Paid 500 in March for pro cleaning.  They didn't remove the wheel, as expected, but did a decent job.  I was planning on twice per year...I run 24/7 in BKK and only used 317 units in both February and June, so the inverter thing is for real, and gives you more reason to rarely turn it off, except for going out of town.  Looked up in there, and it was kind of nasty.  Was really interested in removing the wheel, but unlike the old hanging from ceiling units, it isn't that simple.  Watched YouTube..best thing I came up with..turn the power off with the flap wide open, and use a toothbrush to clean the wheel. Takes ten or 15 minutes.  Big airflow improvement.  Nothing against paying the techs, but it seems like that wheel needs to be cleaned every 6-8 weeks.  

 

Was considering a bleach solution, but the wheel is plastic..any suggestions on that?

link to the youtube please and thks..... been doing it with rug and a chop stick but it's a nightmare and always find a way to hurt my fingers and never a good job

https://youtu.be/H-lIWc_43nU

 

And I still cut my finger..lol, but ac is working so much better.  Once it gets clogged, auto fan won't work for Shiite...amazed I only used 317 kwh last month, but I guess the blower doesn't use a lot...but I don't think it is good to run on high if you run it 24/7.

 

 

Edited July 19, 20206 yr by moontang

Used to clean my old unit like that and its not bad as a stop gap measure but can't beat a proper clean if you can find a decent cleaning service. 

 

The fins on top are a lot bigger than a toothbrush can reach so another tip is to get some air con cleaning spray from Big C , Spray the foam over the fins and wait for it to dissolve then poor warm water ( from kettle ) slowly and gradually over the top of the fins to wash out the residual cleaning flow.

Might need to do this 2 or 3 times.

 

The drain hole in the bottom tray is pretty small and usually gets clogged up with mucas like crud , often causing the air con to drip water over the floor. Simplest way to unblock it is to blow as hard as you can down the end of the overflow pipe. ( clean the end and mask it first ). This will unblock the pipe but the crud will often spurt out the front of the air con so make sure to put a dust sheet over any furniture .

3 hours ago, moontang said:

https://youtu.be/H-lIWc_43nU

 

And I still cut my finger..lol, but ac is working so much better.  Once it gets clogged, auto fan won't work for Shiite...amazed I only used 317 kwh last month, but I guess the blower doesn't use a lot...but I don't think it is good to run on high if you run it 24/7.

 

 

thanks, I did try and again cut and bruise myself, too much trouble, will stick to the local guy 450 baht 1/2 hour cleaning

On 7/17/2020 at 4:39 PM, moontang said:

best thing I came up with..turn the power off with the flap wide open, and use a toothbrush to clean the wheel. Takes ten or 15 minutes.

I tried a couple of times with a toothbrush and in my opinion its a lot of hard work at awkward angles and still impossible to clean every nook and cranny...taking the blower wheel out and cleaning it in the bathroom is much easier,perfectly clean .... but,  big big but...  they can be a real pain in the "but"  to reinstall again  obviously some models make the removal/ re-install easy but some like my York one  it's horrid  to reinstall

Using a power washer cleans it extremely fast  but  presents other problems, keeping the water out of  places it shouldn't be and  protecting the wall and furniture form water damage  so takes much more time and effort setting up than actually cleaning the thing.

 

I also tried a garden chemical pump up sprayer  and toothbrush combo method which worked quite well but still took quite a while to get all the gunk out of the blower wheel + awkward angle while perched on a ladder.

Blower removal should be a criteria for buying.  I have a Carrier, and it doesn't look simple, and the Carrier authorized techs didn't remove it for cleaning.  I would like to try a good Shop-Vac, could get a really good one in the US for under 20 bucks, but haven't seen any that have impressed me here..more like 900+ for a potentially shiite one with a worthless warranty.

 

Removing the flap and plastic directional fins would make the toothbrush easier.

i  take  the  wheel  out  and  jet  wash  it,  dont  move  the  balance  weight  though

On 7/19/2020 at 4:00 PM, trucking said:

Used to clean my old unit like that and its not bad as a stop gap measure but can't beat a proper clean if you can find a decent cleaning service. 

 

The fins on top are a lot bigger than a toothbrush can reach so another tip is to get some air con cleaning spray from Big C , Spray the foam over the fins and wait for it to dissolve then poor warm water ( from kettle ) slowly and gradually over the top of the fins to wash out the residual cleaning flow.

Might need to do this 2 or 3 times.

 

The drain hole in the bottom tray is pretty small and usually gets clogged up with mucas like crud , often causing the air con to drip water over the floor. Simplest way to unblock it is to blow as hard as you can down the end of the overflow pipe. ( clean the end and mask it first ). This will unblock the pipe but the crud will often spurt out the front of the air con so make sure to put a dust sheet over any furniture .

I  get a hosepipe with a pointy  nozzle  and blast it from the inside to the outside and watch the  jelly  gunk come out the drain pipe outside to be sure its  clean, then I  pour  some bleach down the drain pipe  also

On 7/17/2020 at 4:39 PM, moontang said:

but it seems like that wheel needs to be cleaned every 6-8 weeks.  

Cleaned my wheel about twice in 5  years by removing  it and it was never  very dirty, the rest i do every 6months or so, the drip tray  will get  blocked by jelly where it drains out eventually making them drip internally, am  looking to change mine soon and saw Daikin do one with an easily removable tray for  cleaning, they dont make them easy in many to dismantle them and sometimes the plastic with age breaks as its gone brittle

https://shopee.co.th/Daikin-แอร์ติดผนัง-รุ่น-FTKQ12TV2S-ขนาด-12-300-BTU-เบอร์5-INVERTER-FTKQ12-i.53034485.5829189770?gclid=Cj0KCQjwnv71BRCOARIsAIkxW9GRlBZeX3ryldwEa61pj_-bRgIPx9O8AecAY6oBol9RVmc2Tp7y9JYaApszEALw_wcB

you  can  also  buy  these  for  cleaning 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/room-wall-mounted-air-conditioning-cleaning-bag-split-air-conditioner-washing-cover-waterproof-anti-dust-protector-for-1-p-15-p-i1168094836-s2754156360.html?exlaz=d_1:mm_150050845_51350205_2010350205::12:1523444113!59046242875!!!pla-297114411113!c!297114411113!2754156360!240922691&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvIT5BRCqARIsAAwwD-Spu_vXOeU1dN-zVxBe-OeXKs5meqJjCuMKbzSmSzsA5vf1NuTHm_UaAsFUEALw_wcB

13 minutes ago, bodga said:

you  can  also  buy  these  for  cleaning 

 

Now that does look useful for those in to cleaning their own A/C, lazy git that I am I'm afraid I pay a man.

5 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

Now that does look useful for those in to cleaning their own A/C, lazy git that I am I'm afraid I pay a man.

Amazing if you actually found one man to come and do the job.  It seems like they always insist on coming in numbers.  Three people for cleaning.  It's a head scratcher.  

6 minutes ago, moontang said:

Amazing if you actually found one man to come and do the job.  It seems like they always insist on coming in numbers.  Three people for cleaning.  It's a head scratcher.  

 

Ah, he does have an assistant, his son I think, who carries the pressure washer and gas bottle if a re-charge is needed.

 

5 minutes ago, moontang said:

Amazing if you actually found one man to come and do the job.  It seems like they always insist on coming in numbers.  Three people for cleaning.  It's a head scratcher.  

 

Let me guess, they come in numbers as to save time, so each has their own task.

2 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

Ah, he does have an assistant, his son I think, who carries the pressure washer and gas bottle if a re-charge is needed.

 

That's reasonable, especially in the condos, where they can have parking issues and need to fetch tools, but not three or four.