A messy home maintenance video out of New York turned a routine HVAC service call into a strangely satisfying reminder: Hidden grime can build up inside ductless mini-splits, costing homeowners both comfort and efficiency.
The video shows a small cordless pressure washer stripping away years of buildup from four heavily soiled indoor units.
What happened?
Debris-covered filters and grime-caked blower wheels are the focus of the clip, posted by Mikey Pipes (@PipeDoctor). The video shows work on four Tosot wall-mounted mini-split units connected to two outdoor condensers.
The description states that the systems had not been cleaned in years, resulting in "dirt, grime, clogged filters, nasty blower wheels, and all the stuff homeowners don't see until the system starts smelling bad, performing poorly, or stops cooling like it should."
The same description mentions algae, while the footage centers on the cleanup.
Mikey washes gunk and grime off the units, and he wrote, "The star of the show [is] the Fanttik NB10 cordless pressure washer."
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Why does it matter?
When airflow is blocked by dust and grime, systems have to work harder to cool a room, which can lead to reduced performance, unpleasant odors, and higher energy use.
Keeping a unit clean can also reduce wear and tear, helping homeowners avoid larger repair bills.
The less electricity an air conditioning system wastes, the less pollution is tied to keeping a home comfortable.
Small maintenance habits, such as regularly cleaning filters, can reduce energy demand without requiring equipment upgrades.
What are people saying?
"Wash your filters every 30 days and don't wait four years to clean the blower wheel," Mikey wrote in the comments.
Someone else said, "This is exactly why we subcontract mini-split cleanings to a cleaning company."
"What's the name of the spray you used outside?" another person asked. "It definitely [made] a difference when you used it." Mikey replied that it was Spray Nine.
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