It can literally save your life in summer. But if you let the air conditioner run constantly, it will become less efficient thanks to buildup of grime and dust. And mold, which requires professional help to get rid of. Read on to find out what to do.
In a Tokyo apartment, the air conditioner (earcon is the Japanese pronunciation) isn’t a luxury — it is survival equipment. In summer, it lets you keep your body temperature below the outside air temperature. And in winter, it is often the only heat source in many Tokyo apartments.
The air conditioner works best when you treat it less like a magic box and more like a small machine that’s constantly inhaling dust, moisture, and whatever your household produces (cooking oils, pet hair, city pollen, the occasional mystery scent from last night’s yakiniku).
Most issues can be prevented, including “my A/C is weak / smells weird / is leaking”. With a bit of care for the filters and professional cleaning every year or so, you can keep it humming like clockwork.
First: when should you clean the air conditioner? And what should you do yourself?
Even though the air conditioner actually has two parts, it is unlikely that you ever have to touch the outside unit. Just make sure nothing obstructs the airflow. And do not move the unit.
The unit is made to stand outside in the rain, so you can clean it with soap and water as long as the water does not get inside from underneath. Do not use strong detergents, however.
The outdoor unit will not be the issue. It is the indoor fan unit that will cause problems.
Start by considering when you use the A/C unit. It works by drawing in air at the top, past the cooling (or heating) elements, and blowing out the air through the vents at the bottom. This means all air that goes through the unit is drawn through the filter on top. You can easily remove those and remove the dust and grime that has collected there. The most effective way is simply to wash them in the sink or shower with tepid water (remove the lint first).
The maintenance starts with cleaning the filters of the indoor unit. As mentioned, this is easy (you may have to stand on a chair), and most manufacturers recommend that you clean the filters about once every two weeks.
This matters because blocked filters reduce airflow and efficiency, can worsen odors, and may push the system harder than it needs to, raising electricity costs. Dirty filters are directly linked to reduced efficiency and extra energy use.
How to do it on a typical wall-mounted unit:
It is easy to think your air conditioner takes care of itself if it has an ”auto filter cleaning” setting. The Hitachi air conditioner that freezes the heat exchange unit may sound like it cleans itself in the manufacturer’s materials, but you still have to clean the filters.
If the unit has a drying setting, run it to minimize mold. But this does not remove any mold that has already grown. That is where you need professional cleaning.
When you clean your A/C, do not use spray cleaners. Best case, they do nothing; worst case, they may make the dirt come loose inside and run down the wall below the unit.
Never try to take the unit apart yourself. You risk ending up with something you can not put back together, and no cleaner for your trouble.
Never try to take the unit apart yourself. You risk ending up with something you can not put back together, and no cleaner for your trouble.
And that is where you need a professional to clean it. There is no lack of help in this regard in Tokyo, but the time is right to minimize the wait time (and the price).
Before the heavy use season (late spring through early summer, and early autumn before heating season) is the smart time for deep cleaning. Daikin, one of the big manufacturers, explicitly notes that spring to early summer and early autumn to late autumn tend to be “off-season” for cleaning demand, and some providers may be cheaper then.
Conversely, do only light DIY maintenance during peak season (mid-summer / mid-winter). Unless, of course, something is wrong. Booking professionals at that time to do the service becomes harder, and delays get longer.
In Tokyo, A/C cleaning is a major service industry. The standard professional method for wall-mounted units is partial disassembly + protective “bagging” + high-pressure washing of internal parts (especially the heat exchanger).
When the season comes, you will find advertisements for air conditioning cleaning almost anywhere. The big electronics stores and cleaning firms are usually the easiest to book, but this varies as the prices vary by region, unit type, access difficulty, and season. The broad pattern is consistent:
The cleaning usually takes one to two hours, and starts with the cleaning person covering the unit in plastic to avoid any dirt getting out.
Remember the Tokyo tenant survival rule:
If it’s landlord-provided, don’t book repairs or internal disassembly without permission. Report the symptom (smell/leak/weak cooling), ask whether they prefer their vendor, and keep a written record. If you are lucky enough to own a condominium or rent a house, the air conditioner is part of what you have to bring.
Two realities can exist at the same time:
Simply stick with the maintenance plan (after checking with the landlord):
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