How to Clean a Lawn Mower Air Filter
Kelly Burke is a professional turf manager who is accredited in organic land care and a licensed pesticide applicator.
Having a properly functioning air filter is a gas-powered lawn mower’s first line of defense against the dirt and debris that is kicked up during the mowing process. When the air filter is in good condition and working properly, it prevents dirt from entering the engine through the carburetor. But if the air filter is worn out, dirt and other debris can make their way into the engine, leading to potential start-up problems and a shorter engine life.
How Often to Clean a Lawn Mower Air Filter
Cleaning or replacing the air filter is simple lawn mower maintenance that will improve performance and extend the life of your mower. Clean the foam pre-cleaner every 25 operating hours. Replace the paper air filter once per season or after 300 hours of operation. In dusty conditions, more frequent cleaning and replacement may be necessary.
Tip
Look for an air filter that fits your model mower, and always check the owner’s manual to see what’s recommended. There are three types of air filters on the market: a foam air filter requiring oiling to coat the foam; a paper filter that looks like accordion folds in a plastic casing; and a hybrid, or dual-element, filter that includes both a foam element (called a pre-filter or pre-cleaner) and a paper element as the main filter.
What You’ll Need
Materials
Warning
Disconnect the Spark Plug
Disconnect the spark plug wire before removing the cover to the air filter.
Remove the Shroud to the Air Filter
Remove the screws or undo the clips that secure the lawn mower’s protective shroud (covering) over the air filter. A lawn mower‘s air filter is usually located near the top of the engine and is encased within a metal or plastic shroud that is usually secured by a screw or with snap fittings.
Remove the Air Filter
Remove the air filter, and inspect it. For a paper filter, gently tap it on a flat surface to remove any loose dirt. Examine the filter, and hold it up to a bright light source. If the filter’s paper element blocks a significant amount of light, then it’s time to replace it, but don’t try to clean it further. Simply replace it with a new one. If you have a foam air filter, look for signs of crumbling or telltale brown or yellow staining, which indicates it’s time to replace it. If it’s still in good shape, you can proceed to clean it. If you have a hybrid air filter, follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to clean it or when to replace it. A hybrid has a foam pre-cleaner that needs to be inspected. If the foam pre-cleaner has become stiff, brittle, or significantly stained, it usually needs to be replaced.
Clean the Foam Filter
Wash the foam filter in a wash sink or bin or with a garden hose to thoroughly clean out the dirt. Use dish detergent to cut the grease and help remove dirt. Rinse the foam of soap thoroughly, and squeeze out excess water with paper towels, cloths, or your hands.
Dry the Foam Filter
Before oiling the foam filter, thoroughly dry it. First squeeze the foam with paper towels or dry cloths. Then sit the foam in the sun for about an hour to further dry.
Oil the Foam Filter
After the foam is bone dry, oil it. Put oil in your hands or directly on the foam, and massage it through the filter to distribute it well. Be sure not to add excess oil because you do not want it dripping into the mower.
Tip
An alternative way to add oil is to put the foam in a plastic bag or baggie, add oil, and massage the bag to saturate the foam with the oil. Blot up excess oil by patting the foam with a clean paper towel.
Clean the Air Filter’s Fitting
Before reinserting an air filter, clean the air filter’s housing with a dry cloth. Do not use solvents, as they can damage the air filter element. And do not use compressed air, which could force debris down the throat of the lawn mower’s carburetor.
Reinsert the Air Filter
Replace the air filter into the fitting. Make sure it fits well and there are no gaps.
Replace the Shroud
Reattach the protective shroud, being careful not to pinch or otherwise damage the air filter element in the process.
Warning
Never force the shroud back into place. If it does not reassemble easily, you’ve probably inserted the new filter element incorrectly.
Husqvarna lawn mower air filter cover
See Details
Do You Need To Replace Your Lawn Mower’s Air Filter or Can You Just Clean It?
For your lawn mower to run smoothly, it is critical that it has good airflow through a fresh, clean filter. So do you need to replace your lawn mower air filter every time it gets clogged or can you just clean the filter off and put it back in? It all depends on how dirty the filter is.
The type of air filter your lawn mower has completely depends on your mower and the size of its engine. Small, walk-behind mowers often just have a thin paper filter that you need to check monthly at the minimum. Some walk-behinds actually have a small foam filter.
Some lawn tractors have a foam filter in a filter box, attached to their carburetor. Others have a larger airbox plumbed to the carburetor, containing a filter.
Larger mowers, or premium mowers may have a combination filter. This includes a large airbox with a paper filter and a foam pre-cleaner. This spongey pre-cleaner is wrapped around the paper filter to help it last longer.
How to clean a lawn mower air filter
If you have a paper filter you can’t do much more cleaning than trying to tap dirt and debris out of it. According to the Powered Outdoors website, you should never try to blow the dirt out of a paper filter with compressed air; you run a risk of damaging your filter beyond repair.
You can get more aggressive when cleaning a spongey foam filter or pre-cleaner. This is because you can wash the filter clean with warm water and soap. Afterward, make sure to let it dry completely, then apply some filter oil to it.
When do you need to replace a lawn mower air filter?
Simply put, a filter that no longer allows air to pass through easily needs to be replaced. If you have a paper lawn mower filter, hold it up to the light. If you can’t see any light you need to replace it. If your foam filter is soiled after washing or is ripped, you’ll need to replace that too.
According to the Tractor Supply Company, you simply must replace your lawn mower filter as part of your yearly maintenance. Some lawn mower owners prefer to do their yearly maintenance when they winterize their mowers in the fall, others when they get them back out in the spring. Whenever you do your yearly maintenance, it includes replacing your oil, fuel, and air filters. Luckily, you can often find a combination deal on these filters.
While you only need to replace your filter yearly, you do need to examine it more often. You should examine a larger lawn tractor air filter every 100 hours of mowing. But if you have a walk-behind mower with a tiny air filter, you need to examine it at least once a month.
It isn’t a bad idea to take a look at your air filter every time you go out to mow and check your oil and tire pressure. If its soiled, you can always try to clean it. But if its too dirty to clean, it’s time to replace it.
Want more info? read our detailed lawn mower service schedule or see how to clean a lawn mower air filter yourself in the video below:
Husqvarna push mower air filter
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I Can See A Bit of Oil in My Filter: Should I be Worried?
Paper filters shouldn’t really ever have any oil on them. But if your mower has a foam air filter, you should be aware that a light coating of oil is completely normal. In fact, it’s necessary. It’s actually this oil that prevents dust and dirt from passing right through it.
It’s also fairly common that this type of air filter can get oilier over time, and that’s why you need to periodically remove and clean your filter to restore it to its optimum condition.
All I’m saying here is, don’t freak out if you notice your foam air filter is slightly oily. It’s supposed to be.
Prevent a Lawn Mower Air Filter Soaked in Oil: A Few Final Tips
To wrap this post up, let’s very quickly summarize the main things you can do to prevent a lawn mower air filter from becoming soaked in oil.
- Don’t tip your mower the wrong way (#1 tip by far).
- Don’t put more oil into your mower than is recommended by the manufacturer.
- Be careful when storing your mower and make sure it’s completely level.
Observe these few simple but important rules, and you’re far less likely to experience this problem again.
About Tom Greene
I’ve always had a keen interest in lawn care as long as I can remember. Friends used to call me the “lawn mower guru” (hence the site name), but I’m anything but. I just enjoy cutting my lawn and spending time outdoors. I also love the well-deserved doughnuts and coffee afterward!
Комментарии и мнения владельцев
I tipped my mower the wrong way and gasoline got in my filter. I let it dry out. Is it safe to run it?
Hey Barbara, That’s the worst, I’ve made the same mistake before. To answer your question, it isn’t dangerous to run your mower with the soiled filter, but the best bet is to replace it. Gasoline won’t cause as big of a mess as oil would, but it will still deteriorate the structure of an air filter. For the short term, if the mower starts and runs you shouldn’t run into any problems. However, if the filter was damaged by the gas (which I think is quite likely) it won’t be able to filter air correctly in the long term. Good luck Tom.
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All Mower Parts UK have over 25 years knowledge and experience within the spare parts and accessories market for garden and horticultural machinery. We offer both genuine and an alternative in none genuine spare parts for a wide range of leading brands such as Mountfield, STIHL and Husqvarna to name a few. We offer a wide selection of spare parts which can easily be found on our website, matched with our fast dispatching times we feel we offer a very swift and professional service.
All Mower Parts UK, Blenheim Road, Airfield Industrial Estate, Ashbourne, DE6 1HA, United Kingdom
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