cleaning aC coils

Cleaning the AC coils regularly - the indoor AC coils and/or the outdoor AC coils - is crucial to get lower cooling bills. Clogged air conditioning coils are responsible for higher energy costs, and will shorten the life of your air conditioner (or furnace or heat pump).

OUTDOOR AC COILS

Steps for cleaning the outdoor AC Coils (and heat pumps Coils)

Cleaning the air conditioning outdoor coils involves a typical three step job (do not forget to shut off the power before beginning the cleaning job):

1) accessing the inside of the coil;
2) removing the surface dirt;
3) removing the trapped dirt;

To access the inside of the coil you should remove the louvers or the grillwork, and lift out the top panel associated with the fan.

Removing the surface dirt of the AC coils

Use a brush (a sufficiently stiff brush) to remove the surface dirt from the coil. Use water to wet the dirt and to make brushing easier and more effective. You may also use a biodegradable outdoor coil cleaner to soften the surface dirt.

Spraying the cleaner

To remove the impregnated-trapped dirt, and to soften it, use an outdoor degradable coil cleaner (spray the cleaner on both sides), wait some minutes and then spray cold water from the inside through the outside of the coiler. Cleaning AC coils is very simple in their essence...

Straightening the Coil Fins

The aluminum coil fins are easily bent, disrupting normal air flow. If this is the case, use a “fin comb” tool to comb the damaged fins to their original position. You can buy a fin comb in air conditioning wholesalers.

Indoor AC coils

The major problem with indoor AC coils cleaning is that the access to the evaporator coil is usually tricky (the coils are often inside the plenum or in a main duct, or behind the access panel, in the case of packaged air conditioner). That access is particularly tricky in the case of AC split-systems, which may require a professional servicing.

Cleaning Periodicity

Air filters catch most of the dirt before it lodges on the evaporator coils, but even if you change them regularly the indoor coils will always collect dirt. To solve the problem, cleaning the AC coils on a regular base is crucial. Clean, or have your evaporator coils cleaned, every 2 to 4 years (depending on the indoor air conditions). It will avoid higher cooling bills.

evaporator AC coils

To clean the evaporator AC coils, shut off the power at the main electrical panel, and use a vacuum with a soft brush attachment to clean the bottom side of the coils fins.

Dirty filters should also be replaced. Also vacuum up any dust in the blower cabinet.

Drain line

When cleaning the evaporator coil, check the condensation tube. That tube is often clogged by algae and sludge - a frequent cause of mold... That's vital in the cleaning AC coils process.

If the water used in the coil doesn't flow out of the drain, you must clean the pipe. Locate the small plastic drain hose responsible for draining, and use a proper pipe joint solvent. There should be some water dripping during the air conditioner operation…