PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: This video is obviously intended for a DIY homeowner that wants to rinse the light dirt out of their condenser coil. It is not always necessary to rip your entire unit apart if you just have grass and dust in your condenser. Some people do more damage to the units by taking them apart! If your condenser is really that plugged up, call a professional to clean it out for you.
As a pro I will always wash coils the opposite way the air flows. I guess you could go the other way if you are concerned about dissasembly. It will never be as effective.
@@TeefMah I don't think homeowners should take the equipment apart. I'm going to make another video when I find an impacted coil that actually needs disassembled.
@@greasebellygarage most homeowners would perfer to have professionals do the work BUT when the pro's charge out the ass for something this simple it forces the homeowner to try and educate themselves. Do I pay my mortgage payment or hire a pro to use MY water and MY hose for a , 20 minute tops, job cleaning my condenser unit? Okay maybe I'm exaggerating the cost of cleaning the coil, a little bit. I lost my trust in pro when they charged me $600 to replace 2 parts on my condenser unit, that cost $20 each, and it only took the pro 10 minutes to diagnose and replace. It sickens me how money hungry people are becoming. Thank you for the video.
I think removing the top depends on if you’re under four oak trees or not. I pull out 6 inches of crap out of the base of my air conditioner every season. Removing the lid is a must.
@@greasebellygarage HVAC tech states he doesn't remove the top off, because it rattles later on, I have a small amount of leaves will that affect performance?
@user-qw2sv2xj9h it'll just accelerate the rotting process but a small amount won't hurt anything. A lot of times they just rot and exit the drain holes. If they get really bad you've got to take it apart and clean it.
You should absolutely cut power , remove the top and clean your system from the inside out. Washing the outside of the coil can remove some of the debris but it also pushes debris deeper into the coil and further clogs the coil.
Rain doesn't hit the fins directly on the sides GENIUS.. MOST of the rain drops on top.. and before you say OH WHAT ABOUT SRORMS .. when it storms with strong winds it will still never be the same as spraying the fins with a water hose @AnUnapologeticApologist
Just get some damn foaming acid, spray and rinse. I personally like to not have a compressor or fan accidentally kick on , either way let her alone until 3" of ice on inside coils and call an AC dude. Pro tip, leave fan in on position to avoid defrost charge before AC tech shows up. 😁🤣
@@SaulVTXFRIDER Firstly , my comment was about shutting the power off being necessary. Secondly, I've been doing this for years with my own business and have never had the problem you are whining about. Most residential condenser fins are designed so that debris runs right off them when you rinse the coil. You can confirm by shining a flash light through fins and checking head pressure. If the coil is plugged up inside the fins you should be chemically cleaning it, not spraying it with water. I work on commercial refrigeration, condensers that get plugged with grease. I can get those spotless from the outside with the right cleaner. You guys have no idea what you're talking about. You're the type of guy to charge up a restricted system and say it's got a leak
I am not an HVAC professional, I'm a landlord with 70 rental units - 70 - a/c units. (I have a real pro HVAC guy who has been doing work for me for 15 years. And, he has taught me a lot.) So, here it is. Before working on your condenser, always turn off the electricity to the condenser. Rinsing out the coils with just water does work. However, you need to take into consideration that the coils have fins that are made of very thin aluminum, and they are fairly delicate. So, like the video says, spray perpendicular to the coils. If you spray the coils at angles, it is very easy to bend the fins. Which will result in a bigger problem. Bent fins inhibit the flow of air even worse. (You can spray the coils. Just take your time and be careful.) Also, if you decide to use "coil cleaning chemicals," make sure you follow the instructions. Coil cleaners are some pretty harsh chemicals and, if used improperly, can damage your coils. Also, coil cleanering chemicals are bad news on a human body or any other living creature, so be careful. Personally, I tend to just use water. But, if I use any cleaner, I use a household cleaner, like DAWN, mixed with water... (put it in a pump up spray bottle, saturate the coils with the Dawn/water mixture, let it sit a few minutes, then spray the coils with plain water) something that is safe to use on aluminum. I do not recommend brushing the coil fins to clean them, especially if you're inexperienced. (If you do brush the coil fins, brush in the same direction the fins are lined up, DO NOT BRUSH ACROSS FINS. THEY WILL BEND, AND YOU WILL DAMAGE YOUR COILS.)
I am an HVAC pro well I'm actually retired from HVAC now but my family at one point had over 100 rental units. You really learn how to fix air conditioners when you have rental units especially in low income areas. I have cleaned and refurbished some of the nastiest air conditioners that a person could ever imagine. I'm also a huge proponent of keeping old equipment running since the new stuff is just pure junk. I still have six duplexes here in Florida that I take care of and I spray every one of the condensers just like I do in the video and never had any problems. My two colleagues one of which is an HVAC contractor the other has 50 duplexes we all do the same thing when cleaning these condensers. Now occasionally we do come across one that we have to tear completely apart but it's pretty rare.
Great advice. I use to think spraying these would destroy them. I had no clue that you could actually clean them this way. Hey, if you do any private lending I’m in NC and I’m actively looking to do deals in my area in the Triad. Please let me know if you’d be interested in lending your own funds, partnering, or if you’re willing to point me in the right direction. Have a great 4th!
44 years as an HVAC technician. This video should be banned. Do NOT follow this demonstration. PERIOD! There are other safe and proper videos that follow the correct way. I'm not trying to bash this guy...just telling you what 44 year's experience knows.
Thanks for not bashing on me. I've been doing this for over 20 years, in fact, I learned this from a guy that has done refrigeration for 50 years, he's retired now.
@@greasebellygarageWell if this guy who has over 40 years knows the right way to clean it, why doesn't he just explain it, or does he just want his company to come out and do it.
@@mikeDeSales943 I don't own a company to be honest. There are plenty of YT videos you can watch to get the proper and SAFE way to clean the coils. I don't want or need any negative comments regarding my character or experience. Figure it out and please be safe.
You can see in the last shot of his video the fins are pushed over, than the video starts over and you see it in better condition before he sprayed it lol...
@jiveturkey365 there are literally no fins folded over by the end. That's more than clear to see. You may be taking the damp part and thinking they're folded. That being said, I clean some coils with a pressure washer, and as long as you aren't a complete moron, you won't damage them. If coil cleaning is too advanced for you, just leave it to the professionals.
@xXxR3V3NxXx don't be a jerk jeez. It looks like the coils are bent in the last half BUT this is also a low quality video so it's really difficult to see it properly due to quality and distance of the shot. Also Capillary action could be happening or what you said "a damp part". Also for the complete moron comment, a lot people make this mistake of bending the delicate fins. People make mistakes. So next time if talking to people and being polite is to advance stay off the internet and stay home. Being polite and help others 🥱
I agree for a diy homeowner not taking it apart is best. They will likely damage more than they fix.. BUT. You turn the unit off 1 for safety 2 because the fan will assist in pulling the dirt further into coil.. next you don't spray perpendicular you spray at the steepest angle possible pointing down to try get the dirt to roll off the coil not be forced into it. I don't know much but I've owned a HVAC company for 15 years.
Changed a condenser last week because the homeowners friend took his unit apart to clean and when he went to put it back together he put a screw deep into the coil. 410 unit, quick easy swap.
@kylewells6871 yeah I'm largely retired from HV back now because I trashed my knees but I went out 2 weeks ago and soldered a hole hole cuz somebody drove a 1 and 1/4-in long screw through the top of the coil.
Am I wrong to spray from the top down into it to spray everything off from the inside first seems to work pretty well just asking I have no HVAC experience
Great demonstration of what not to do. 1. Leave top of unit intact, so you cannot spray the water through the coil reverse fo air flow. 2. Leave unit running. 3. Make sure to spray the hose directly into the coil, so the most amount of crap possible gets permanently wedged between the fins. 4. Make sure you don't spray downward, or clear the drainage tracks/holes in the bottom of the unit. 5. Cash check before the customer has time to consider what a hack you are. Nailed it.
False. I've done exactly this for regular maintenance a decade now. Not a single problem. Now, if the coil is clearly impacted and its an actual service call. Yes, remove top and clean from inside first. Otherwise, these DIY try hard youtubers are doing it for clout.
@Straight_White_Fatherly_Figure I made this video for my customers that were taking theirs apart and tearing things up and poking holes in their coils. How to demonstration on how to be a professional HVAC technician, which I was for almost 30 years. Everybody's getting all inflamed on here because I'm not showing DIY folks how to do it the professional way. Most of the time for them this is all that's necessary.
@@Straight_White_Fatherly_Figure I started as an HVAC tech in 2001. If you were taught that this half-assed monkey shit is ok, go find the simpleton who taught you, and demand a refund and apology. Do better.
@@greasebellygarage Why are you encouraging your customers to do anything but call you or maybe pop it with compressed air going as straight downward as possible? Good grief, man.
I highly recommend disconnecting power before any cleaning attempt. Yes they are rated for rain, but a hose can easily push water into your electrical compartment and cause damage or injury.
By code the unit is required to have a disconnect in sight of the unit. Just flip the cover up, pull the plug, the system is dead, takes just 2 seconds. Put the plug in your pocket. Someone could flip the breaker on or turn down the thermostat to start it. But you have the plug in your pocket, so it will start only when you replace the plug when your done.
Customer to Tech - my ac is not working, I watched a diy video on UA-cam, i washed the condenser coil, removed the electrical panel, and sprayed water on the electrical components... with the power on. After there was some fireworks..what could be the cause for it not to cool ? Ac Tech - reflects on the purpose on life...
I just had Pro AC Company out yesterday to prep my 6 y/o system for summer. Services included removing fan grill, spray coil cleaner inside my outdoor unit, hose it clean from inside out. Looks nearly new.
Seriously, this works fine if you're a homeowner. I'll say if you have cottonwood trees or similar plant debris you may need to angle the hose downward to "peel" the scum off of the coils.
I use a piece of window screen wrapped around the outside of the AC. If the screen starts to get plugged with the cottonwood seeds I just remove the screen and wash it off. Works great for me
@michaelbeckman1794 wow that is a fantastic idea I don't even know what cottonwood seeds look like this sounds like a perfect solution. You deserve a reward for that one sir.
@greasebellygarage cottonwood "bloom" are these 2" diameter fluffy seeds. There are many videos on utube where they are gathered up in the yard or curbside and people light them. It's amazing how fast the flame travels.
Shut off the fan AT THE BREAKER BOX, then get a helper, unscrew the fan top and have your helper hold up the top that usually has the fan attached. Remove by hand or with a shop vac any debris at the bottom. Then IF NEEDED, from the inside, apply a basic degreaser like Simple Green liberally all over the grills and let soak in on the dirt for 5-10 mins. Then spray from the inside to the outside and do this until all the cleaner is washed away. Reassemble and then get a piece of screen cut out in a square shape that overlaps the top of the unit by about 6 inches on all sides and attach with thin bungee cords from each corner to the bottom of the unit to prevent debris from ever getting back down in the unit again.
This may work…MAYBE…if you do it every 3 months. But if you live in a dusty or high pollen area…if your condenser is in a garden or near trees….or if you haven’t done any cleaning in years, PULL THE DISCONNECT to cut power. Do NOT get disconnect box wet…power is still going to the box…pulling the switch just cut it from your condenser.take off the top…carefully so as not to stretch th wire bundle. Find a condenser coil spray cleaner…you can get at Home Depot. Spray the cleaner to cover the entire fin ps from the inside out. Wait ten minutes. THEN spray the coil w the hose, from inside, out. If coil is particularly furry, remove what you can by hand before the above
@@nativetexan3865 1 gallon sprayer, 1 quart of distilled white vinegar, about 1/4 cup of Dawn. Won't harm the coils either. Unless yours are rotten or some other issue. My coils are 50+ years old. When in doubt, use less vinegar. You know you used too much Dawn if you keep rinsing and still have soap suds. Vinegar is organic and Dawn is supposedly biodegradable.
I saw a vid about Dawn dishwashing liquid and vinegar. He used a foam bottle,with a little squirt of Dawn,then maybe an ounce of vinegar,filling the rest of the way with water. The bottle appeared ro be a 16-20ounce size. Maybe
@@aliciacuoco8273 That might work for one that is somewhat clean but not for those packed with dirt and mineral deposits. Thinking about using straight coca-cola next time lol
Mine seemed to be getting REALLY warm so I shot through it for Cooling Purposes. It let out a wonderful cool breeze & I'm high as shit. I haven't checked how everything is inside the house but I hear my wife yelling so she must be really impressed. Thanks guy!
After killing the power, you can wash most condensers like this, but not all of them. An example would be a double coil condenser or one that has gotten oil or grease on it, as in a restaurant setting.
You're absolutely right the method I demonstrated in the video works just fine for most homeowners. I've had to go back and fix ones where they take the fan tops off and did not wire the fan correctly or could not get the thing back together.
Absolutely wrong. Turn power off, and spray from inside to the outside top to the bottom. All your doing is pushing the dirt farther into the coil where the compressor is.
Please pull the disconnect or shut off the breaker.. Don't ever spray into a unit while it is on or powered up. Rinse the coil and give sime time to dry out befor restarting unit.
As a truck driver w a giant radiator/condenser and former brazer for Lennox (the air/heat giants) for huge condensers on units for clients like wal mart i must say this does work but its better to spray from inside out to get all the debris from just smashing into the tiny spaces between the fins and in time shortening the life of the unit. Much more work😩 but this method will help until you can afford, or have time, to do it more thoroughly. Stay cool people💯🫡
Lennox..... Eeeeeeewwww! Lol I made this video to specifically show some of my customers how to just hose out their condenser really quick because here in Florida when we go like 2 or 3 months without it raining in the springtime they get packed up with dust and stuff and they call me and start complaining that it's not cooling very well this is almost always the problem so I send them the link to this video. I had several people last spring tear their units apart and clean them from the inside out and every single one of the ones that did screwed up their unit by either wiring the fan motor wrong driving a screw through the coil or just not being able to get it back together properly one guy even bent his fan blade really bad I had to replace the blade. So that's what this video is for DIY homeowners that want to do something to help. This is mostly harmless under those circumstances. Everybody that has commented on this thing so far has been telling me how to do it as a professional but I already know how to do it as a professional I'm just trying to help DIY people here.
Yup keep on going buddy, people like you keep us REAL HVAC TECHS in business. Not sure from where you LEARNED that specially the part you said " NO SOAP AT ALL" LOL
I will. If you are a real AC tech, you should know that the less chemicals, the better. I've cleaned hundreds of condensers this exact way. Especially near the beach here in Florida where soap doesn't agree with the salt residue from salt water.
And it’s not a Trane a/c unit with Christmas tree coil I use 409 spray from inside out with the power off I’m a retired commercial hvac tech I’ve worked on units as big as a single wide trail were you crawl between the fan blades to get in side to clean the condenser unit but if you want me to fix something you messed up triing to do it you self it will cost you twice as much just saying after 45 years just saying
@@terryboswell5148 when I was a kid my stepfather that raised me was a commercial HVAC tech he made me go inside of a cooling tower and spray some kind of descaling solvent when I was like 12 to 14 years old on the roof of a JCPenney's department store in fort Myers Florida. I also used to go help him overnight replace compressors at nursing homes. It was back in the early '80s. Years later when I became a residential HVAC tech I had people trying to clean their own condensers by taking them apart and then driving screws under the coil and doing all kinds of other crazy stuff.
Chemicals can damage coils. Simple as that. You get the concentration wrong? Corrosive agent that's now got an all You can eat aluminum buffet Don't wash it all off? Corrosive, as well as now a great place for dirt to collect now that you have a nice sticky section. Every single microchannel coil I've seen says absolutely no chemicals. So, you're wrong. Sorry.
You do not want to use any water with that much pressure, it could damage the unit. I like to take the outside grate off too and sweep all the dirt and dog hair down and out then hit it with a light water stream just to finish cleaning everything that I loosened with the small hand broom. Just be careful when maintaining your own appliances, it most definitely can be done and has been done for as long as people have had them! 👍
@@Ephbaum You know what? You’re right. It’s a great idea to teach people the worst possible method for doing the job as long as one minor detail may mean it’s technically not quite as harmful on this specific unit as it may be on other units. 🤡
I’m an HVAC tech and first with a dirty condenser like that you don’t want to pressure wash the cotton into your coil but who am I to follow this man’s advice. Just saying always if your DIY person really do your research before doing.
This will definitely work on a single condenser coil. With a double condenser coil, you run the risk of pushing the dirt and debris against the inside coil making the problem worse. A can of condenser coil cleaner will help break down the debris and make cleaning more effective. It’s almost always better to let an experienced professional service your A/C, to save you from yourself. Always turn the power off beforehand, water and electricity doesn’t mix and the electrical components are not completely sealed off.
To do a good job, you DO need to take the top off. You also should be blowing the dirt OUT of the coil, not into it. This means remove your top and spray from the inside to the outside. Then you clean out the bottom of the pan. This video is not the one to learn from. Go to AC Service Tech for a better resource.
If you have a 2 row coil how are you supposed to get the inside coil without taking the top off? Also, probably wouldn't spray water all over it with electricity hooked up and running.
What we really need is redesigned condensers that simply mount their fan on a hinged panel with latches and a safety cutout switch. Unlatch the hatch and tip it open. Apply low pressure cleaner inside and out, let it soak a bit, then spray with the hose from the inside. When complete just close the hatch and lock the latch. It's nearly criminal that no manufacturer has done this.
If you have cottonwood or other detritus that packs the coils, there is ZERO chance of getting it remotely clean from the outside only. Add if you have a mat wrap inside the metal guard, everything gets trapped between the layers. Here's the thing, you need to know your own limits. If you can't lift it easily and keep from dropping it, safely remove the power and fan connections and reinstall it all correctly, you should hire someone as needed.
Public Service Announcement: Take advice from licensed & Insured Professionals. There are NO HACKS when it comes to your safety and the costly repairs that follow when doing thing the wrong way.
I did that for 2 years. Finally took the casing completely off. The top is pretty clogged. The bottom collected all kinds of debris that washed down and couldn't get out. This quick n dirty way works if you don't care. Taking it off is best, but is a pita to put back together
There is a risk-benefit factor to doing this and for most average homeowners it is not necessary to take the thing apart. When it's time to have it deep cleaned it's always best to call a professional. I made this video as a retort to some of the tick tocks that I've seen where they've got average people tearing their condensers apart to spray out a minute amount of dirt which probably is never necessary for a majority of people. The worst condenser that I've ever seen at a residential home was plugged up with chicken feathers and that had to be completely disassembled to be cleaned out but most of the time people just get light dirt and grass from cutting the lawn. Most people don't need coil cleaner either, the less soap you use the better off you are.
Now for those of us that know a little something about AC and home repairs and Home Remodeling and construction then we may have enough common sense to know that yes taking the top of the fan unit off unplugging the breaker from the outside and cut the power to the unit and then carefully reaching your hand down in there like the one gentleman said and spring From the Inside Out holding your hose straight at the fence with low pressure so that you don't bend those little aluminum veins which could be more of a clog later on down the road if you don't watch what you're doing
You are 100% right and I encourage that from homeowners. However as a professional HVAC technician I have gone out on Sunday afternoons and soldered up holes and condenser coils where somebody put a screw in the wrong place or they miswired the motor somehow or got the wiring tangled up or bent the fan blade or something like that I have done it probably a couple of dozen times and more recently people see these videos on tiktok of professionals breaking down units and cleaning them but they just don't have the mechanical skills to put them back together properly. If you do I encourage you to do it. I have since quit the HVAC industry but just in the last month I have had to fix three of these where people have tried to clean them themselves. In fact I think it's my most recent short shows where somebody drove a screw through the coil. It ends up costing a lot of money when that happens the point here is that you can just spray them out especially if they're not that dirty. I applaud you for being able to do it.
Fan top: shut off power box and unscrew 5 to 8 screws max, turn it over and place it on top unit. You can scoot it over and reach each side of the coil at a time. If coil is plugged from debris being sucked into the outer side of the coil then your pushing debris into the coil and it settles around the compressor; spraying from the inside out is more effective, and you can also clean out leaves and debris that has fallen inside the unit.
Not the best way, you just push the dirt into the coils, especially if you have cotton wood trees in the area! I have seen air conditioning coils that have been cleaned from outside in, some were clogged so badly that we had to replace them, also we had some idiots it my work who thought it would be a good idea to use the high pressure washer! It took us 2 men a whole day to try and undo the damage, Of course this was a large 4 stage industrial chiller, with 2 large coils probably about 6 by 10 feet! "Yes", they tried to cut cost and hired some temporary workers to do the pm!
Yes restaurants are a different story for sure and commercial units. This video was made for basic homeowner knowledge that wants to squirt their condenser clean there's a lot of videos out there where homeowners are trying to take their fan tops off which can cause a whole slew of problems. The worst condenser I've ever seen was plugged up with chicken feathers of all things and yes it had to be cleaned from the inside out. To be honest I've rarely had to take them apart and clean them from the inside out because most of the time they're not even that dirty to begin with.
Tik Tok techs are the worst thing to happen ti Air conditioning since the phase out of r-22. Saw a video of a hack tech either venting or pretending to vent the other day, hope thatbdude gets reported to the EPA for a lesson.
You know some of those videos with the hacks are for entertainment value anyways right?? The problem is when regular homeowners are trying to take their fan tops off and they are one piece fan top and they call me because the motor doesn't run the right direction or they can't get it back together or is wired wrong altogether. I made this video specifically to show homeowners that if they're going to do something which they're going to do anyway they might as well just squirt it off with a hose.
Always pull the fuses at the box first! The fan needs service, too. There are two oil ports on the fan,one for upper and one for lower bushings. A round rubber plug is usually there ,remove the plug and give each port 3 to 4 drops of lightweight oil and reinsert the plugs. While your fan is off you can clean the drain pan of debris. Spray the coils lightly to rinse any dirt and dust off. Reassemble and put the fuses back in the box.
Whatever works. Idk, I would still take the fan off and flush from the inside. I want to push the debris out of the unit not into it. I have mini splits though out of the house now. Those condensers are a different style and easier to clean
My unit stays under my patio out of the sun, I live in a really dusty area, I just use a leaf blower and air compressor and blow all the dust out of it about every 3 months.
WRONG!!!!!! WRONG!!!!!! WRONG!!!!! 25 Years in the field. That would work okay for a single row coil. Most coils are doubled up. Good luck getting the dirt out of them when this dunce pushes the debris between them. DON"T FOLLOW THIS HACK!
Those open carriers units yes easy to clean with just a hose, Now the common trane, Amana/goodman and even some Lennox units have flashing covering the coil quite well and a hose just won’t do trust me, some can easy take flashing off and others require taking fan top off to be able to remove flashing and full access to coil. Also they do make non chemical cleaners such as viper that clean very well compacted or dirty units better then just water alone
Yes you're exactly right it's always customers that take off the Lennox, Goodman and trane fantops that seem to end up causing problems so I just tell them to spray the hose in the same direction as the armor vents. It does a decent job for a homeowner. Actually the trane American standard ones are pretty easy to clean no matter what in my opinion.
I've only used nu-brite maybe 3 times in ten years. I usually don't use any cleaner at all. Obviously if the coil in the video were super dirty I would take it apart and clean it from the inside out but most homeowners don't need to do that in fact most of them don't even need to be cleaned to begin with.
I never take the fan top off. I still spray it from the top out because all the dust and shit that catches on the outside. I don’t want to blow onto the inside once I get it real good to where there’s not shit stuck on the outside, then I will spray from the outside in.
You spray cool/ cold water on your coil while its running with hot vapor/liquid. that will cause a temperature drop between condenser/ evaporator. Depend on what metering device you had inside and how good it's still operate, you might end up with ice on suction line. Taking your fan off to clean is okay, just be careful with how its wiring. it actually recommend that you spray from inside out with low pressure water.
This is a video on exactly what not to do. Always and I mean always turn the power off. Never use a high pressure hose like this guy is. Great way to damage the fins. Whoever taught him this was ignorant.
The guy that taught me this was an HVAC contractor in Florida for 60 years.... Lol I've done this thousands of times..... But it's only for light cleaning.... I've seen homeowners so more harm than good by tearing them apart.
@@greasebellygarage So the guy that taught you told you to leave the power on? I'm not trying to be rude to you cuz I know you think this is the right thing to do. But this is a good way to find out whether your 220v is properly grounded. It won't be fun if it's not. Like I said in my prior comment that high pressure is an excellent way to damage the fins when you talk about damage that's extreme damage. It will take a couple of hours to rake those fins back into position.
@@socalifone3044 I never advise anybody to spray water directly into the electrical box area I mean the unit does sit out in the rain especially here in Florida I've seen these things underwater in Florida before and the pressure in the video is not nearly as high as it seems it's one of those bullseye nozzles that you can buy at Johnstone supply. The guy that taught me this actually told me that the fan helps pull the water through the coil so yes I have witnessed numerous numerous other AC techs in Florida that do this all the time. Obviously when it's impacted are really bad we tear the units down and spray them from the inside out with new bright and all that crap. The fact of the matter is 90% of the condensers in Florida can be cleaned exactly the way I did it the video and yes you could always turn the power off.
Love it when I get to one of these calls and the customer says they clean it, and it looks clean, but it’s plugged. Pro tip. Clean from the inside, take a sample by catching some of the water in a cup. Even when you think it’s clean, dirt and debris is still coming out. Proper clean from inside takes some time. Quick rinse is not gonna cut it. If your hvac guy is doing a cleaning and spraying from the outside, directly in, send em on.
Hmm what happenes when we have a heavy rain fall and our AC stays running ? We don't all go outside and kill the power. Mines been running in the rain and hail even when we had a snow storm and it still runs strong. U can actually take a foam gun like to wash cars use regular dawn soap and baking soda mix it properly soak the out side of the coils. Let it sit for a min and rinse with the water hose. It will never damage your condenser. I do mine at least once a week and my AC gets ice cold and I usually have it set at 76. During the day
I created this video and I guess I should mention that it's probably not a good idea to use any kind of cleaner while the unit is running especially professional coil cleaners. I just use water only I only use cleaner when it's absolutely necessary.
I been doing this for years. Glad you have so many HVAC professionals in the comments. Bigger problem is how many ppl actually change their filter out on a regular basis.
The AC professionals in the comment section are trying to explain how to do it the professional way the whole point of the video is to show a homeowner how to rinse light stuff out of their condenser if they do it regularly they won't have to call a professional. Thank you for watching my video and understanding it.
By the looks of this unit being around a lot of leave s ,you will need to take the fan top off to remove the leaves in the unit unless you can show how you get out without removing it ??
Hey ive been doing this for over a 100 years so i got you beat. Kidding and either way if a home owner wants to shut the unit down and do it the right way shouldnt you be teaching that and explain why we secure power and remove the condenser fan ? Either way its their unit and if they want to destroy it then its more money and work for the residential guys.
No. The fan is drawing air *through* the condenser coil. Debris, grass clippings, cottonwood, leaves, hair, etc., get pulled in between the aluminum fins. The proper method is cleaning from the inside. The supply house specifically sells a wand that fits through the fan grill and sprays a fan pattern from the inside. All you have to do is shut off power first.
I do this once a week. As soon as i finish cutting grass. My hvac guy showed me the same as you. I also have the full system cleaned/ serviced every spring and the technicians always say my unit is clean.
Once a week might be a little too much depending on how much grass you have I guess sounds like you have a really good AC guy because I have taught most of my customers how to do this myself. They thank me for it.
I live in Canada, every year the AC in the spring gets covered in poplar fluff, just spraying from the outside only would drive it in deeper into the fins. So takin of the fan part is a must, its like the little old lady standing in her garden on a hot summer day, with the hose in hand watering her grass,
Common sense would tell you that depending how clogged the fins are that you should clean the coils from the INSIDE out because of the direction of the airflow caused by the fan also with the fan out of the way you retrieve any debris and clean the drains on the bottom of the unit to prevent any premature rust on the bottom pan
Should be spraying from inside out, may require to remove some screws but it will keep debris out of the unit so when it's dried it's not just sucked back into the condensor coil.
Double row coils are not actually all that common unless it's in larger units but I've never had a problem cleaning those either the same way it just takes a little bit more time.
Great advice if you're coils are easily accessible like in the video. My coils are hidden behind a cage of thicker metal divisions. Water hose won't cut it. Had to take side panels off, which involved taking fan off of the top.
You can hose it from the outside, but you should hold the nozzle 45 degrees from horizontal to drive cottonwood fluff and grass down and off the coils, not through them, and when you spray in, you do push some of the dirt into the bottom of the unit, which can accelerate rust.
I’m gonna do this a little later our unit could use a rinse. The other place I lived I had to take the condenser guard? Not the top but the side. Wasn’t to bad. But I’ll do this to out unit now cause I feel it could use it
Yes you can do it that way especially if your condenser is not too dirty. A regular washing is perfectly fine cleaning it that way. Now if its pretty dirty........youre only pushing in the dirty...basically packing it into the fins and coils. Because that is the direction of the air flow. You want to go against the flow to push it out. Then after its clean, you can now clean it as shown in this video. But make sure you wash it regularly.
If you have a lot cottonwood in you area don't do this. It just pushes the cottonwood spores farther into the condenser. Im not a HVAC tech, just a home owner that has seen a thing or too. I am Diesel and heavy Equipment tech that has to deal with cottonwood. I would say 50 percent of my over heating issues on Equipment are caused by plugged up heat exchangers.
That is the one thing that I did not accommodate for in this video but it's only because we don't have cottonwood trees in Florida our worst pollen is from oak trees and it just rinses right out of everything. I'm actually watching UA-cam videos right now because I have a 7.3 powerstroke diesel that refuses to start. Lol
@@greasebellygarageThe ICP sensor is a common failure on those engines. What is even more common is the wiring harness to the sensor burning up from heat and resistance. Navistar used the cheapest wiring I swear. If you go after that sensor check that harness as well.
If its got a bunch of leaves in it, you need to take the top off. The way you were moving the hose blast side to side you could have been bending over those fragile fins. Just go up and down as most of the time the fins are oriented that way. There is a chemical called coil cleaner that works real well and is not harmful to your a/c unit, or plants or animals.
A better reason to not take the top off is because if the fan comes on things can get disasterous really quick. Not everyone remembers or knows how to disconnect the power.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:
This video is obviously intended for a DIY homeowner that wants to rinse the light dirt out of their condenser coil. It is not always necessary to rip your entire unit apart if you just have grass and dust in your condenser. Some people do more damage to the units by taking them apart! If your condenser is really that plugged up, call a professional to clean it out for you.
Most DIYers that have any experience at all with projects can do this, and be careful of the fins at the same time.
As a pro I will always wash coils the opposite way the air flows. I guess you could go the other way if you are concerned about dissasembly. It will never be as effective.
@@TeefMah I don't think homeowners should take the equipment apart. I'm going to make another video when I find an impacted coil that actually needs disassembled.
@@greasebellygarage most homeowners would perfer to have professionals do the work BUT when the pro's charge out the ass for something this simple it forces the homeowner to try and educate themselves. Do I pay my mortgage payment or hire a pro to use MY water and MY hose for a , 20 minute tops, job cleaning my condenser unit?
Okay maybe I'm exaggerating the cost of cleaning the coil, a little bit.
I lost my trust in pro when they charged me $600 to replace 2 parts on my condenser unit, that cost $20 each, and it only took the pro 10 minutes to diagnose and replace.
It sickens me how money hungry people are becoming.
Thank you for the video.
This job is really a lot simpler than a lot of the other commenters are making it out to be. You're welcome for the video!
He clearly forgot to tell us to hold the beer with the other hand.
😂
Hahahaha
Very important point!! Thx 🍻
Not unless it's r22
Well that's always implied, lol
Another reason to remove the fan is to have access to all the muck at the bottom of the unit, and to clean the drain holes.
Correct
Why would there b any drain holes? Mine is wide open at bottom I see the pad thru the fan blades.
@@CognacKidd Many models have a metal floor.
@@moboutmen His may have already rotted out.
I had to take mine and vacuum out the compost.
I think removing the top depends on if you’re under four oak trees or not. I pull out 6 inches of crap out of the base of my air conditioner every season. Removing the lid is a must.
Understood
@@greasebellygarage HVAC tech states he doesn't remove the top off, because it rattles later on, I have a small amount of leaves will that affect performance?
@user-qw2sv2xj9h it'll just accelerate the rotting process but a small amount won't hurt anything. A lot of times they just rot and exit the drain holes. If they get really bad you've got to take it apart and clean it.
I keep the leaves for good luck. Perhaps greasebellygarage will DIY fix my air conditioner for free! :D
@CookieManCookies lol
You should absolutely cut power , remove the top and clean your system from the inside out. Washing the outside of the coil can remove some of the debris but it also pushes debris deeper into the coil and further clogs the coil.
True, but clean normal, not this dumbass, two to three times a year
So what happens when it rains genius? A little bit of water is not going to do anything.
Rain doesn't hit the fins directly on the sides GENIUS.. MOST of the rain drops on top.. and before you say OH WHAT ABOUT SRORMS .. when it storms with strong winds it will still never be the same as spraying the fins with a water hose @AnUnapologeticApologist
Just get some damn foaming acid, spray and rinse. I personally like to not have a compressor or fan accidentally kick on , either way let her alone until 3" of ice on inside coils and call an AC dude. Pro tip, leave fan in on position to avoid defrost charge before AC tech shows up. 😁🤣
@@SaulVTXFRIDER Firstly , my comment was about shutting the power off being necessary. Secondly, I've been doing this for years with my own business and have never had the problem you are whining about. Most residential condenser fins are designed so that debris runs right off them when you rinse the coil. You can confirm by shining a flash light through fins and checking head pressure. If the coil is plugged up inside the fins you should be chemically cleaning it, not spraying it with water. I work on commercial refrigeration, condensers that get plugged with grease. I can get those spotless from the outside with the right cleaner. You guys have no idea what you're talking about. You're the type of guy to charge up a restricted system and say it's got a leak
I am not an HVAC professional, I'm a landlord with 70 rental units - 70 - a/c units. (I have a real pro HVAC guy who has been doing work for me for 15 years. And, he has taught me a lot.)
So, here it is. Before working on your condenser, always turn off the electricity to the condenser. Rinsing out the coils with just water does work. However, you need to take into consideration that the coils have fins that are made of very thin aluminum, and they are fairly delicate. So, like the video says, spray perpendicular to the coils. If you spray the coils at angles, it is very easy to bend the fins. Which will result in a bigger problem. Bent fins inhibit the flow of air even worse. (You can spray the coils. Just take your time and be careful.)
Also, if you decide to use "coil cleaning chemicals," make sure you follow the instructions. Coil cleaners are some pretty harsh chemicals and, if used improperly, can damage your coils. Also, coil cleanering chemicals are bad news on a human body or any other living creature, so be careful.
Personally, I tend to just use water. But, if I use any cleaner, I use a household cleaner, like DAWN, mixed with water... (put it in a pump up spray bottle, saturate the coils with the Dawn/water mixture, let it sit a few minutes, then spray the coils with plain water) something that is safe to use on aluminum.
I do not recommend brushing the coil fins to clean them, especially if you're inexperienced. (If you do brush the coil fins, brush in the same direction the fins are lined up, DO NOT BRUSH ACROSS FINS. THEY WILL BEND, AND YOU WILL DAMAGE YOUR COILS.)
I am an HVAC pro well I'm actually retired from HVAC now but my family at one point had over 100 rental units. You really learn how to fix air conditioners when you have rental units especially in low income areas. I have cleaned and refurbished some of the nastiest air conditioners that a person could ever imagine. I'm also a huge proponent of keeping old equipment running since the new stuff is just pure junk. I still have six duplexes here in Florida that I take care of and I spray every one of the condensers just like I do in the video and never had any problems. My two colleagues one of which is an HVAC contractor the other has 50 duplexes we all do the same thing when cleaning these condensers. Now occasionally we do come across one that we have to tear completely apart but it's pretty rare.
Thank you so much. I just have a few rentals but HVAC systems are definitely a pain.
@Dbb27 you can save the most money on rental properties by doing your own AC work. I still have six duplexes left and I do all of my own work.
Great advice. I use to think spraying these would destroy them. I had no clue that you could actually clean them this way. Hey, if you do any private lending I’m in NC and I’m actively looking to do deals in my area in the Triad. Please let me know if you’d be interested in lending your own funds, partnering, or if you’re willing to point me in the right direction. Have a great 4th!
@@nesmacinvestmentsllc772 you too.
44 years as an HVAC technician. This video should be banned. Do NOT follow this demonstration. PERIOD! There are other safe and proper videos that follow the correct way. I'm not trying to bash this guy...just telling you what 44 year's experience knows.
Thanks for not bashing on me. I've been doing this for over 20 years, in fact, I learned this from a guy that has done refrigeration for 50 years, he's retired now.
@@greasebellygarageWell if this guy who has over 40 years knows the right way to clean it, why doesn't he just explain it, or does he just want his company to come out and do it.
Thank you OGHVAC. Not turning off the power was first thing that worrried me. With double coils on ours, I do the inside and the outside.
@@mikeDeSales943
I don't own a company to be honest. There are plenty of YT videos you can watch to get the proper and SAFE way to clean the coils. I don't want or need any negative comments regarding my character or experience. Figure it out and please be safe.
Turn the power off like wtf 😂😂😂
Did he say the worst way to clean your condenser.😂
its the best way to clean it
Do not do it this way u can get electrocuted
@@efini no, no it isnt. Not at all. Terrible.
@@efininot even close. There’s a reason the pros do it how we do.
Seems like that would just push the debris further into the coils. That much pressure would ruin the tinsel wrap over some coils.
You can see in the last shot of his video the fins are pushed over, than the video starts over and you see it in better condition before he sprayed it lol...
Well it didn't u literally just saw it work
@jiveturkey365 there are literally no fins folded over by the end. That's more than clear to see. You may be taking the damp part and thinking they're folded.
That being said, I clean some coils with a pressure washer, and as long as you aren't a complete moron, you won't damage them.
If coil cleaning is too advanced for you, just leave it to the professionals.
@@xXxR3V3NxXx cleaning coils with a pressure washer is the definition of moron.
@xXxR3V3NxXx don't be a jerk jeez. It looks like the coils are bent in the last half BUT this is also a low quality video so it's really difficult to see it properly due to quality and distance of the shot. Also Capillary action could be happening or what you said "a damp part". Also for the complete moron comment, a lot people make this mistake of bending the delicate fins. People make mistakes. So next time if talking to people and being polite is to advance stay off the internet and stay home. Being polite and help others 🥱
I agree for a diy homeowner not taking it apart is best. They will likely damage more than they fix.. BUT. You turn the unit off 1 for safety 2 because the fan will assist in pulling the dirt further into coil.. next you don't spray perpendicular you spray at the steepest angle possible pointing down to try get the dirt to roll off the coil not be forced into it. I don't know much but I've owned a HVAC company for 15 years.
Changed a condenser last week because the homeowners friend took his unit apart to clean and when he went to put it back together he put a screw deep into the coil. 410 unit, quick easy swap.
@kylewells6871 yeah I'm largely retired from HV back now because I trashed my knees but I went out 2 weeks ago and soldered a hole hole cuz somebody drove a 1 and 1/4-in long screw through the top of the coil.
Am I wrong to spray from the top down into it to spray everything off from the inside first seems to work pretty well just asking I have no HVAC experience
@@kick1574 no that's fine
Great demonstration of what not to do.
1. Leave top of unit intact, so you cannot spray the water through the coil reverse fo air flow.
2. Leave unit running.
3. Make sure to spray the hose directly into the coil, so the most amount of crap possible gets permanently wedged between the fins.
4. Make sure you don't spray downward, or clear the drainage tracks/holes in the bottom of the unit.
5. Cash check before the customer has time to consider what a hack you are.
Nailed it.
False. I've done exactly this for regular maintenance a decade now. Not a single problem.
Now, if the coil is clearly impacted and its an actual service call. Yes, remove top and clean from inside first. Otherwise, these DIY try hard youtubers are doing it for clout.
@Straight_White_Fatherly_Figure I made this video for my customers that were taking theirs apart and tearing things up and poking holes in their coils. How to demonstration on how to be a professional HVAC technician, which I was for almost 30 years. Everybody's getting all inflamed on here because I'm not showing DIY folks how to do it the professional way. Most of the time for them this is all that's necessary.
@@Straight_White_Fatherly_Figure I started as an HVAC tech in 2001. If you were taught that this half-assed monkey shit is ok, go find the simpleton who taught you, and demand a refund and apology. Do better.
@@greasebellygaragepoking holes in the coils ?😂 doubt that. Learn a skill you hack.
@@greasebellygarage Why are you encouraging your customers to do anything but call you or maybe pop it with compressed air going as straight downward as possible? Good grief, man.
I highly recommend disconnecting power before any cleaning attempt. Yes they are rated for rain, but a hose can easily push water into your electrical compartment and cause damage or injury.
By code the unit is required to have a disconnect in sight of the unit. Just flip the cover up, pull the plug, the system is dead, takes just 2 seconds. Put the plug in your pocket. Someone could flip the breaker on or turn down the thermostat to start it. But you have the plug in your pocket, so it will start only when you replace the plug when your done.
@@davidmarquardt9034could that plug go out and need to be replaced "ever"
People like this keep us in business 😂
My customers do more damage tearing them apart!
@@greasebellygarage reading them? Still true that you should have just pulled the disconnect.
Customer to Tech - my ac is not working,
I watched a diy video on UA-cam, i washed the condenser coil, removed the electrical panel, and sprayed water on the electrical components... with the power on.
After there was some fireworks..what could be the cause for it not to cool ?
Ac Tech - reflects on the purpose on life...
Yep!
@@caddydaddy9961 You do realize rain falls on these condensers all the time right?
I just had Pro AC Company out yesterday to prep my 6 y/o system for summer. Services included removing fan grill, spray coil cleaner inside my outdoor unit, hose it clean from inside out. Looks nearly new.
congrats lol wtf????
@@flyneco22: The point was to anecdotally prove that the procedure in this video is NOT how pro AC guys do it.
Some of them do.... including me!
Right. I used to live in an area with serious lime in the water. You wouldn't want to clean that condenser with water from the hose.
My neighbor's never gets cleaned and compressor make noise to wake the dead 😂
Brought to you by a service company your gonna pay in a bit when your unit isn’t working anymore.
The freon level is going to drop. If you're not going to charge the unit after the cleaning don't do this
@@MainSpearsif water did that then it'd happen everytime it rained 😂
@@MainSpearsyou... you're joking right?
Never leave the fan on while doing that!!
Thats BS..what happens when it rains?
When the fan is running it will pull water particles into the bottom bearing housing and cause premature motor failure.
Our Florida weather and crappy motors causes premature motor failure anyway....
I guess we should all turn off our systems when it rains
Why not.
I had an hvac guy come and service my unit. He used a leaf blower first and then washed it from the inside.
Absolutely clean from the inside to the outside, with micro channels you will 100% clog them with dirt and debris cleaning out outside to the inside.
Seriously, this works fine if you're a homeowner. I'll say if you have cottonwood trees or similar plant debris you may need to angle the hose downward to "peel" the scum off of the coils.
I use a piece of window screen wrapped around the outside of the AC. If the screen starts to get plugged with the cottonwood seeds I just remove the screen and wash it off. Works great for me
@michaelbeckman1794 wow that is a fantastic idea I don't even know what cottonwood seeds look like this sounds like a perfect solution. You deserve a reward for that one sir.
@greasebellygarage cottonwood "bloom" are these 2" diameter fluffy seeds. There are many videos on utube where they are gathered up in the yard or curbside and people light them. It's amazing how fast the flame travels.
@michaelbeckman1794 glad I've never seen it.
@greasebellygarage many videos on utube of "flash" burning cottonseed in yards or curbside.
I take the fan top off to clean the leaves out of the bottom. Then wash the condenser fins out. Unit is 20 years old now.
Keep that one running as long as you can The new stuff is all junk.
@@greasebellygarage Absolutely. That’s what I’m hearing. They’re not cheap either. Hopefully this one hangs around a good while. ✌🏼🦅🇺🇸
@@GodBlessedAmerica aluminum coils on Chinese parts have killed them all
@@greasebellygarage I try to stay away from anything made in China. It’s getting harder to find things that aren’t. It’s killing our country.
Shut off the fan AT THE BREAKER BOX, then get a helper, unscrew the fan top and have your helper hold up the top that usually has the fan attached. Remove by hand or with a shop vac any debris at the bottom. Then IF NEEDED, from the inside, apply a basic degreaser like Simple Green liberally all over the grills and let soak in on the dirt for 5-10 mins. Then spray from the inside to the outside and do this until all the cleaner is washed away. Reassemble and then get a piece of screen cut out in a square shape that overlaps the top of the unit by about 6 inches on all sides and attach with thin bungee cords from each corner to the bottom of the unit to prevent debris from ever getting back down in the unit again.
Don't use a pressure washer. You may damage the cooling fins.
This may work…MAYBE…if you do it every 3 months. But if you live in a dusty or high pollen area…if your condenser is in a garden or near trees….or if you haven’t done any cleaning in years, PULL THE DISCONNECT to cut power. Do NOT get disconnect box wet…power is still going to the box…pulling the switch just cut it from your condenser.take off the top…carefully so as not to stretch th wire bundle. Find a condenser coil spray cleaner…you can get at Home Depot. Spray the cleaner to cover the entire fin ps from the inside out. Wait ten minutes. THEN spray the coil w the hose, from inside, out.
If coil is particularly furry, remove what you can by hand before the above
I used some vinegar, a little Dawn, sprayed with pump sprayer, waited 15 min, then hosed it off.
Worked like a charm.
What were the ratios of vinegar to Daen soap?
@@nativetexan3865 1 gallon sprayer, 1 quart of distilled white vinegar, about 1/4 cup of Dawn.
Won't harm the coils either.
Unless yours are rotten or some other issue.
My coils are 50+ years old.
When in doubt, use less vinegar.
You know you used too much Dawn if you keep rinsing and still have soap suds.
Vinegar is organic and Dawn is supposedly biodegradable.
Dawn soap is definitely not what you use....it'll cause corrosion
I saw a vid about Dawn dishwashing liquid and vinegar. He used a foam bottle,with a little squirt of Dawn,then maybe an ounce of vinegar,filling the rest of the way with water. The bottle appeared ro be a 16-20ounce size. Maybe
@@aliciacuoco8273 That might work for one that is somewhat clean but not for those packed with dirt and mineral deposits.
Thinking about using straight coca-cola next time lol
Mine seemed to be getting REALLY warm so I shot through it for Cooling Purposes. It let out a wonderful cool breeze & I'm high as shit. I haven't checked how everything is inside the house but I hear my wife yelling so she must be really impressed. Thanks guy!
Good job
After killing the power, you can wash most condensers like this, but not all of them. An example would be a double coil condenser or one that has gotten oil or grease on it, as in a restaurant setting.
You're absolutely right the method I demonstrated in the video works just fine for most homeowners. I've had to go back and fix ones where they take the fan tops off and did not wire the fan correctly or could not get the thing back together.
I use Jack Daniels to clean mine with, then i chase it with beer and a Camel.
Perfect!
I’ll do admit that’s one way to clean the condenser but I wouldn’t recommend.
Absolutely wrong. Turn power off, and spray from inside to the outside top to the bottom. All your doing is pushing the dirt farther into the coil where the compressor is.
Please pull the disconnect or shut off the breaker.. Don't ever spray into a unit while it is on or powered up. Rinse the coil and give sime time to dry out befor restarting unit.
As a truck driver w a giant radiator/condenser and former brazer for Lennox (the air/heat giants) for huge condensers on units for clients like wal mart i must say this does work but its better to spray from inside out to get all the debris from just smashing into the tiny spaces between the fins and in time shortening the life of the unit. Much more work😩 but this method will help until you can afford, or have time, to do it more thoroughly. Stay cool people💯🫡
Lennox..... Eeeeeeewwww! Lol I made this video to specifically show some of my customers how to just hose out their condenser really quick because here in Florida when we go like 2 or 3 months without it raining in the springtime they get packed up with dust and stuff and they call me and start complaining that it's not cooling very well this is almost always the problem so I send them the link to this video. I had several people last spring tear their units apart and clean them from the inside out and every single one of the ones that did screwed up their unit by either wiring the fan motor wrong driving a screw through the coil or just not being able to get it back together properly one guy even bent his fan blade really bad I had to replace the blade. So that's what this video is for DIY homeowners that want to do something to help. This is mostly harmless under those circumstances. Everybody that has commented on this thing so far has been telling me how to do it as a professional but I already know how to do it as a professional I'm just trying to help DIY people here.
Yup keep on going buddy, people like you keep us REAL HVAC TECHS in business. Not sure from where you LEARNED that specially the part you said " NO SOAP AT ALL" LOL
I will. If you are a real AC tech, you should know that the less chemicals, the better. I've cleaned hundreds of condensers this exact way. Especially near the beach here in Florida where soap doesn't agree with the salt residue from salt water.
And it’s not a Trane a/c unit with Christmas tree coil I use 409 spray from inside out with the power off I’m a retired commercial hvac tech I’ve worked on units as big as a single wide trail were you crawl between the fan blades to get in side to clean the condenser unit but if you want me to fix something you messed up triing to do it you self it will cost you twice as much just saying after 45 years just saying
@@terryboswell5148 when I was a kid my stepfather that raised me was a commercial HVAC tech he made me go inside of a cooling tower and spray some kind of descaling solvent when I was like 12 to 14 years old on the roof of a JCPenney's department store in fort Myers Florida. I also used to go help him overnight replace compressors at nursing homes. It was back in the early '80s. Years later when I became a residential HVAC tech I had people trying to clean their own condensers by taking them apart and then driving screws under the coil and doing all kinds of other crazy stuff.
Chemicals can damage coils. Simple as that.
You get the concentration wrong?
Corrosive agent that's now got an all You can eat aluminum buffet
Don't wash it all off?
Corrosive, as well as now a great place for dirt to collect now that you have a nice sticky section.
Every single microchannel coil I've seen says absolutely no chemicals.
So, you're wrong. Sorry.
@@xXxR3V3NxXx down in Florida we get natural corrosion from salt Air. Coil cleaner will absolutely destroy a coil that's near the beach.
You do not want to use any water with that much pressure, it could damage the unit. I like to take the outside grate off too and sweep all the dirt and dog hair down and out then hit it with a light water stream just to finish cleaning everything that I loosened with the small hand broom. Just be careful when maintaining your own appliances, it most definitely can be done and has been done for as long as people have had them! 👍
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:
No no no no no no no.
Don't do this. You're just pushing the dirt deeper into the coil!
No no no no no no no no no no no
This isn't a 3" thick evaporator coil. It's 2 rows at best. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
@@Ephbaum You know what? You’re right. It’s a great idea to teach people the worst possible method for doing the job as long as one minor detail may mean it’s technically not quite as harmful on this specific unit as it may be on other units. 🤡
yeah pushing cotton back into the coil to cause a bigger issue. @@Ephbaum
You either have no real world experience with this or you are incapable of basic common sense, logic and reasoning. @@dustinramsey773
All you've said is no no no. So, what is the right way
I’m an HVAC tech and first with a dirty condenser like that you don’t want to pressure wash the cotton into your coil but who am I to follow this man’s advice. Just saying always if your DIY person really do your research before doing.
I'm an AC guy too just trying to counteract some of the bad tick tocks.
Bull shit. Don't force the dirt deeper in side those coils. It will clog. Take the top off. Spray from the inside to the outside.
Or at the VERY least, spray with a downward angle, not straight-on into the coil.
This will definitely work on a single condenser coil. With a double condenser coil, you run the risk of pushing the dirt and debris against the inside coil making the problem worse. A can of condenser coil cleaner will help break down the debris and make cleaning more effective. It’s almost always better to let an experienced professional service your A/C, to save you from yourself. Always turn the power off beforehand, water and electricity doesn’t mix and the electrical components are not completely sealed off.
To do a good job, you DO need to take the top off. You also should be blowing the dirt OUT of the coil, not into it. This means remove your top and spray from the inside to the outside. Then you clean out the bottom of the pan.
This video is not the one to learn from. Go to AC Service Tech for a better resource.
Excellent advice for people who are wanting a quicker way to bend as many fins as possible
If you're bending your fins over with street pressure tell me where they live so I can move there.
Old bucklenuster here, I use my airline siphon attachment & blow a diluted mixture of simple green thru the condenser inside out, then blow dry.
That's actually a pretty good idea. Thanks for the tip!
Thanks for the helpful video, Can you start the unit right after cleaning? or wait 30-60 minutes for it to dry
You can start it a few minutes after you're done.
If you have a 2 row coil how are you supposed to get the inside coil without taking the top off? Also, probably wouldn't spray water all over it with electricity hooked up and running.
What we really need is redesigned condensers that simply mount their fan on a hinged panel with latches and a safety cutout switch.
Unlatch the hatch and tip it open. Apply low pressure cleaner inside and out, let it soak a bit, then spray with the hose from the inside. When complete just close the hatch and lock the latch.
It's nearly criminal that no manufacturer has done this.
That makes too much sense....
You’re supposed to clean them from the ionside out. I had about 5 lbs of dirt inside mine
You supposed to claim them before you get 5 pounds of dirt maybe four and it needs to be clean
@@johndoles3713 tell that to the previous owners of my home. I must have been the first owner to care enough to clean it
Unit off the motors are bottom open
If you have cottonwood or other detritus that packs the coils, there is ZERO chance of getting it remotely clean from the outside only. Add if you have a mat wrap inside the metal guard, everything gets trapped between the layers. Here's the thing, you need to know your own limits. If you can't lift it easily and keep from dropping it, safely remove the power and fan connections and reinstall it all correctly, you should hire someone as needed.
Public Service Announcement:
Take advice from licensed & Insured Professionals. There are NO HACKS when it comes to your safety and the costly repairs that follow when doing thing the wrong way.
Are you the air shield that's in Bradenton Florida??
I did that for 2 years. Finally took the casing completely off. The top is pretty clogged. The bottom collected all kinds of debris that washed down and couldn't get out.
This quick n dirty way works if you don't care. Taking it off is best, but is a pita to put back together
There is a risk-benefit factor to doing this and for most average homeowners it is not necessary to take the thing apart. When it's time to have it deep cleaned it's always best to call a professional. I made this video as a retort to some of the tick tocks that I've seen where they've got average people tearing their condensers apart to spray out a minute amount of dirt which probably is never necessary for a majority of people.
The worst condenser that I've ever seen at a residential home was plugged up with chicken feathers and that had to be completely disassembled to be cleaned out but most of the time people just get light dirt and grass from cutting the lawn. Most people don't need coil cleaner either, the less soap you use the better off you are.
Now for those of us that know a little something about AC and home repairs and Home Remodeling and construction then we may have enough common sense to know that yes taking the top of the fan unit off unplugging the breaker from the outside and cut the power to the unit and then carefully reaching your hand down in there like the one gentleman said and spring From the Inside Out holding your hose straight at the fence with low pressure so that you don't bend those little aluminum veins which could be more of a clog later on down the road if you don't watch what you're doing
You are 100% right and I encourage that from homeowners. However as a professional HVAC technician I have gone out on Sunday afternoons and soldered up holes and condenser coils where somebody put a screw in the wrong place or they miswired the motor somehow or got the wiring tangled up or bent the fan blade or something like that I have done it probably a couple of dozen times and more recently people see these videos on tiktok of professionals breaking down units and cleaning them but they just don't have the mechanical skills to put them back together properly. If you do I encourage you to do it. I have since quit the HVAC industry but just in the last month I have had to fix three of these where people have tried to clean them themselves. In fact I think it's my most recent short shows where somebody drove a screw through the coil. It ends up costing a lot of money when that happens the point here is that you can just spray them out especially if they're not that dirty. I applaud you for being able to do it.
Fan top: shut off power box and unscrew 5 to 8 screws max, turn it over and place it on top unit.
You can scoot it over and reach each side of the coil at a time.
If coil is plugged from debris being sucked into the outer side of the coil then your pushing debris into the coil and it settles around the compressor; spraying from the inside out is more effective, and you can also clean out leaves and debris that has fallen inside the unit.
That's what I do when people pay me to do it...
Not the best way, you just push the dirt into the coils, especially if you have cotton wood trees in the area! I have seen air conditioning coils that have been cleaned from outside in, some were clogged so badly that we had to replace them, also we had some idiots it my work who thought it would be a good idea to use the high pressure washer! It took us 2 men a whole day to try and undo the damage,
Of course this was a large 4 stage industrial chiller, with 2 large coils probably about 6 by 10 feet! "Yes", they tried to cut cost and hired some temporary workers to do the pm!
Yes restaurants are a different story for sure and commercial units. This video was made for basic homeowner knowledge that wants to squirt their condenser clean there's a lot of videos out there where homeowners are trying to take their fan tops off which can cause a whole slew of problems. The worst condenser I've ever seen was plugged up with chicken feathers of all things and yes it had to be cleaned from the inside out. To be honest I've rarely had to take them apart and clean them from the inside out because most of the time they're not even that dirty to begin with.
@@greasebellygarage Just delete the video.
Tik Tok techs are the worst thing to happen ti Air conditioning since the phase out of r-22. Saw a video of a hack tech either venting or pretending to vent the other day, hope thatbdude gets reported to the EPA for a lesson.
You know some of those videos with the hacks are for entertainment value anyways right?? The problem is when regular homeowners are trying to take their fan tops off and they are one piece fan top and they call me because the motor doesn't run the right direction or they can't get it back together or is wired wrong altogether. I made this video specifically to show homeowners that if they're going to do something which they're going to do anyway they might as well just squirt it off with a hose.
@@greasebellygarage Then tell them on the phone to look at the friggin wiring diagram and tell them to call back only if they're still confused.
@@jordanhenshawthats asking A LOT from an average customer
@@richardlafleur2864 If they’re already taking off the cover, taking off the top, and unplugging 3 wires, not really.
@@jordanhenshaw or you're way out of your depth and should have stopped yourself sooner
Always pull the fuses at the box first! The fan needs service, too. There are two oil ports on the fan,one for upper and one for lower bushings. A round rubber plug is usually there ,remove the plug and give each port 3 to 4 drops of lightweight oil and reinsert the plugs. While your fan is off you can clean the drain pan of debris. Spray the coils lightly to rinse any dirt and dust off. Reassemble and put the fuses back in the box.
Bro stop giving advice..
That's what I said!
Whatever works. Idk, I would still take the fan off and flush from the inside. I want to push the debris out of the unit not into it. I have mini splits though out of the house now. Those condensers are a different style and easier to clean
Straightforward video well presented. Thank you!
You are very welcome!
Man, this guy is applying for the Darwin awards!
People don't follow this advice this is nuts
Why?
I always blast mine hard with a pressure washer and straighten the fins later with a radiator comb
My unit stays under my patio out of the sun, I live in a really dusty area, I just use a leaf blower and air compressor and blow all the dust out of it about every 3 months.
That works great for dust...
Recommend having unit off especially if it’s a multi stage unit
WRONG!!!!!! WRONG!!!!!! WRONG!!!!! 25 Years in the field. That would work okay for a single row coil. Most coils are doubled up. Good luck getting the dirt out of them when this dunce pushes the debris between them. DON"T FOLLOW THIS HACK!
Make sure you don’t have much water pressure when doing this. Don’t ask me how I know. 😬
Those open carriers units yes easy to clean with just a hose,
Now the common trane, Amana/goodman and even some Lennox units have flashing covering the coil quite well and a hose just won’t do trust me, some can easy take flashing off and others require taking fan top off to be able to remove flashing and full access to coil. Also they do make non chemical cleaners such as viper that clean very well compacted or dirty units better then just water alone
Yes you're exactly right it's always customers that take off the Lennox, Goodman and trane fantops that seem to end up causing problems so I just tell them to spray the hose in the same direction as the armor vents. It does a decent job for a homeowner. Actually the trane American standard ones are pretty easy to clean no matter what in my opinion.
What are you doing??? Come on man…. Kill the power and get some new-bright.
I've only used nu-brite maybe 3 times in ten years. I usually don't use any cleaner at all. Obviously if the coil in the video were super dirty I would take it apart and clean it from the inside out but most homeowners don't need to do that in fact most of them don't even need to be cleaned to begin with.
Do not do this
I never take the fan top off. I still spray it from the top out because all the dust and shit that catches on the outside. I don’t want to blow onto the inside once I get it real good to where there’s not shit stuck on the outside, then I will spray from the outside in.
That's a good idea
You spray cool/ cold water on your coil while its running with hot vapor/liquid. that will cause a temperature drop between condenser/ evaporator. Depend on what metering device you had inside and how good it's still operate, you might end up with ice on suction line. Taking your fan off to clean is okay, just be careful with how its wiring. it actually recommend that you spray from inside out with low pressure water.
Can you show us how to water our lawn next or an even more difficult job like spraying the dirt off the sidewalk. This video changed my life. 😂😂😂
Totally
This is a video on exactly what not to do. Always and I mean always turn the power off. Never use a high pressure hose like this guy is. Great way to damage the fins. Whoever taught him this was ignorant.
The guy that taught me this was an HVAC contractor in Florida for 60 years.... Lol I've done this thousands of times..... But it's only for light cleaning.... I've seen homeowners so more harm than good by tearing them apart.
@@greasebellygarage
So the guy that taught you told you to leave the power on?
I'm not trying to be rude to you cuz I know you think this is the right thing to do. But this is a good way to find out whether your 220v is properly grounded. It won't be fun if it's not.
Like I said in my prior comment that high pressure is an excellent way to damage the fins when you talk about damage that's extreme damage. It will take a couple of hours to rake those fins back into position.
@@socalifone3044 I never advise anybody to spray water directly into the electrical box area I mean the unit does sit out in the rain especially here in Florida I've seen these things underwater in Florida before and the pressure in the video is not nearly as high as it seems it's one of those bullseye nozzles that you can buy at Johnstone supply. The guy that taught me this actually told me that the fan helps pull the water through the coil so yes I have witnessed numerous numerous other AC techs in Florida that do this all the time. Obviously when it's impacted are really bad we tear the units down and spray them from the inside out with new bright and all that crap. The fact of the matter is 90% of the condensers in Florida can be cleaned exactly the way I did it the video and yes you could always turn the power off.
This is EXACTLY how every AC tech I've ever seen does it; not ONE has ever taken off the fan and cleaned from the inside.
Love it when I get to one of these calls and the customer says they clean it, and it looks clean, but it’s plugged.
Pro tip. Clean from the inside, take a sample by catching some of the water in a cup. Even when you think it’s clean, dirt and debris is still coming out.
Proper clean from inside takes some time. Quick rinse is not gonna cut it.
If your hvac guy is doing a cleaning and spraying from the outside, directly in, send em on.
As long as the fan is moving air it does not have to be spotless. I am my own AC guy.
What does water and dust make? Compressed air works best
Compressed air is not a bad idea but a lot of people don't have access to it.
Someone’s asking for an instant death sentence by leaving that fan powered on. Shut it off at the emergency kill switch. Do it right!
Thanks for this tip bro! I had a lot of brown water draining out the bottom!!❤❤
You're welcome!
Hmm what happenes when we have a heavy rain fall and our AC stays running ? We don't all go outside and kill the power. Mines been running in the rain and hail even when we had a snow storm and it still runs strong. U can actually take a foam gun like to wash cars use regular dawn soap and baking soda mix it properly soak the out side of the coils. Let it sit for a min and rinse with the water hose. It will never damage your condenser. I do mine at least once a week and my AC gets ice cold and I usually have it set at 76. During the day
I created this video and I guess I should mention that it's probably not a good idea to use any kind of cleaner while the unit is running especially professional coil cleaners. I just use water only I only use cleaner when it's absolutely necessary.
I been doing this for years. Glad you have so many HVAC professionals in the comments. Bigger problem is how many ppl actually change their filter out on a regular basis.
The AC professionals in the comment section are trying to explain how to do it the professional way the whole point of the video is to show a homeowner how to rinse light stuff out of their condenser if they do it regularly they won't have to call a professional. Thank you for watching my video and understanding it.
@@greasebellygarage No problem! Love your channel! I have a 1970 model VW Bug, do you guys work on them?
@JandAReview1 thank you very much!
spiral wound condenser - > able to be cleaned this way (mostly)
straight fins -> open and clean from inside out
By the looks of this unit being around a lot of leave
s ,you will need to take the fan top off to remove the leaves in the unit unless you can show how you get out without removing it ??
Hey ive been doing this for over a 100 years so i got you beat. Kidding and either way if a home owner wants to shut the unit down and do it the right way shouldnt you be teaching that and explain why we secure power and remove the condenser fan ? Either way its their unit and if they want to destroy it then its more money and work for the residential guys.
I guess you have a point!
you clean the condensing unit from the inside out, spraying the front side will just shove dirt further in the coils
That's how it's always been done at my house. Just stay clear of the electrical box. Compressed air is not bad method either. 😂
Lots of people do it the same way...
No. The fan is drawing air *through* the condenser coil. Debris, grass clippings, cottonwood, leaves, hair, etc., get pulled in between the aluminum fins. The proper method is cleaning from the inside. The supply house specifically sells a wand that fits through the fan grill and sprays a fan pattern from the inside. All you have to do is shut off power first.
I do this once a week. As soon as i finish cutting grass. My hvac guy showed me the same as you. I also have the full system cleaned/ serviced every spring and the technicians always say my unit is clean.
Once a week might be a little too much depending on how much grass you have I guess sounds like you have a really good AC guy because I have taught most of my customers how to do this myself. They thank me for it.
I live in Canada, every year the AC in the spring gets covered in poplar fluff, just spraying from the outside only would drive it in deeper into the fins. So takin of the fan part is a must, its like the little old lady standing in her garden on a hot summer day, with the hose in hand watering her grass,
Common sense would tell you that depending how clogged the fins are that you should clean the coils from the INSIDE out because of the direction of the airflow caused by the fan also with the fan out of the way you retrieve any debris and clean the drains on the bottom of the unit to prevent any premature rust on the bottom pan
Should be spraying from inside out, may require to remove some screws but it will keep debris out of the unit so when it's dried it's not just sucked back into the condensor coil.
What if you have double coils? Isn’t it best from the inside out with cleaner & light spraying to rinse off?
Double row coils are not actually all that common unless it's in larger units but I've never had a problem cleaning those either the same way it just takes a little bit more time.
I pull the breaker out of the panel and hose it while not running .
Great advice if you're coils are easily accessible like in the video. My coils are hidden behind a cage of thicker metal divisions. Water hose won't cut it. Had to take side panels off, which involved taking fan off of the top.
sometimes there's no way around it...
You can hose it from the outside, but you should hold the nozzle 45 degrees from horizontal to drive cottonwood fluff and grass down and off the coils, not through them, and when you spray in, you do push some of the dirt into the bottom of the unit, which can accelerate rust.
I’m gonna do this a little later our unit could use a rinse. The other place I lived I had to take the condenser guard? Not the top but the side. Wasn’t to bad. But I’ll do this to out unit now cause I feel it could use it
So you sprayed all the caked on grass debris farther inside? Super.
Yes you can do it that way especially if your condenser is not too dirty. A regular washing is perfectly fine cleaning it that way.
Now if its pretty dirty........youre only pushing in the dirty...basically packing it into the fins and coils. Because that is the direction of the air flow. You want to go against the flow to push it out.
Then after its clean, you can now clean it as shown in this video. But make sure you wash it regularly.
Disconnect 220v. Remove fan. Spray from inside out. Clean tray.
Thanks mister I’m gonna try that cause there’s a bunch of dust on that outside Heat pump and the five yr warranty just went out!!
Absolutely have at it! You're Welcome!
If you have a lot cottonwood in you area don't do this. It just pushes the cottonwood spores farther into the condenser. Im not a HVAC tech, just a home owner that has seen a thing or too. I am Diesel and heavy Equipment tech that has to deal with cottonwood. I would say 50 percent of my over heating issues on Equipment are caused by plugged up heat exchangers.
That is the one thing that I did not accommodate for in this video but it's only because we don't have cottonwood trees in Florida our worst pollen is from oak trees and it just rinses right out of everything. I'm actually watching UA-cam videos right now because I have a 7.3 powerstroke diesel that refuses to start. Lol
@@greasebellygarageThe ICP sensor is a common failure on those engines. What is even more common is the wiring harness to the sensor burning up from heat and resistance. Navistar used the cheapest wiring I swear. If you go after that sensor check that harness as well.
@mikerobinson3672 Yes I haven't narrowed down to that now I bought a new sensor which included a new wiring harness that's my next move. Thank you
If its got a bunch of leaves in it, you need to take the top off. The way you were moving the hose blast side to side you could have been bending over those fragile fins. Just go up and down as most of the time the fins are oriented that way. There is a chemical called coil cleaner that works real well and is not harmful to your a/c unit, or plants or animals.
FYI if the air is warm this means you have good heat transfer.
A better reason to not take the top off is because if the fan comes on things can get disasterous really quick. Not everyone remembers or knows how to disconnect the power.
We need to take the cover off to replace the capacitor. When the fan stops running , you're getting a trickle of cold air in the vents.
Start at the top, then work your way down to the bottom, dirt travels downward once it gets soaked by water