What do you use to clean your central AC coils?

[honda1998civic]

What do you use to clean your central AC coils? Does anyone use simple green? And to rinse it off would you lightly spray water from inside to out? Or can just spray it on outside?

 

[JeepYJ]

Regular SG is caustic to aluminum. They do make Simple Green aluminum cleaner.
I use some type of foaming coil cleaner concentrate I bought at Menards. I mix it up in a small sprayer and spray it all down. Hose it out the opposite direction that air flows through it.

*Edit
Here’s a link to the Menards product

FOAM-A-COIL Air Conditioner Foaming Condenser & Evaporator Coil Cleaner

Foam-A-Coil is a non-acid high-foaming cleaner for condenser coils, evaporator coils, mechanical equipment, and air filters. Foam-A-Coil's penetrating, surfactant aided, foaming action lifts and removes grime, oil, grease, and dust from air conditioning, refrigeration coils, air handling, and...

www.menards.com

 

[acer66]

After reading the most recent thread about that I went with ComStar Coil Safe which is pH neutral which was highly rated over at this old house but I have not used it yet.

 

[KSJeff]

Oddly, I just did this yesterday since I had to replace a start/run cap after my AC died Saturday night (my local ACE Hardware had a 50/5uf cap in stock).

I used Purafilter 2000 19oz coil cleaner. Sprayed it from the outside in and rinsed it out from the outside in.

 

[bwringer]

Agreed. Do not use Simple Green; it corrodes aluminum. Plus the whole area will smell like a urinal cake for weeks.

Since there are specific products for this task, it makes sense to use one.

 

[TractorJeff]

Good thing I use only a hose and or air to clean mine

 

[danski0224]

Plain old water.

 

[Snapped-off]

Water

 

[zmotorsports]

Garden hose once or twice a year.

 

[dcg9381]

HD carries a product for this purpose. It foams, so it gets in between the coils. You wash it out.

 

[Sumboodie]

Im Not rich enough to need a/c

 

[dcg9381]

Im Not rich enough to need a/c

You're in Alaska. I'd never be rich enough to need AC if I lived there.

 

[fitter30]

Plain water unless there's oil on it. Any coil cleaner that label reads cleans coil shiny or foams has sodium hydroxide ( lye) ph 13-14. Cleans the oxidation off fins just so it can start again. Cleaning the fins get thinner til with each cleaning till they lose enough strength and bend over with water pressure.

 

[Jagmandave]

Mine is unfortunately right in front of the dryer outlet and gets impacted with dryer lint, so in season I use the air hose frequently to clean as much of the lint off as I can, once a year I use a coil cleaner that's supposed to be safe and then rinse it out thoroughly. Going on 10 years now and still cools the house nicely.

If I forget and turn it on early in the season, it sometimes goes thru a start/shutdown cycle.....when it does I get the air hose on it right away and get it cleaned out, then it works fine again.

 

[mrvm]

On my rental property is it best to vacuum off the debris with a soft brush attachment or start with a hose inside to outside. The neighbor had a big excavation project going on that probably contributed to this mess. Appreciate any guidance

 

[Snapped-off]

On my rental property is it best to vacuum off the debris with a soft brush attachment or start with a hose inside to outside. The neighbor had a big excavation project going on that probably contributed to this mess. Appreciate any guidance

I'd vacuum parallel to the fins in that instance to get the heavy loose stuff, and then spray with water from the inside out.

 

[rkevins]

if your condenser is micro-channel use only water, there are coil cleaners for micro-channel but even a lot of HVAC companies don't use them

 

[pcmeiners]

Bet your going to need more than clean water after the initial hose down. After it dries,
I would use some PH neutral cleaner, let it soak and wash again from the inside as mentioned. WOW !!!

 

[loganb]

Couple HVAC tech's I've talked with all said just straight water, the coil cleaner isn't worth it on the exterior. I've used the coil cleaner once, rest of time is just straight water.

 

[nbpt100]

I would think straight water and some compressed air, if you have it, is good enough in most cases. The dedicated Product makes it easier but in an extreme cases, like in the pic above, it may need some extra interventions. If you can open the top and do it from the inside forcing the debris out, it may be better. If only just to keep all of the dirt from the inside of the unit. Make sure you turn off the breaker.

 

[mrvm]

I'd vacuum parallel to the fins in that instance to get the heavy loose stuff, and then spray with water from the inside out.

Shop vac did a decent job cleaning the exterior fins before flushing inside > out. Thanks to all for the tips

 

[Airforce_NavyDAD]

You will need to see if the fins are split. If so you will need to open them up as best you could. I start with water and a solution of pink con-coil. Carefully. Let it do it's magic and react then flush with lots of water.

 

[Jim greengo]

Regular old water and and a garden hose,whenever you mow your grass is what I tell customers.

 

[bonneyman]

if your condenser is micro-channel use only water, there are coil cleaners for micro-channel but even a lot of HVAC companies don't use them

Those microchannel coils were just taking off when I exited the business. Those things **** for cleaning! I'd take the old Spine-Fin coils on the Trane's before those things.

 

[nbpt100]

Those microchannel coils were just taking off when I exited the business. Those things **** for cleaning! I'd take the old Spine-Fin coils on the Trane's before those thin

Those passage ways are so small I would think you would want to use something to reduce the water's surface tension so it flows better into them and rinses away better.

 

[nbpt100]

I just read about those micro coils and they look like a good thing for the manufacturer but bad for the consumer. They look very easy to plug up and harder to clean.

From what I read, they do it because they can use less refrigerant.

 

[BrandonV]

Another vote for water. Coil doesn't need to be spotless just not obstructed.