The 60-second flashlight test for your mini-split
You cannot see a dirty blower wheel from across the room. Shine your phone flashlight up into the vent, then tap the picture that looks like yours.
- 1Turn on your phone flashlight.
- 2Hold it just under the unit and shine it up into the slats at the bottom.
- 3Look at the long round fan behind them. Tap the picture that looks most like yours.
What do you see?
How many indoor units do you have?
Looking good
Your blower wheel looks clean.
- No cleaning needed right now. Keep washing the filter on a routine and look again next season.
- A clean wheel moves air the way it was built to, so heating and cooling should feel normal.
What to do: Wash the filter every 2 to 4 weeks in season and shine the light in again in the spring.
Not sure what you are seeing? Text us the photo and we will tell you straight. Text (781) 210-8400 or use the form below.
Keep an eye on it
Normal dust. Nothing to worry about yet.
- A light film is what a head that has been running for a season looks like. National-lab work on dirty coils finds typical efficiency losses of under 5 percent at this stage.
- It builds, though. Dust that gets past the filter keeps arriving all season, and a wet coil holds it.
What to do: Wash the filter now and look again in two or three months. If the head was last cleaned more than a year ago, a deep clean is reasonable.
Sources: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Filterbuy
Deep clean for $179 (1 head). Every head on the same visit.
Want a second opinion? Text us the photo. Text (781) 210-8400 or use the form below.
Book a clean
Time for a deep clean.
- This is the build-up a filter wash does not reach. The blower wheel sits behind the coil.
- Dark specks can be dust and residue, and they can be mold. You cannot tell by looking, and a wipe-and-run does not remove the source.
- EPA says the key to mold control is moisture control, and a coil that is wet every time the unit cools is where specks like this start.
What to do: Book a deep clean. The coil and blower wheel get washed with a bag kit, so the wall and floor stay dry.
Deep clean for $179 (1 head). Every head on the same visit.
Text us the photo and we will confirm it before you book. Text (781) 210-8400 or use the form below.
Book soon
Heavy build-up. This one needs a deep clean.
- Packed blades move less air. In one published test a 25 percent loss of airflow cut cooling capacity and efficiency by 12 percent.
- A musty smell when the unit starts is likely. It is the same damp dirt the smell comes from.
- EPA lists mold among common indoor asthma and allergy triggers. We are not saying yours is mold; we are saying this is the kind of surface worth getting clean.
What to do: Book a deep clean soon. Until then, a filter wash alone will not fix it.
Sources: Purdue University, U.S. EPA, U.S. EPA
Deep clean for $179 (1 head). Every head on the same visit.
Text us the photo and we will confirm what we would do. Text (781) 210-8400 or use the form below.
Check today
Water where there should be none. Check it today.
- A mini-split should not leak water in heat mode. Carrier lists a clogged drain line, a dirty air filter or a damaged drain pan as the usual causes.
- If it is running water, turn the unit off and put a towel down. Dirt-related causes are cleared by a deep clean. A damaged pan or a head that is not level needs a technician.
What to do: Turn it off if the drip is steady. Read the leak guide, then book a cleaning so the drain and coil are cleared.
Deep clean for $179 (1 head). Every head on the same visit.
Text us a photo or a short video of the drip. Text (781) 210-8400 or use the form below.
See the leak guide for the usual causes.
What you are looking at
A wall mini-split pulls room air in through a filter, across a coil, and pushes it out with a long cylindrical fan called the blower wheel. The filter is the part you wash. The coil and blower wheel sit behind it, and dust that gets past the filter ends up there.
That is why a clean filter does not always mean a clean unit. If the smell came back days after you washed the filter, the blower wheel is the likely reason. Filterbuy
How to read the result
Clean and a light film are normal. Dark specks, heavy caked-on build-up or water are signs to act on. We cannot tell mold from dust by looking at a photo, and neither can you, so we say what the picture is consistent with and what a deep clean does about it.
- Not sure what you are seeing? Send us the photo and we will tell you straight, whether or not you book.
- Smoke, sparks or a burning smell are not a cleaning problem. Turn the unit off and call a technician.
What it costs
$179 for the first head and $149 for each additional head, all on one visit.
| Indoor units | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 unit | $179 |
| 2 units | $328 |
| 3 units | $477 |
| 4 units | $626 |
| 5 units | $775 |
| 6 units | $924 |
The outdoor unit is not part of this service.
Questions people ask
Is it safe to shine a light inside?
Yes. The vent is open on purpose. Do not put fingers or tools in the slats. Just look.
My unit is a ceiling cassette or floor unit. Does the test work?
The idea is the same: light the fan you can see through the grille. Send us a photo and we will tell you what we see.
Does a light film mean I need a cleaning?
Not by itself. One published routine is a filter wash every 2 to 4 weeks in season and a professional clean every one to two years.
What does a mini-split deep clean cost?
$179 for the first head and $149 for each additional head, confirmed before the visit.