The problem is that modern window/wall AC manufacturers are using styrofoam evaporator chambers instead of evaporator chambers made of galvanized steel, aluminum or even plastic which were used on older units. Mold loves styrofoam, which is a stupid, boneheaded move that could have been easily avoided, but hardly any consumer commodity is truly engineered anymore these days. The bean counters are the engineers.

I kept smelling mildew in my room where the ac is, finally shined a flashlight in and that’s pretty much what I saw. Very thorough video. Thank you much as now I have the confidence to take mine apart. Man I love UKposts

From a hvac tech from Phoenix. Dam good job taking it apart and cleaning it and improving air quality without the mold

This was the exact window unit I was looking to clean, so this was beyond helpful for me

Great video! My daughter wanted to trash the units (5) because of the mold but you saved the day and a lot of money. Thanks Joe

Never thought about cleaning my a/c this intently, but looks like I have a big project ahead of me. Thanks for the video.

My a/c had mold the year before. So remember that if you get mold in the a/c, you may need to clean it once a year because my mold came back the following year. So now I will do it every spring before the season starts. NOTE: I cleaned my a/c in the bathtub by putting down garbage bags to protect the porcelain. Headaches caused by the mold are lessoning. I'm washing my walls in my space and washing everything to get rid of mold spores. Thank you for this video!

Same exact model. Video helped me complete this very easily. Thing is smelling and running like brand new. Thanks 👍

At 1:42 you see why AC is the no. 1 reason for cronic respiration infections, if not properly maintained and cleaned. And don't expect hotels and other public places to do this mandatory maintenance as required.

Best DIY video ever! I've used this information twice for my 18,000 BTU behemoth and my 6,000 BTU unit. I've saved untold amounts of money on repairs or replacement and saved space in my local landfill. Win/win!

As a hotel handiman I used a fin comb to straighten and clean between fins. There was also a special spray cleaner but it was pretty harsh. I'm rather upset the manufacturers did all they could to keep us from easily cleaning these but they need to sell as many units as possible so it's really up to us to learn what you're teaching and nudge them towards what we want by not considering these things disposable. Peace.

I just want to come here and say I was hesitant at first if this would work but I did it, and my air conditioner is like NEW! blasts out 60f ice cold air and this just saved me $600 vs buying a new one. Thank you!!

Your video on how to clean a window unit air conditioner was very helpful. Pretty simple and elementary. But sometimes, some of us need to go back to the elementary things to get things accomplished. Thanks. - A.J.

Honestly I've taken apart a ton of things in my life (cars, motorcycles, electrical outlets, fixtures, small aerospace units, computers, electronics, etc.) And by far the most annoying thing I've ever had to take apart was a window AC unit. These things are built with zero user friendliness in mind and cleaning them is a huge pain in the rear. You would think a drip pan should be the easiest accessible item? Nope. You have to take apart the whole unit from the outside until you get to the interior, and even then, you're going to need to take apart the interior to get to the pan. I have no idea how an engineer has not thought this through more clearly

Thanks to your video I was able to clean up my ac in less than an hour and saved myself a few hundred bucks on a new one. I have the same one brand and you made it look easy. Bless you!

This is part of my Fall maintenance schedule. You do this when you do not need the A/C to keep cool. I set my Window A/C on the bench, take it apart, clean and straighten the fins on the heat excanger, all internal ductwork, filters (mine has two), all fans (both squirrel cage and bladed fans). I use a cleaner that all HVAC technicians use that dissolves and decontaminates all non electrical internal parts. I also use the fine machine oil to lube up all bearings or bushings (a little bit goes a long way, so do not flood the rotating parts. Cleaning the leading edges of bladed fans is a must, or your work is incomplete, squirrel caged fans must be cleaned, too with an old toothbrush and your spray bottle with 1/2 oz of soap and one oz of bleach to 16 oz of warm water. And, a fine toothed fin comb is a must whether the fins are dented, or just slightly bent (this helps in the cleaning of the exchanger). Clean the thermocouple carefully with the toothbrush lightly moistened with your soap/bleach mixture. This part senses the incoming air temperature and partly controls how long your unit runs. Let the unit dry completely over several days in your shop or covered back porch, then reassemble (take many pictures with your phone so you can see where everything goes back in case you forget). Then reassemble and restore your unit back in the window/ wall where it came from. If it is a heavy unit like mine, ask someone to help you reinstall it in that space. COVER your outside part of the A/C unit with saran wrap, foil, or plastic so dirt and moisture will not ruin your hard work - remember to remove this cover before the cooling Summer season starts! When you do this after the Summer cooling Season ends, you can take your time and do a GOOD job! My A/C unit is 25 years old, and apart from adding R-22 to it once three years ago, it has run like a champ cooling my 1017 square foot house all by itself. I learned this all from a friend that works on HVAC systems, watched him do it once, did it myself the rest of the time. Someday, it will die, but take the measurements with you and get the best replacement you can afford - it is worth the trouble and expense.

I had no Idea it was safe to really get in there, let alone hose it down. Thank you!

This was so helpful!! We couldn't figure out why the AC drained indoors....we did everything average person can do. So we had to look at what was clogging up our drainage....yes, we took apart and low and behold! Leaves, dirt, pollen, yuckies! Thank you for showing us that we could clean our unit and still keep a good unit after one year. we will screen the intake and cover during the winter. Thx!!

I followed this video and got my AC unit super clean. For those videos that recommend NOT taking the unit out, I think it's downright dangerous. When I took my unit apart, the interior Styrofoam, blower wheel, and even bottom of the unit were filled with black mold/green mold/mildew/sludge. I spent two hours scrubbing and washing the thing before I didn't want to puke anymore when I looked at it. If you can't take it out, I get it, but if you can, DO SO because at best cleaning it from the outside removes fifty percent of the nasty stuff inside.

It's amazing how people don't take care of things today. The units built today are all plastic and strofoam and have a big tendency to get like this. When they made ac units out of all metal, you never had this issue. Ac units are made cheaply today as you can see. You need to keep your air filter clean and vacuum the front coils when you clean the filter which should be done one a month. I have some old ac units that are clean and run great and would never get like this unit. Good video, I hope it helps to educate the public on taking care of their appliance.

Frost King has a coil cleaner out there. And it works GREAT. I spray down each of my units with it once a month. You won't believe how much cooler the air is. Oh yeah and there's zero scrubbing involved. It lifts the dust right off.

I didn't know you could take an ac part like this and clean it like this. I'm not mechanically gifted, so I replaced mine this year-but for those who are this is an awesome video.

I need to thank you BIG TIME! This video helped me cool off the office/dog bathroom on a hot season. May The LORD bless you richly.

lowes sells a product called coil cleaner that is amazing and safe for the evaporator and condenser coils, its an aerosol can and foams really good to creep deep into the coils to clean them.

You can prevent all that mold in the first place by simply drilling a hole to let that condensate water drain from the unit. You will take a small hit on efficiency, but you will not ever have to deal with a moldy unit, OR do a really deep clean like this. It's the standing water in these units that causes all the problems. Using a step drill bit is recommended so as not to puncture the condenser and let all the refrigerant out. This is another example of energy efficiency standards causing more harm than good, with all these clogged up units that get sent to the dump every year. Do yourself a favor after you get your unit all cleaned up, and drill a hole in the case to let that water drain out!

So helpful! While helping my daughter move into another apartment and installing a window unit she'd been using a while, I noticed the moldy mess that you show. I was able to clean up the front, but I'll remove the unit at the end of the summer and finish the job as you demonstrated. The recirculation fan is a mess and the styrofoam chamber looks just like yours did. Cleaning is such a big part of keeping most things working well. Your video gives a lot of people the know-how to get through it with an AC unit. Thank you.

Wow, I have a window unit I bought in 2004. I usually wire brush the coils gently, but I am prepared to get to the 16 years of filth on the inside. It certianly cannot be healthy breathing in some of the spores being blown out of the unit! Thank you for the video. Very informative and helpful!

Good reminder for everyone to check their a/c for mold. I'd add 2 things: try to keep the GFCI plug dry- if you leave it on the ground in the water it can permanently damage it, and they are expensive to replace. Second, run the a/c for 30 minutes or so after cleaning, in order to evaporate water that might have gotten in the bearings. I've cleaned a/c units without running them immediately afterward and several times a bearing apparently got water in it, making it very noisy, and replacement of fan motor bearings is a hassle that is best avoided if you don't have to do it.

My daughter just got the same model as your own. Your video was the most complete tutorial I have watched. Going back at it tomorrow.

Bleach can be harsh on the fins and copper tubing that runs through them. Best bet is to use a coil cleaner or just water/mild soap. I prefer non-acidic as the acid can eat through the coils if not rinsed thoroughly. Also, good practice to cover the electronic box with a plastic bag. Can also remove the boards from the facings on just about any model/style ac.

I live in Tx i clean mine every 6 months keeps it running awesome , the key is clean it !!! Don’t wait years

A quick Google search says use vinegar OR (DO NOT MIX) peroxide to kill mold. So I would use a disinfectant liquid, dish soap, and water in a spray bottle to soak everything first. Then rinse off with a garden hose. Then I would use pure vinegar on all the parts to kill mold and disinfect the cleaned unit. Or at least in the moldy areas after the initial cleaning.

Great video as far as how to disassemble the A/C but please note that bleach does not kill mold and for some people bleach can cause allergic or hypersensitivity reactions. To abate mold one must use a product that is designed specifically for mold (like Concrobium)--it's non-toxic and actually kills the mold spores. Also, as a general rule if the mold is at or more than a third of the interior it's best to replace the unit altogether, then work to keep the new unit free from mold by cleaning as you describe here. Good video, thanks for taking the time to make and post it.

This answered all my questions! I cleaned it without a hitch and am so very grateful! Thank you!!

(see my other comment) The foam part is where the air blows into the house and the mold will return if you haven't killed and removed all of it. You should soak it with vinegar or peroxide periodically to make sure the roots are all eliminated.

Great video, just cleaned two window units after watching your videos. Thanks clear and simple instructions

Nice to see that the foam can be removed easily. Even the bottom piece might slide out.. I'll have to try this on mine, if I can figure out how to get it down the stairs and out to the driveway without dropping it, falling down the stairs, or breaking my back. Actually, I think I'll just remove the foam and bleach it outdoors. My coils are pretty clean since I vacuum the indoor one several times a year. (Furniture nozzle and stiff brush works well for this.)

Thanks for posting this. Watching it gave me the confidence to follow suit and pull mine apart and do the same. Followed your procedure and it came out great.

I use L.A.'s Totally Awesome to clean almost everything. I just sprayed my window units filters yesterday, and they were pretty dirty. The Totally Awesome cleaner literally melts gunk and goo off of stuff. Use in a well ventilated space though. It is pretty intense, but works great. You can get it at the dollar stores, and pretty cheap too.

Excellent video. I had one that was impossible to remove the top half of the foam without removing the electronics (older model), so I ended up just slicing the top off to access the fan wheel, then my best friend velcro tape came to visit. Did that yearly for the life of the unit (about seven years). I'd tip it sideways and spray right in. The fin sludge dust does not vacuum off. Too sticky. I use a fin tool, but just a light touch with tweezers will also start it peeling. I'm impressed that your case had no stripped screws. I swear there's one on every unit just to make my life annoying. The thermostat clip pops right off those front fins. Easier to work without it in the way. Take the directional grills out each year. Heck, bleach them monthly. They are so easy to pull out. They need a good scrub to get all the black off. Just did it today. My house is 81F inside and the only thing standing between me and sweet relief was the annual maintenance. A/C was new last year, so I'm not taking it apart as it's not so bad inside to make it worthwhile. The grill/spinny bits needed cleaning, though. I really wish there was an easier way to keep the evaporation chamber clean. Manufacturers made them quieter with the styrofoam, but it makes them harder to clean (and dirtier). It's very humid where I live in the summer, so it's just a mildew factory. For some folks, it's just wet dust, but wet dust doesn't smile like rancid socks. Mildew does. We've also had some luck running a small HEPA filtration unit near the window a/c unit. It reduces dust going in and captures some of the stuff coming out.

I was given an ac unit that is disgusting! After watching this I think The one I already have could use a cleaning. But the one I was just given I think is beyond help. This video helped me realize what to look for when getting used ones in the future. Now I have to give the nasty one back without hurting the persons feelings. Thank you for showing me it is possible to clean these things. I imagine they last longer if they are cleaned as well

I now know how to take apart and fully clean my air conditioner thanks to this video. I broke the knobs though lol. Now I can clean it every year and not have so many allergy issues. Thanks.

Excellent video, thanks very much! I've had a window unit for the past 2 seasons and it didn't occur to me it should be cleaned (duh). My son was complaining of a mold smell...we took it out of his window today and OMG...I'm tempted to throw it out it's sooooo gross! Love that you mentioned the fin comb, had no idea these were a "thing". Thanks again :)

EVERY household needs YOU! Yes, do an install video! Do everything videos!! TY for sharing your good ideas!

Thank you for your video, I did it and it worked great!!!!!! I used Dollar Store mold and mildew remover and it really cleaned the grate fins. I covered the electric panel with a plastic shopping bag and sprayed the whole unit. My air conditioner works and looks like new!!! My pets thank you too!!!!! God Bless you for taking the time to make and post this video! Peace

Excellent video. I had a different AC make and model, but the procedure was similar. Following this guide eliminated the weird odor that was starting to come from the unit, and it seems to run more efficiently now. There was so much hidden dirt and mold--absolutely disgusting. I also appreciated your points that it is natively wet and that you could get it running shortly after cleaning. This helped reduce my anxiety when turning it back on.

So timely! Learned a ton and just cleaned out an old AC unit thanks to you and Becky's Homestead. Cheers!

Great stuff! Gotta love that blowing away the grime thing, I agree, so satifying. Tyfs

Great simple way to get rid of mold. Thanks, Mike.

Thank you so much. My Kenmore AC looked just like yours and needed a good cleaning. Thank you for your video.

Simple trick from a pro. Outside coil ( condenser ) spray from the outside. Interior coil ( evaporator ) spray from inside. It will allow the cleaning agent to clean the entire coil between the fins.

I have the exact same one, and I left it in the window without covering it for 2 yrs. My other unit i pull out every year (it’s much lighter )and its 18 yrs old n has minimal mold. I looked it up and the reason they get moldy is by not covering or removing after summer. 🙂 The site that I got info from says the blk mold could circulate thru house n cause health issues 😮‍💨🤕 so I wouldnt use it til i cleaned it, so Im so glad you posted this! 🙏🏻👍

Ive used a toothbrush to straighten the bent fins. Just start at a straight point abd guide the toothbrush down slowly straightening the fins. They are very soft metal.

I have several Frigidaire units and every couple years I tear them completely down for a thorough cleaning. Once I have everything apart I'm left with just the compressor, the two cores and the lines attaching them. As long as you're careful you can remove them from the pan to give it a good cleaning too. These things are built surprisingly simple once you know the pieces involved.

I got an old GM Frigidaire A/C unit in my room. I took the front panel off and used lysol on the air duct, but it still needs a deep clean. It's not mine though. Thanks for the video. Keep up the good work! 👍

Bleach doesn't kill mold at it's roots. However vinegar or peroxide does. Just a tip for future reference. And they're non toxic, so you could actually spray them into the unit periodically to prevent mold from returning.

Great video. Didn't realize you could just go ham with spraying the hose as long as you don't hit the electronics in the silver box. So I took mine apart this morning (same model as you) and used my hose to spray everywhere. Again, I had no idea that it was ok if everything got wet (except for the electronics, of course). Thanks!

I just installed a used window unit yesterday. Suddenly have very bad allergies. Your video saved my life.

Thank you so much! Our hvac is on the fritz in north Carolina in july! We borrowed an AC for the window but it's moldy. 😮 this is going to be a lifesaver. Blessed be

Thank you for this video. I’m always nervous that I’m going to ruin mine, but I’m confident that I can deep clean it now!

Great video! I always use a hose to clean out all the dirt though; makes it much easier. Obviously don't want to damage the electronic components as you said.

Excellent demo and instruction! Thank you!

I am glad I came across your video. I am painting my home interior & widow frames. I had to take out my window air conditioner unit to paint the window frame. I thought this would be a great time to really clean out the unit while it's out.

I can tell you by experience that washing down an AC with water is a very bad idea as the shaft bearings will rust and will need replacement, which is not all that easy. Of course one could just live with the screeching until it finally comes to a halt but by then replacing bearings may not still be an option. I've found it's better to vacuum the fins while agitating the debris and blowing out whatever remains with an air hose. For those hellbent on hosing off the AC, I'd suggest coating the shaft with petroleum jelly or some other thick substance to prevent water from entering the shaft bearings. Since moisture is a big part of how an AC works, sealing the bearings with Vaseline might be good preventative maintenance. I have an old AC I bought new from Sears in the late 80's (after winning a check pool) and it doesn't even have bearings. The shaft is lubricated by an oil impregnated fibrous material that I merely had to refill to stop the screeching. Well if lasted over 30 years...until I decided to wash it.

Thank you so much for making this video! Great job 😊

All that mold and filth, it's no wonder why a lot of people develop coughs when fire up the AC'S every year. I just cleaned my 10,000 BTU after 2 years of owning it - you HAVE to remove the back plastic shroud or you'll never get the gunk out that's blocking the exhaust radiator from directly in front of the fan. Not only that, but the shroud itself holds an incredible amount of debris. There's no way around it, and if your going through all the trouble to dismantle it & give it a thorough cleaning, you may as well do it right. I used a straw (pipe) cleaner going up & down in the direction of the fins with soapy water and blasted it for hours and got it as clean as possible. works great now. The vents are pressure fit on BTW, just push them out from the back at the sides - they pop back in way easier than they come out. Good video by the way.

I had to do this last year and will have to do this again this year. I like to use a soft tooth brush to gently help clean the fins. Works pretty good.

Thank you so much for this video my ac was getting hot in the back and blowing breaker after taking apart I realized why I went 1 step faster and removed screws to the back vent behind fan so I can get it totally super clean that's why it was over heating it had super thick dust in the back I was shocked my front not bad it was the back one. Was gonna trash it till I seen this video so thank you so much.

I also have a Frigidaire. I usually take the filter out and clean the evaporator coils with coil cleaner and an old tooth brush. I spray water on the outside to clean the condenser. There's some mold on the inside like yours but I don't think it's much of a problem. The unit works fine. I'll probably just spray some mold and mildew cleaner through the vents and call it good.

Your air conditioner looks exactly like mine. Same brand and everything. And I was thinking about cleaning it, I'm glad I found your video that's showing the same(or similar) model.

I recently noticed gnats coming out of the unit when it's powered on. As an FYI, I live in San Antonio TX where it's 90+ degrees most of the year. It's my first time watching your video so I'll attempt cleaning it and hope to hear back from you soon! Thanks.

Mega satisfying video! Great job, thank you

I had an older unit I wasn't using and left it in the garage for a few years. Well, I need it this year with a new house. It smelled so bad when I plugged it in. Sure enough, mold. Nowhere near as bad as the one you did. I'm taking it out tomorrow and gonna clean it the way you did. Fingers crossed. 👊

I have this same unit in my apartment. I appreciate this video because now I see it is not something I will be able handle from just inside the apartment, I'll need to replace the unit. I was hoping for a way to clean it out while it's still in the window but I knew it was a long shot.

I wasn't sure where to start when it comes to cleaning a window unit until I watched your video! Thank you for posting! Quick tip I learned flipping houses - use white vinegar with a small amount of hydrogen peroxide for porous parts containing mold. The combo bubbles below the surface and kills the roots of the mold. Only use it outdoors though - the combination creates a toxic fume! Thanks again for posting the video!

I just learned bleach can make mold react and go into hyperdrive. Vinegar and a comment below from a professional says hydrogen peroxide. I don't know what strength. Cover electric board with upside-down Ziploc too. Thanks.

Spray primer inside styrofoam...let dry completely..will never mold again! Ac guy told me this..I did it..used regular Grey metal primer..zero mold for almost 4 yrs now!

yep. in a terrible heatwave here in cali. had mine set at 82 and my room was 91. 930 at night. took my ac's face plate off and discovered some mold and a ton of cat hair and gross dust. vacuumed most of it off and its finally cooling properly. gonna bleach clean it tomorrow. my cats have been acting like they have an upper respiratory illness and ive developed the same symptoms. my cats outside my room who interact with me and the cats in here dont have those symptoms. theres a much nicer ac out there than in here. so i realized that was the common denominator since all my cats are vaccinated against the most common illnesses. feels nice in here at 83 finally. thanks for the vid. ive fixed these a ton of times but i still love watching the how to vids. :)

Hey there! I didn't know that you could clean an air conditioner like that. I have one similar to that one and I thought I was doing something by washing the filter lol. I would be afraid of messing up the wires and putting it back together property. GOOD JOB!

I do similar yearly to my window units at the end of every summer. Only thing I do a bit different is I go to Walmart and buy a can of foaming AC condenser cleaner for the final cleaning.

Thank you so much for making and sharing the video. You are the best man!

This video is amazing! simple and to the point! Thank you!

I'd trash the AC and buy a new one. I'm a DIYer and love repairing everything, but am too much of a neat-freak to be comfortable with an AC as dirty as that one.

I didn't even know that a "fin comb" even existed. Thanks for that!

Great challenge - very thorough & resourceful - excellent video ~ thank you ~

I am back again for the 3rd year in a row, making sure im not messing anything up. Very helpful:)

Thanks! I have the exact same A/C so this helped me. Thanks for specifying that it's not going to be perfect, that helped my wife understand. :)

There’s no way I’m putting mine back in the windows without doing this first. I could see a small amount of mold spores in the front vent...I can imagine what it looks like inside 😱. I wanted to do this last year but, had no idea how involved it was to get it all apart. Thank you for sharing! 👍🏻 BTW...this video alone is subscribe worthy but, after looking at your channel...I’m all in! Subscribed! 👍🏻👍🏻

Thanks for the vid. Im guna attempt this now l. Little tip.. use a detailers brush to get in the tight spots..real time saver and effective!

Thanks. You saved me and others money cause I was just going to drop mine in the recycling bin. I subscribed.

I'm happy to have found this video. I have an identical window unit and have the same problem. I was worried about the mold on the styrofoam but I will probably initially kill it with bleach and then maybe use peroxide and vinegar on it. Styrofoam that's located under the fan, I know you did not take that out. The question I have is should you be worried about mold underneath that styrofoam? I know it's extra work and I could probably take it out if I wanted to and clean it but I just wanted to know your thoughts. Great video thank you so happy to have found this! I was worried that I was going to purchase a new one. 👍

Thank u so much!!! I was looking for a video to clean the ac . My ac has mold and it’s disgusting! We were gonna throw it away and I was thinking I could clean it

I really want to thank you for taking time to post this. You just saved me $300+ dollars. I hope you get filthy rich! :-)

I am pleased with this air conditioner. It’s extremely quiet compared to the smaller unit we were using. Would buy again if we have no issues in the near future.

I needed to watch this, mine is so dirty thank you

Hey "The Fixer ", I have the exact ac unit. I have cleaned it before and disconnected the pin connection each time with no issues. I always cover the ends with plastic. This time I also used coil cleaner and a light spray of the hose on the outside. Now, when I plug it back in to the outlet, the electronic board lights up for approximately 2 seconds and then goes off. Would this possibly be because there is still dampness in the back? If so, how long do you think it would take to completely dry?

Thx for confirming methods. Headed back out in the 94* Florida Spring sun to finish and dry before nightfall.

I actually have this model so this video was extra helpful. Thanks for the tips.

vintage units from the 80s and before were made so much better, instead of styrofoam they used metal with fiberglass so mold did not grow as easy, not to mention alot of them had service ports to ad refrigerant should you have a leak and the motor had oil ports so you could oil the bearings.

Drainage is always poor very poor. You should have drilled about 4 holes about four or five inches apart in front maybe 3/8 holes for drainage an air circulation it will prevent the fins from rusting out. Also should have sprayed it laying on its side so as you spray all the dirt falls out