How To Clean A Lawn Mower Air Filter

Young gardeners often come to me and ask for tips on how to maintain a flourishing garden. 

Not to toot my horn, but they must have noticed the proper care I take of my lawn. While there's no secret to my success, I always stress on the importance of looking after gardening appliances. 

But even then, you might encounter issues. Last week, for example, I took out the lawnmower to give the garden a nice trim. However, it just wouldn't start, leaving me perplexed. I couldn't figure out what had gone wrong as all the parts seemed to be fine. 

A closer inspection revealed that it was the air filter that was the source of the issue. Dirt had gathered on the filters; yes, it was quite silly of me to ignore this routine job. 

There was another problem; I had never cleaned an air filter before. A quick internet search displayed all the essential steps, which I followed in a great deal, and my lawnmower has been working great ever since. 

How To Clean A Lawn Mower Air Filter

Steps To Follow

I've narrowed down the essential points into seven easy steps for better understanding. Without further ado, let's get started. 

1. Research On Your Model

Before you start cleaning the air filter, it's important to have knowledge regarding your lawnmower. This will give you an idea about the type of air filter in the machine because different models have varying requirements. 

Depending on the setup, the air filter cleaning procedure can be complicated or easy. To find out, conduct a quick web search like me, gathering all the relevant information. 

You can even call the company helpline number from whom you purchased the lawnmower. They will tell you about the cleaning agents that work best and those that aren't suitable. It would be best to note these down so that you don't have any issue the next time you clean the air filter. 

2. Turn Off The lawnmower

Although an obvious step, many people forget to turn off the lawnmower before cleaning, leading to accidents. You can never be too careful, so remember to disconnect it from the power source, after which it's safe to start working. 

Now, many people make the mistake of disconnecting the lawnmower and then removing the air filter immediately. Never do this as the machine has several moving parts that keep turning even after cutting the power. Once all the components have cooled down and are perfectly still, you can proceed with the remaining steps. 

3. Remove The Spark Plug Wire

I recommend this step for additional security and suggest people do the same. By removing the spark plug, there's no chance of the engine accidentally starting, ensuring that you can work with a free mind. 

To take out the spark plug, you'll have to clean around the plug area, preventing debris from filtering into the combustion chamber. Proceed to remove the spark plug with a spark plug socket and use a wire brush and spray-on cleaner for clearing impurities. 

For tough debris sticking to the surface, use a knife to scrape it off gently. When you're satisfied, keep the spark plug aside, and I'll tell you how to install it after cleaning the air filter. 

4. Having The Right Screws

While researching air filters, I was surprised by the variety of screws used by manufacturers. Most screws are compatible with a standard screwdriver, but there are exceptions. You need to look at the various components and buy the compatible hardware to remove and replace the engine cover. 

5. Taking Out The Filters

Firstly, you'll need to locate the air filter. While the position of the filter varies from one model to the next, it's usually present on the side of the engine. 

The filter comes with a plastic or metal cover, and you'll need the proper equipment to remove it. This will expose the air filters, giving an idea of what you're working with and the amount of dirt deposited on it. 

If it's a disposable paper filter, it won't take much time to get the job done. All you need to do is replace it with a new filter. Hence, it's essential to keep spare paper filters with you, found in most lawnmower stores.

6. Replacing The Filters

After cleaning the filter compartment, place the new filter as per the given instructions. Every filter has a unique orientation and won't work if you replace the filter upside down or the wrong way around. This is because lawn mower air filters allow one-way airflow, meaning the mechanism doesn't work in the opposite direction. 

Next, reattach the cover with screwdrivers. It would help if you kept all the screws and tiny components in a box nearby to prevent losing them. 

Make sure that all the parts fit tightly on the lawn mower, and proceed to the final step. 

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• HIGH-QUALITY MATERIAL：Air filter 593260 made of high-quality rubber and filter paper, with good air permeability and durability can effectively prevent fine particles from entering the carburetor and engine, providing reliability for the lawn mower, To maintain the best performance and extend the service life.
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7. Fire It Up!

All that remains is to fire up and the engine and check if the machine is working smoothly. To do so, take the spark plug and attach the electrodes back to the spark plug socket. Be patient as this is an intricate maneuver, and you need to ensure that the distance between the electrodes doesn't change. 

Don't over tighten but gently attach the spark plug lead to power the engine. Conduct a trial run around the garden, ensuring that your lawnmower is ready for daily use.

Final Words