. 

 

As most people know mold is total poison for breathing. I wake up every morning with a blocked nose and dry throat. 

 

How can I clean this myself? Would it be OK to spray water diluted with bleach into the blower wheel? 

[Lamkyong]

i think that every 3 months is overkill   i can only suggest that you change the company that is doing the work (or not)  and keep an eye on the procedure as it is done specifying   your exact requirements     never leave workers alone unless you like  what you get without supervision    not all of course   but at a guess  majority   will cut corners if allowed to do so

[AsiaCheese]

Don't know where in Thailand you are, but if you're in the Pattaya general area, you might want to call Center Service Pattaya (038 420 123, 087 600 3235, khun MingMing). I happened to find them after having experienced not-too-good service from other companies previously, and they do a real, professional, proper job. My aircon was a bit moldy too before  (blower wheel), but I had waited way too long for a clean-out. After their work, it's spring-time alpine air!!

Edited November 1, 2017 by AsiaCheese
spelling

[KittenKong]

1 hour ago, SS1 said:

How can I clean this myself? Would it be OK to spray water diluted with bleach into the blower wheel? 

 

Try water and white vinegar first as it is somewhat more organic and also cheaper. I spray that into my air-con every week or so, not for the rotary fan but to avoid the build-up of algae in the condensation downpipe.

[KittenKong]

38 minutes ago, Lamkyong said:

i think that every 3 months is overkill

 

I think it depends on the brand/design of the air-con.

 

If the rotary fan on mine is not cleaned every 3 or 4 months the air-con stops working properly. Yet I know of others that can go for a year without being cleaned.

[Dan5]

I just pay someone to do it every 3 months or so. He does a good job and it only costs 500 Baht. Or you could call service for your A/C brand. But its likely to cost 1000+ baht.

[KittenKong]

19 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

 

Try water and white vinegar first as it is somewhat more organic and also cheaper. I spray that into my air-con every week or so, not for the rotary fan but to avoid the build-up of algae in the condensation downpipe.

 

And now that I think of it I will try squirting it into the rotary fan to see if I can reduce the frequency of full cleaning that it needs.

[realenglish1]

19 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

 

Try water and white vinegar first as it is somewhat more organic and also cheaper. I spray that into my air-con every week or so, not for the rotary fan but to avoid the build-up of algae in the condensation downpipe.

Actually I use pure  bleach and it works like a charm Take it put it in a spay bottle for the blowers As for the downpipe Just at about half a bottle to the drip tray and let is seep down into the pipe Will kill on contact the mold Then flush it  15 minutes later with water World wonderfully

[impulse]

Like Realenglish1, I use bleach in a spray bottle to clean what I can see and reach, and spray it into the inlet (holding my breath) to do a little more.

 

The OP may want to check into Tea Tree Oil which is available in special kits to keep mold and mildew from growing in A/C ducting.  I can't recall the vendor (or vouch for the science- though it seemed to help at my apartment) but it's sold to offshore installations which can have a terrible moisture problem.

[adammike]

1 hour ago, realenglish1 said:

Actually I use pure  bleach and it works like a charm Take it put it in a spay bottle for the blowers As for the downpipe Just at about half a bottle to the drip tray and let is seep down into the pipe Will kill on contact the mold Then flush it  15 minutes later with water World wonderfully

Have you tried hydrogen peroxide? It foams up and might lift the mould right off.I remember years ago a guy who used to clean coffee Machines(hotel) after I asked him why he used acids to clean them and not bleach he said "acid removes stuff bleach bleaches but the stuff is still there". Mixing baking soda with vinegar makes a foam but might be messy.

[VocalNeal]

One can buy AC cleaning foam in Tesco Lotus/Big C etc. 

 

I use a small pump up spray thingy that fits onto a  std water bottle.

I put some washing up liquid and spray it in when the AC is running. In three separate goes , one per section. One could add Dettol to the mix or Windex or... I was amazed at the difference.

 

One needs to affix and old towel to the AC to catch the drips or at very least have one under the unit.  

Edited November 1, 2017 by VocalNeal

[Sir Swagman]

Anything that will increase alkalinity will be effective in mould and algae control. Vinegar, as mentioned is good. I use a mix of baking soda and water to wipe down areas and mould rarely appears again. Handy stuff.

[dotpoom]

2 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

Try water and white vinegar first as it is somewhat more organic and also cheaper. I spray that into my air-con every week or so, not for the rotary fan but to avoid the build-up of algae in the condensation downpipe.

White vinegar cheaper than bleach in Thailand, imagine that, I was amazed at how cheap bleach was when I first bought a bottle here.

[DogNo1]

Actually, what is needed is what is called in Japan a disassembly clean.  You really can't get the blower fan clean unless it is taken out.  Spraying various solutions into the fan and bottom of the unit will get some of the mold and grime but not all of it.  I am attaching a text file with a link to a Japanese air conditioner cleaning site.  When you get to the site use the "Translate to English" option to read it.  I recently had my air conditioners cleaned here in Tokyo but they weren't disassembled so the bottoms and blower fans of the units are somewhat dirty.  To reduce the amount of mold spewed from the units, I spray the fan and bottom interior of the air conditioner with isopropyl alcohol.  I turn on the unit and leave the room for 30-45 minutes until the alcohol odor dissipates. 

 

I leave for Bangkok soon and when I return in May I will have the air conditioners disassembled and cleaned again by the outfit shown in the link.  They discuss the danger of mold very well on their page.  I suffer from a mold allergy but unbeknownst to me, my air conditioners were never cleaned properly hence my rooms were always filled with mold.  It took years for the allergy to get really bad and now I am suffering whenever I get close to mold or mildew.

I suggest that everyone consider getting a disassembly cleaning for their air conditioners.   I have found out that long mold exposure WILL produce a strong allergy.

house cleaning site.txt

[themerg]

"Disassemble to where you can see mold completely and use high pressure water. Make sure you have an escape route for the mold, and make sure you are not sending the mold deeper into the air conditioning unit. I am saying "AC unit" as also the air flow conduit from outside. Look at the outside fan unit and clean. Have the repairman come back. Either learn Thai or get an interpreter friend to ask all your questions to the repairmen, this should help with your and the repairman's "I don't understands." Also go to where you bought the AC preferably with your interpreter friend. and ask them, know how to explain your problem in Thai. Have your phone and Google Translate ready, be persistent but courteous and humorous.  Remember this--Thai is the language in this country, you are speaking the wrong language. Good luck.

Edited November 1, 2017 by themerg

[lagavulin1]

Guys. Help me understand. The "blower wheel" is the fan in the inside unit ?

 

I need to look into this because me and Mrs are suffering from what she terms as allergic reactions.

Vinegar is effective because it is a volatile acid so evaporates into the air spaces to destroy mould and spores. Similar for chlorine in bleach. No idea what these do to the blowers.

 

Cheers P.

[DogNo1]

The blower wheel is at the bottom of the unit behind the fins/slats where the air comes out.  You can use a flashlight to look inside the unit.  In my air con, mold and grime had accumulated for years.  Take a look at my previous post, open the text file and click on the URL link.  You will see a complete explanation of where the mold is and how it should be removed.

[pest]

bleach is very corrosive be carful your not damaging any metal bits or electrics

Vinegar has worked for me in the past with moldy shoes, bike seats and garden walls

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Sounds to me like you need a different kind of blow job.

[InMyShadow]

I think squirting vinegar and water into the nostrils before bed since that where the problem seems to be

No bleach though.. Not good

[DogNo1]

Isopropyl alcohol evaporates and leaves no residue unlike other liquids mentioned for killing mold.  Bleach is very corrosive and can damage surfaces.  

[KittenKong]

9 hours ago, realenglish1 said:

Actually I use pure  bleach and it works like a charm

 

It certainly does, but I find the smell very overpowering. Vinegar just sharpens my appetite.

 

Hydrogen peroxide, as mentioned, is a good idea also as it is not too noxious.

[KittenKong]

5 hours ago, lagavulin1 said:

Guys. Help me understand. The "blower wheel" is the fan in the inside unit ?

 

This is a picture of a rotary fan being cleaned with an old paintbrush:

 

 

 

This gives you an idea of where it actually is in the air-con unit:

 

 

The rotary fan sucks air through the heat exchanger fins and blows the cooled air out of the slots at the bottom of the air-con.

[jacko45k]

Sometimes these drum fans can be removed with an allen/hex key but it is a fiddly and awkward job.

Then you could give it a proper clean perhaps with Dettol to kill off mold, or even a mold spray (usually a weak chlorine solution). Risky job, you might not be able to get it back in and it could be off baIance. I actually went to the trouble of cleaning the blades using q-Tips in situ once, rotating it with my fingers.

If these blades get dirty quickly you might try replacing the filters with something a little finer, but don't over do it. I believe the ones that come with it are often more about efficiency.

If you do spray the drum fan stay clear of any electrics of course.

 

Check the drain is clear.

Edited November 1, 2017 by jacko45k

[lagavulin1]

Thanks Guys. 

Can I recommend wearing gloves and goggles also with H2O2. 

It reacts with fat and protein in the skin and leaves a white rash which stings but goes away. Nasty in the eyes though

[tryasimight]

I've lived in the tropics for fifty years...... Never cleaned an aconditioner apart from the filters.... Why do you northerners have so many problems? Allergies.... Reactions.... 

[tryasimight]

Just now, tryasimight said:

I've lived in the tropics for fifty years...... Never cleaned an aconditioner apart from the filters.... Why do you northerners have so many problems? Allergies.... Reactions.... Got me beat!! 

 

[KittenKong]

8 hours ago, tryasimight said:

I've lived in the tropics for fifty years...... Never cleaned an aconditioner apart from the filters....

 

I had air-con in Europe. There also it never needed cleaning, though I did only use it for a couple of months each year and not 24/7 like here.

 

But if I dont clean my air-con here properly every 3 or 4 months it quite simply clogs up with black crap and ceases to work. So there is no option. Why that happens here I dont know but my guess is that the humidity has something to do with it, and the amount of particles/dirt in the air (every morning I sweep up a layer of black powder on my balcony, and I live right by the sea), and I think that my model/brand may be particularly susceptible to the problem.

[DogNo1]

KittenKong:  I have several brands of air conditioners here in Japan and they all get gunked up.  Some are more trouble (and more expensive) to clean than others.

[SS1]

I had the units cleaned a month ago or so and when inspecting with a flashlight, the blower wheel and it's surroundings are pretty much full of mould again. I'm coughing while I sleep and when I wake up as a result. Last time the units were cleaned my gf told them to clean the blower wheel properly but if I understood correctly, they said it cannot be removed in this model (GREE AC units). I emailed GREE about removing the wheel and they just replied to me in broken English to only have their certified mechanic do it. 

 

I also had a look at my friends units who lives in the same condo since around 2 months and his were completely clean inside (he has never cleaned them since moving in). I'm thinking that could my units be defective with moisture building inside?