[HomeGirl]

This may seem like a silly question, but I have an AC unit that has been in storage a while. With the unseasonably warm weather I decided to bring it out early.

It seems no matter how hard I try; the darned thing gets its (aluminum?) 'vents' bent. You know, the waffling in the outdoor part of the machine? Is that a problem, or is it just aggravating? I've tried to straighten them out with a butter knife...*blush* Should I bother?

Also, though I kept it dry and up off the floor while in storage, it still smells musty. Suggestions?

Thanks!

HG

[10cents]

It seems no matter how hard I try; the darned thing gets its (aluminum?) 'vents' bent. You know, the waffling in the outdoor part of the machine? Is that a problem, or is it just aggravating?

lol I hate the look of bent "waffling" too but there's not much we can do about it, except maybe if we replace the whole thing. Just make sure those aluminum sheets do not get warped or bent enough to impede the flow of air.

Also, though I kept it dry and up off the floor while in storage, it still smells musty. Suggestions?

A thorough cleaning with a mild detergent might be in order to get rid of that smell. Wash everything that can be washed and be careful with the motor and electrical parts.

Hope this helped.

[HomeGirl]

Thanks for your reply, 10cents.

Oi. I fear that my aluminum could be waffled to the point of no hope. How does one replace that vent? I'll admit it - I'm intimidated!!

About the cleaning of the thing, too...do you think a little clorox in the solution would hurt anything?

HG

[10cents]

Hi!

Those aluminum vents are part of a unit called the evaporator and they are usually fused to the copper tubing. Sorry if this is getting technical. But the thing is, it might need more than a cursory knowledge of AC to replace the whole shebang. I've seen units that are 10-15 years with the aluminum vents mangled beyond hope of repair that are still running. The main idea seems to be to keep air flowing through those vents and tubes.

On clorox, it is corrosive and that fact is stated on the product label. I've never used it in cleaning electrical appliances. A mild soap or detergent solution usually works fine with me.

[sinamin]

I know what you mean about that musty smell. Before we got the central air, we had 2 window A/Cs. It used to drive me nuts everytime my husband brought them upstairs to mount in the windows. They stunk. There were cobwebs all over which of course, I wiped off but for the first few days of working, the dust and smell bugged me. It made me feel like the house wasn't clean - LOL

[HomeGirl]

Thank you for your wisdom, 10cents. I appreciate it. I guess I've been conditioned on clorox...I try to use it for everything that I don't need to eat out of, you know? I will keep it away from my appliances from now on.

sinamin: OMGosh. This is off topic...but years ago as a new renter, I accepted a gift of a working a/c that had been stored in someone's barn for a long time. It looked beautiful; not a scratch on it - then I plugged it in.

Some male cat had been very fond of it. *bleaahh!!*

That was my first trip to the local recycling center.

[wingnut]

Originally Posted by 10cents

On clorox, it is corrosive and that fact is stated on the product label. I've never used it in cleaning electrical appliances. A mild soap or detergent solution usually works fine with me.

Thanks for that heads-up on clorox dude. It's a favorite for cleaning-up the countertops around here. It's supposed to have some germicidal effects but I never did thought it could be bad for metal. It seems so harmless on shirts.

Besides, I think it's molds that are causing those smell on ACs, like the ones that grows on damp stale bread. Maybe opening up the unit and exposing the innards to sun can also help.

[10cents]

Originally Posted by HomeGirl

Thank you for your wisdom, 10cents. I appreciate it. I guess I've been conditioned on clorox...I try to use it for everything that I don't need to eat out of, you know? I will keep it away from my appliances from now on.

You're welcome. I need to modify my statement about washing that AC though. I conferred with my brother-in-law who is an AC technician about it. He said that to be really safe, wipe the thing with a damp cloth only, not wash, and make sure everything is totally dry when plugging it in.

[moonmagick]

That is a great suggestion about wiping it down with the wipes, and of course waiting until its dry to start it up. I do believe I will try that this year.

[ACCER]

They now make anti-bacterial baby wipes.....that might help as well. I figure if it's safe for a babys delicate parts it should be safe for metal.