# Forum Home Renovation Heating & Cooling  evaporative aircon, how to know when celdek pad stuffed?

## wozzzzza

ive got a bonaire evaporative ducted aircon about 8 years old, how do you know when the celdek pads are stuffed??  i have no idea if they have been changed before or not, been here 2 years.
if they are stuffed and you change them, would it make much difference to its cooling effeciency?

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## Bloss

> ive got a bonaire evaporative ducted aircon about 8 years old, how do you know when the celdek pads are stuffed??  i have no idea if they have been changed before or not, been here 2 years.
> if they are stuffed and you change them, would it make much difference to its cooling effeciency?

  After 8 years they might well need a good clean, but are probably still OK. They make a small difference to efficiency if they have been hosed and cleaned regularly, but if they are clogged that can be another story. Main thing is to the cleanliness of the air - and often the stale smell is from mould and dust etc in the filters. 
So probably 1st step is to take them out and clean as per the owner manual. If they have deteriorated at all then replace them otherwise a good clean and put them back. Most manufacturers recommend an annual clean at beginning of season before first use, more often if in an especially dusty region.  :2thumbsup:

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## wozzzzza

dont have a manual.  how do you go about cleaning these things?

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## Timmo

Slightly off topic, until recently there was an evap cooler here in Canberra that had a little gum tree growing out of it. 
Depending where these are located they can get some serious filth in them, obviously this can be a pretty serious health risk too.

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## Smurf

> Slightly off topic, until recently there was an evap cooler here in Canberra that had a little gum tree growing out of it.

  For that nice, fresh eucalyptus smell right through the house. They'll save a fortune on spray fragrances etc.  :Biggrin:  
Seriously, I only have experience with the portable type but I'd say that you certainly would need to clean a ducted one and doing it once a year would seem reasonable in normal circumstances.

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## China

you need to get on the roof remove the top of the unit, then give the pads a good hose out be careful as they can be fragile, while you are up there give the tank a good clean with dilutted bleach, also check that the water supply hoses are not blocked and are wetting the pads properly. if the pads won't come clean or they are breaking up replace them

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