Wow, never thought of that. Thanks for bringing that up Steven, something I will be aware of going forward. You are so right about these units being buried by these freakin landscapers. I deal with that every day.
I'm a 18 year tech/installer and have have to say thanks for the cool explanation and the good laugh about the dog drinkin' the flippin foam there, lol
Good vlog Steven! I usually use a chemical called EnviroCoil made be Advanced Engineering, it is safe around animals, i have checked with the manufactures as there are always cows about where i work! I'd be more bothered by the animals getting hurt than the money. On a side note, the people who sue all the time need black listing, let them do everything themselves in future.
Great vlog Steve. Haven't had any issues yet, but have been questioned a few times by homeowners. That is what put me in mind to start thinking about it years ago. Have considered the EnviroCoil cleaner, but haven't tried it. I always rinse really well, but only use cleaner when I feel it is needed and safe to do so. Like you, I use that same brush and have since early 80's and it works really well followed up with a good rinsing. Take care, Brett
I always just use water for cleaning the condenser coil, no matter how dirty. No costumer is worth me getting sued and possibly losing my business. When In doubt use water! Good video Steve, i always enjoy watching and learning.
Thanks for sharing Steven. Like Heavy Diesel, we also use Envirocoil coil cleaner on our condensing units and operating room air handling units. Being in a hospital, staff/doctors are ultra sensitive to smells, and IAQ in general. You brought up a subject no one really thinks about. You just opened a lot of eyes on the subject.
Steve, just want to give you huge thumbs up for all your videos mate. As far as coil cleaner, one of the components is ethylene glycol which is found in any anti-freeze application (automotive, plumbing, cleaners and a few more) and is very toxic to any animal and pets. I had a situation about five years ago where a supplier had brought several 200 gallon anti-freeze containers for rail (third-rail 600Vdc) applications. One of the containers had a very small leak and over the span of several days it leaked out on the ground. Apparently, some of the birds were drinking this and over a week's time we had at least 50 dead birds around the area. As someone who takes WHIMIS very seriously, we were charged a hefty fine by the environmental agency for poor storage of this chemical. So, yes, when using any chemical which an animal may come into a contact we have to do our due diligence to protect them. On the other hand, allowing your dog to take a piss on the condenser coil can also be very detrimental to the copper fins. tinypic.com/r/2e3tmwz/9
That is a great point Steve, never really thought about the animals coming by and drinking that shit. I can definitely seeing that happening, allot of homeowners don’t pay attention to their dogs and just let them outside and shut the door. Will always remember this. Thanks Steve.
Thank You Steve for all these uploads. You Sir are doing a great service to all of us! As for the coil cleaner on outdoor units, yeah its some really nasty stuff. It'll kill shrubbery & flower beds & landscaping in general. People will sue over just that! If the unit sets high enough on its foundation, maybe we can put some tubs around the base to catch some of it. Or maybe there is another chemical that we can use after we rinse the coil, that neutralizes the coil cleaner. Just some thoughts.
I avoided using condenser coil cleaner for fifteen years. All I ever used, to get residential ac's clean, was the green clean and a good garden hose jet nozzle. My head pressure always improved and I got the ac working good. I worked for a company in 2014 & 2015 that sold those condenser coil cleanings for $300.00. I was forced to use that (toxic) blue foaming coil cleaner. I hated it. It stripped the paint off of the units and faded the fins out and caused a huge mess. Also, even if I wore gloves, some would seem to get onto my hands and they would feel slippery for hours and hours. Personally, I don't use it. Now that I am with a different company, I have gone back to my old ways of using environmentally safe cleaners on the condenser. Just my opinion. By the way, love your videos and I watch them all the time. Keep up the good work.
I did a couple of condensing coils last year. One I asked the customer (friends from high school) to keep their dogs away. And I made sure to rinse all cleaner real good. Rinsed until no foam on the ground. They had 4 dogs and 3 cats.
Great Video ! i Had Never Thought of that, wow ! Thanks for making this Video ! Been doing this 34 years. Learn Something new Every Day. You Tube is Awesome >>> & this Community of Guys Helping Each Other Keep informed Of Everything. I Would Recommend Using--- ONLY HOT Water Direct From a Water Heater Bottom Drain To Clean Condensers in a Residential Application. it comes out Steaming hot when i use it and Rarely do i need to use chemical with a Steaming HOt Garden Hose. i don't do alot of Residential, Mainly Commercial Restaurants, in Residential you have to Worry all the time about Tracking dirt into a house, hitting a wall with a furnace, too many issues to deal with, for this reason i prefer commercial & industrial. Steaming HOt Water Cleans Awesome !
Yea, no chemicals to worry about and it works really good. Environmentally Friendly, nobody can say that u used chemicals. no dangers what so ever, except from when the cheap garden hose explodes while u are using it. I Have Heavy Black Rubber Garden hose now from Graingers that can handle the Hot Water. The hot water will chew up alot of Cheap garden hoses. i have gone through alot of cheap hoses. then i spent the $50.00 on a Heavy Black Rubber hose from graingers and they are 10 years old and still going Strong. and you will need a Good nozzle that can handle the heat too!
+steven lavimoniere and i found it also Cleans out their hot water heater, at first when i turn on the water from the bottom of the hot water heater, i do it without the nozzle on cause sometimes at first a bunch of rocks and scale comes out for a while at first. as i'm sure you've seen a million times. Free hot water heater service.
Wow first I heard of the whole being sued cause the cleaner killed something , I'm def going to keep that in mind when I sell cleanings now thanks Steve and great topic .
You never know what chemicals might be in "coil cleaner", you don't even know for sure with the SDS sheets for it, but with pets and children the cleaner should not be more than a soap and water solution, Dr Bronners liquid castile soap is all natural and it doesn't suds up and rinses out clean fast, I use it for dog shampoo. Coil cleaner could even be something that has to be disposed of a certain way rather than out the back yard or drain.
Better to determine if washing the coils down is going to flood in the first place. If so, either move the junk/trash around it so it will or, don't use the cleaner, just the hose. I have seen a lot of condensers that were never mounted onto a platform or a concrete base/slab and they just sit in the mud all winter long. All you can do in that case is recommend getting the drainage corrected or mount the condenser on a platform. Then, if water is going to pool up regardless, ask if there are pets and either leave a warning or don't use the stuff.
Hey Steven thank you for sharing the story about the dog. truthfully it never even cross my mind about that happening.as for the raising the condenser, the best way to go is to pour a pad raised of the ground at least four inches that's how down here at the bottom.thanks for the squire cage tip.
New to the HVAC field. Dang it! Now this means I gotta read the instructions lol. excellent point. Will simple green be to strong for this? even if you delude 3to1.....just wondering
+Homework04 not sure about simple green .you want to use something that designed for use with copper and alunumum . what condensers are made of. u would stick to coil cleaner
I love my Water Saber I bought two years ago. I can clean almost any coil unless it's full of grease. Best coil cleaner ie used without chemicals. their are other new "water saber" knock offs by large companies but this stainless steel water saber is lifesaver. I got a Coil Jet endo last summer on sale and am anxious to use it this summer I highly recommend it. I'm a tool a dictionary like most of you guys making these videos. I dot even want to know what th total cost In too and demo test tools ive had/have. a good idea is to have a customer sign a acknowledgement about coil cleaner and risks involved. Forget about cleaning most blower wheels because they will be unbalanced and labor to Clean the coil can exceed a replacement! CYA BROTHER!! (ESPECIALLY IN NJ!)
Great points Steve. There are also cats, birds and in some cases wildlife. Here in Texas it gets very hot and dry, creatures are all looking for water. Also, coil cleaning is an absolute must on most units I see. We all talk a lot about the perfect refrigerant charge, etc., but if those coils are dirty, it doesn't,t mean Jack. Thanks for putting this out.
your right and down south coils being clean is a must or your head pressure will be off the chart..up my way its not as hot .but good point about the other animals .we all need to think things out
good point about raising the units. the system im doing now, i just built a 4x4 PT frame and filled it with gravel, then put a plastic pad on top of that. raised it about 4" off the ground.
Steam boilers low water cutoff switches are supposed to be disassembled and cleaned annually and not just flushed out. A dry fired boiler can cause fires. Read McDonnell Miller maintenance net ructions.
Idk if this is unique to my area, Philly, but there's a local motor shop that sells motors or will rebuild a motor for you if it's a motor you can't get. What they do is steam clean the blower assembly for you. I handle a few restaurants in center city that have returns pulling from the kitchen and those blower assemblies get covered in grease, very nasty. So when I have to change their blower motor I take the whole thing to them, motor and all, and have them steam it for me. It comes out looking brand new. These places don't have the money to relocate the return, they'd rather deal with the greasy motor I guess. I think a engine machine shop can also steam clean large items for you.
CRC 14416 Hydroforce industrial degreaser is also pretty good. It really lowers the surface tension of water, allowing it to wet dirt and lint and get it to rinse off of condensers and squirrel fan blades. Not as good as coil cleaner, but a little goes a long way.
I use the coil brush first, blow out with nitrogen then a low pressure power washer with only water. Sometimes if chemical is needed use a diluted Simple green concentrate. This is also biodegradable and won't kill the bushes as coil cleaner, or the grass. Vac out the interior. Wash inside to outside. This all depends on the conditions. The head pressure will tell the story in most cases.
Yup I'm being sued for not finishing a engine rebuild because the guy told me to stop because he thought I never ordered the parts. Screwed up sounding huh? I won my first case, now he got a attorney and now we get to go in front of a jury. But if someone does work at my place and doesn't clean up their chemicals then they should have to pay and replace my doberman a good dog is expensive to replace and if someone is sloppy and don't want to clean up a hazardous chemical then they need to lose some money, kids could get hurt by it as well.
+Patrick TheBaptist point is to hose it off good and also hose off the grown to prevent that from happening or do not use cleaner for some jobs might be a oppion to concider
To be safe and not damage the condenser and my dog I start with a dishwasher detergent in my sprayer and garden hose.If the unit is still dirty I'll go on and hook up some FCC-300 non-toxic foaming spray coil cleaner.
Very informative video. Thanks for letting others know. When I coil clean I use non acidic unless she's a real dirty mama then the good stuff must be used
You are right. I never use much. No more then a mouth full to 2 gallons sprayer. On rooftop units a little more. Try to just use indoor coil cleaner for homeowners on the AC units. Inside just brush. Or pump it down cut coil loose take to shop clean, vacuum unit braze back plus filter dryer $1700.00 R-22 $2200.00 on the r-22 the homeowner will buy a new unit most of the time. Carry on
good point always on guard in the house from nanny cams to bills on the table. never thought about the pooch drinking coil cleaner waste water, or the cat . thanks steven i do rinse the crap out of the units.
I do mostly industrial work but sometimes residential and I really never thought much about using coil cleaner.Anymore If I don't need to I don't use it at all.Thanks for bringing this up.Might save a pet and prevent a law suit
Great video never thought of that!! We use a ton of coil cleaner but we try and wash all bubbles left away. I noticed in your videos you use that brush but can't find one like that in Texas. What supply house or website you get them from? Thanks for the video!
my coil brush is a mars .its a eveporator cleaning brush but works great on condensers to get the bulk off .no good for spin fin coils .i get mine from f.w. webb the supper i deal with there like 2 bucks for them .i will get the numbers and send you the info on brush
Also, we can sell condensing unit covers to customers & show them how to pull the disconnect switch & then cover the unit before they mow grass or weed wack. This would prevent the coil from getting plugged in the first place. & would be 1 less liability on us because we wouldn't need coil cleaner to clean coils. We could probably make do with just removing the top of the unit & just rinsing the coil inside & out.
I only use the coil cleaner if the coil is plugged bad.I can get alot done taking the top off and sides and using just water.Years back when I was a newbie I accidentally killed some expensive flowers a lady had,she made the boss buy her 300 dollars worth of new flowers...needless to say since then I have only used coil cleaner in certain situations.
I worked for a Management company here in Phoenix AZ. They sent me to a upstairs unit to replace a Toilet. They told me use the EZ-Flow poly line on the toilet. I said it should be a metal type line. A few weeks latter .I meet with some lawyers. A cat chewed into the line and caused a flood to the down stairs unit. Filled with vintage things.
I found a coil cleaner made by Nu Calgon called "Green Clean". It's supposed to be non toxic. I've used it on condensing and evap coils. Works pretty good. But just like the foaming stuff you have to rinse it good. The only time I use the foaming cleaner is when I'm working on a roof of a commercial building or restraint, out of the way of the general public or a home owner.
It is very true... you don't want to be sued for something like that... but also much more important... you don't want to hurt or kill a loving beloved living creature that has feelings and emotions and feels empathy and love not just for the person that cares for that animal but an animal that will love everyone that feels love and empathy towards it.... Here is a simple rule to live by.. but is very difficult to grasp... Remember... its never JUST a dog...
i do alot of commercial sites and even some guys dont know that the "BLUE DEATH" condenser coil cleaner eats through and stains certain flat roofs... and draining off the roof... my one boss had to re-sod a customers lot for coil cleaner turning his grass brown... and YES i have always thought about peoplea animals getting sick or dieing.. shit is scary especially running ur own business... like u said USE AS NEEDED AND TAKE CAUTION OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS TECHS!!
Triple D I think is mild but it does eat asphalt but really slowly . It has a nice Oder to it triple D DDD stands for Deodorizer Degreaser Disinfectant . Yea what they call the blue devil yea that some powerful shit .
Wow definitely a good point! Not too long ago i had to replace a 5-year old condenser because one happy pup kept peeing on it at exactly the same spot over and over again until the copper deteriorated and sprained a leak. In that case, the dog killed the unit lol so it can work both ways. Coil cleaner VS dog is a lot more serious matter of course. Excellent heads up. Thank You Steve good lookin out!
never thought of using dish soap. excellent idea, ill probably keep a big bottle of dawn on the truck for residential and leave the chemical cleaner for commercial where there's no pets, vegetation, etc.
Literally! Cascade powder is great at cleaning greasy coils, gotta be careful though!! Too strong and the coils will start smoking!! That's the aluminium reacting with the sodium hydroxide and the copper. Don't burn holes in the copper tubes!! That'd be bad....LOL! Nice and clean though! A tablespoon in 2 gallons of hot water is a STRONG cleaner! Usually a teaspoon is plenty! Just as with any cleaner, flush with lots of water to rinse the coil, AND Dilute the runoff!
I have a sad story to tell you.. It may hurt your feelings a bit.. Last night I walked into my bathroom.. And stepped in a big pile of.. Shaving cream.. Be nice and clean.. Shave every day and you'll always look keen...
Not to mention that using too much coil cleaner too often will deteriorate the coils, should only be used if coil is real greasy and dirty. It is cool to get a good heavy foam though when they are bad.
common sense first which is not so common Steve what I have found in high risk areas is super clean and in play yards simple green it`s bio safe great video thanks again vinny
So basically, use some common sense. The home owner is obligated to do the same, but they rarely do. I have to use all kinds of chemicals, solvents, etc. Probably 70% or 80% of the units where I lived were rooftop mounted anyway. I like your videos, & I love accent. I am going to have to clean the condensing coils on the Amana on my mom's hew house, and I am going to get the drainage around it fixed. It sits in a mud hole now. I am going to set the plastic pad up on piling block for the interim. Later, I will pour a sidewalk/patio. I had to clean mold off the fan, motor & housing on our Trane in Phoenix. The roofers from hell botched the whole roofing whole job, and water leaked into the return air duct. It molded up all the duct work, up really good, so I had to replace all the flex duct, clean out the whole AC/furnace unit, and clean and paint ALL the hard duct work with special cleaners & special paint. I make my own mold cleaner from TSP trisodiumphosphate, but it has to have the phosphate in it, then I use bleach water, and TSP, then bleach, then water and more water, then paint all the galvanized stuff ASAP. That bleach makes it want to oxidize so you need to hit the galvanized with a wire brush & get all the white powdery stuff off & get the mold resistant paint on it really fast, before it oxidizes again. I could have sued the idiots who did the work, but then I get a new batch of idiots, so I figure I can do idiot work myself, just take care of it, and be done with it. If you can read, you can read that "Concrobium" mold killer is trisodiumphosphate in distilled water, with a surficant. A little dish detergent, $6 for distilled water and $4 for some TSP, & a spray bottle, and you have a few gallons of mold killer, for $12. I think the paint was $120 for 5 gallons, and it is thick like ketchup, so you can easily add water and get 10 gallons of paint. It would sure not go through the airless spray rig without watering it down. The squirrel cage fan came out beautifully! I just used a brush on the fan housing. The duct board & paint inside the unit are guaranteed for 5 years against mold. I used a cold fogger on the boot & ell duct, & hit it with the paint with a 72" wand, & the airless sprayer.
I know a guy that was working and his partner put some left over coil cleaner in a Gatorade bottle. Well it was during hot summer this guy took a big drink of it and ended up on life support. They turned his throat upside down and all kinds of crazy shit!
Yet guys do stupid things like that all the time!! 90% of these cleaners say right on the container : "Hazardous to humans and pets. It is illegal to put this product in to an unlabeled container." Even when you buy concentrate and put the diluted product in to a pump can, it's legally supposed to have a label!
It sounds like a lot of techs are not diluting the coil cleaners correctly, that being said, it seems there was a laps in common sense for both the tech and the owner of said dog. For the tech, make sure you rinse the the whole area, I try to rinse the whole area as far away from the condenser as possible. For the dog owner, tech comes in, says he need to clean condenser, you have to assume he will be using some kind of cleaner/chemical, the onus at this point falls on the owner, after tech is done, go outside inspect the area where the tech performed the work, make sure there are no hazards that can hurt you or your pet. people forget that pets are like children you need to monitor them.
Everything today is about STUFF. You have STUFF and somebody wants your STUFF. The easiest way to get STUFF is to take it from somebody who has STUFF. Several people attempted to carjack a lady near here. One got out in front of here car to get her to stop which she did initially. Then, when she saw the others come out, she took off. The culprits were recording it. If she didn't get away they would have had her car. If she had injured the one in the road she would have been sued.
Not trying to be a wise guy here. In the state of Ohio you have no standing in the court for damages to a pet. You may be liable for the original cost of the animal but your insurance should cover if fido drinks the cool-aide. I always inform the homeowners to the hazards of chemicals and have them sign a consent to service the premises. In my state, signing a release does not excuse any wrong conduct on my part but simple let's the courts know the consumer was well informed prior to my service. And thanks for the heads up on the blue coil cleaner. I service a lot of rooftop units!
Same here in Mass, The pet is considered property. Though I'd feel terrible, the financial part would be manageable. I am usually pretty sure where my chemical run-off goes. I worked for a chemical company many years ago and sold things like oven cleaners, exhaust hood cleaners etc while servicing refrigeration and warewash. Sometimes you don't think about where it's going!! Evaporators especially-- Down the drain...to WHERE? Condensers in Kitchens are greasy and need a cleaner, but you can see where the runoff goes. Just remember: think- where is it gonna go?
i know of clients who asked not to take out permits than after the job was done say either for the company walk away with out pay or the client will turn them in for no permit pulled.
Clients? That is some shady shit those clients of yours try to pull. Only takes one time to come across the wrong company owner who won’t accept that kind of attempted sabotage and make sure they never try to pull some shady shit like that again.
My pets like to drink the condensation as it comes out of my air handler drain. This really got me thinking about people who are using condensate pan tabs.
Absolutely when I did cleanings back in the day we'd always assess the situation and we didn't alway's go the chemical route outside. Evaporator's blower wheels when they got pulled always got the full Monty for mold etc etc. cotton wood hate that shit with a passion! Lol lol.. Steven I wished I had you're famous little brush at that time too. -Mike
If the home owners would take the time and kill the power and hose the condenser at least twice during the cooling season that would prevent major problems and would eliminate the use of coil cleaner.
hey Steve, I have got some good results with vinegar and water for coils. Another thing that I have done was to have a customer sign off that they have been told that the cleaner has some hazard concerns. Example: lawn maintenance techs leave a paper sign on a little plastic spike after the have sprayed with certain chemicals and have a note right on their service sheet. Might be a good idea for HVAC techs to do the same. Thanks for taking the time to get these issues out there. Joe, N.Y.
Good point gotta be careful, was moving spider webs to access the condensor and was told that im destroying the spiders habitat although saying it would rebuild didnt help much
steven you got a good point cause I know that's truth cause I went through that I killed my own cat with coil cleaner, after that I don't use it no more I just use water from inside out and it worked good so far
nice video,very important topic not the getting sued part but the fact that we as technicians should have a good handle on what were using and how to use it properly,and every situation is different,so know your surroundings its the dumb ass who kills someones pet that gives us hvac techs a bad name when it comes to common sense,but just like anything i only get a call when its broke,and half the time it could be prevented with regular serv,go figure.
Rehome Riffs being careful is part of our job ..i did the video to raise awarness sometimes we are in a rush and leave stuff like cleaner on the grown its easy to just spray it down is all i am saying .a lot of these videos i do are just talking about stuff that could happen .for the new techs mostly
Wow never thought of that! Ruin a carpet once that's all.. got acid fall on my chest trying to put coil back being under the coil someone else pushing it and making sure it went inside fricking track.. who pays me for that lol.
I saw your coil cleaning video and you left a full puddle and stream of coil chemical residue in a nice scrub and flower bed. That plus pets is a major liability that's why I clean all my coils (35 years worth) with regular dish washing liquid ($1.59) It's safe, it's a degreaser and your profit is ten times greater with a discount to your customer. Or offer "free cleaner" with a cleaning.
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Im a full time hvac tech. I respect your knowledge and your work.
Never thought about the animals before now!! Thanks Steve I really enjoy your videos!!
Ken Sproles thanks for watching
common sense steve because we all forget some time's thank you for refreshing all us watcher's! God bless.
Wow, never thought of that. Thanks for bringing that up Steven, something I will be aware of going forward. You are so right about these units being buried by these freakin landscapers. I deal with that every day.
land scaper from hell i call them
Or landscapers weed eating up the stat wires, totally preventable call.
Awesome vid Steve! I’m a master plumber from Jersey this is a real eye opener brother. Enjoy ur vids man👍
I'm a 18 year tech/installer and have have to say thanks for the cool explanation and the good laugh about the dog drinkin' the flippin foam there, lol
greg lee good luck with your job ..
That's a really good topic Steven...Thanks for the heads up. I have never come across to a problem like that but it can happen. We need to be alert 🚨
Good vlog Steven! I usually use a chemical called EnviroCoil made be Advanced Engineering, it is safe around animals, i have checked with the manufactures as there are always cows about where i work! I'd be more bothered by the animals getting hurt than the money.
On a side note, the people who sue all the time need black listing, let them do everything themselves in future.
its a sad day when you get sued for doing your job ..just something to keep in mind we all get busy with work and things like this can slip our minds
Great vlog Steve. Haven't had any issues yet, but have been questioned a few times by homeowners. That is what put me in mind to start thinking about it years ago. Have considered the EnviroCoil cleaner, but haven't tried it. I always rinse really well, but only use cleaner when I feel it is needed and safe to do so. Like you, I use that same brush and have since early 80's and it works really well followed up with a good rinsing. Take care, Brett
good point brett
I always just use water for cleaning the condenser coil, no matter how dirty. No costumer is worth me getting sued and possibly losing my business. When In doubt use water! Good video Steve, i always enjoy watching and learning.
Thanks for sharing Steven. Like Heavy Diesel, we also use Envirocoil coil cleaner on our condensing units and operating room air handling units. Being in a hospital, staff/doctors are ultra sensitive to smells, and IAQ in general. You brought up a subject no one really thinks about. You just opened a lot of eyes on the subject.
a lot of eyes need to open,,, its serious stuff we need to worry about ..thanks for commenting and the support brad
Steve, just want to give you huge thumbs up for all your videos mate.
As far as coil cleaner, one of the components is ethylene glycol which is found in any anti-freeze application (automotive, plumbing, cleaners and a few more) and is very toxic to any animal and pets. I had a situation about five years ago where a supplier had brought several 200 gallon anti-freeze containers for rail (third-rail 600Vdc) applications. One of the containers had a very small leak and over the span of several days it leaked out on the ground. Apparently, some of the birds were drinking this and over a week's time we had at least 50 dead birds around the area. As someone who takes WHIMIS very seriously, we were charged a hefty fine by the environmental agency for poor storage of this chemical. So, yes, when using any chemical which an animal may come into a contact we have to do our due diligence to protect them.
On the other hand, allowing your dog to take a piss on the condenser coil can also be very detrimental to the copper fins.
tinypic.com/r/2e3tmwz/9
That is a great point Steve, never really thought about the animals coming by and drinking that shit. I can definitely seeing that happening, allot of homeowners don’t pay attention to their dogs and just let them outside and shut the door. Will always remember this. Thanks Steve.
Thank You Steve for all these uploads. You Sir are doing a great service to all of us!
As for the coil cleaner on outdoor units, yeah its some really nasty stuff. It'll kill shrubbery & flower beds & landscaping in general. People will sue over just that!
If the unit sets high enough on its foundation, maybe we can put some tubs around the base to catch some of it.
Or maybe there is another chemical that we can use after we rinse the coil, that neutralizes the coil cleaner.
Just some thoughts.
Great points you made. You have to be careful with what you do. Everyone today is sue happy.
just a reminder things can happen in a snap of the fingers ..just raising awareness of a problem that might arise
Can I use something besides the condenser cleaner like Dawn soap and some mild vinegar and then wash it or clean it while rinse it well Stevie
I avoided using condenser coil cleaner for fifteen years. All I ever used, to get residential ac's clean, was the green clean and a good garden hose jet nozzle. My head pressure always improved and I got the ac working good. I worked for a company in 2014 & 2015 that sold those condenser coil cleanings for $300.00. I was forced to use that (toxic) blue foaming coil cleaner. I hated it. It stripped the paint off of the units and faded the fins out and caused a huge mess. Also, even if I wore gloves, some would seem to get onto my hands and they would feel slippery for hours and hours. Personally, I don't use it. Now that I am with a different company, I have gone back to my old ways of using environmentally safe cleaners on the condenser. Just my opinion. By the way, love your videos and I watch them all the time. Keep up the good work.
I did a couple of condensing coils last year. One I asked the customer (friends from high school) to keep their dogs away. And I made sure to rinse all cleaner real good. Rinsed until no foam on the ground. They had 4 dogs and 3 cats.
Great Video ! i Had Never Thought of that, wow ! Thanks for making this Video ! Been doing this 34 years. Learn Something new Every Day. You Tube is Awesome >>> & this Community of Guys Helping Each Other Keep informed Of Everything.
I Would Recommend Using--- ONLY HOT Water Direct From a Water Heater Bottom Drain To Clean Condensers in a Residential Application. it comes out Steaming hot when i use it and Rarely do i need to use chemical with a Steaming HOt Garden Hose.
i don't do alot of Residential, Mainly Commercial Restaurants, in Residential you have to Worry all the time about Tracking dirt into a house, hitting a wall with a furnace, too many issues to deal with, for this reason i prefer commercial & industrial.
Steaming HOt Water Cleans Awesome !
+OcRefrigeration & H.v.a.c. good idea with the hot water
Yea, no chemicals to worry about and it works really good. Environmentally Friendly, nobody can say that u used chemicals. no dangers what so ever, except from when the cheap garden hose explodes while u are using it. I Have Heavy Black Rubber Garden hose now from Graingers that can handle the Hot Water. The hot water will chew up alot of Cheap garden hoses. i have gone through alot of cheap hoses. then i spent the $50.00 on a Heavy Black Rubber hose from graingers and they are 10 years old and still going Strong. and you will need a Good nozzle that can handle the heat too!
steven lavimoniere thanks.
+steven lavimoniere and i found it also Cleans out their hot water heater, at first when i turn on the water from the bottom of the hot water heater, i do it without the nozzle on cause sometimes at first a bunch of rocks and scale comes out for a while at first. as i'm sure you've seen a million times. Free hot water heater service.
Wow first I heard of the whole being sued cause the cleaner killed something , I'm def going to keep that in mind when I sell cleanings now thanks Steve and great topic .
it needed to be said because its a real possability and can happen to any one of us.
Love your channel Steven. Do you have any videos of you changing out a tub waste and overflow.
You never know what chemicals might be in "coil cleaner", you don't even know for sure with the SDS sheets for it, but with pets and children the cleaner should not be more than a soap and water solution, Dr Bronners liquid castile soap is all natural and it doesn't suds up and rinses out clean fast, I use it for dog shampoo.
Coil cleaner could even be something that has to be disposed of a certain way rather than out the back yard or drain.
Great info. Don't want to kill Lassie and get sued. Thanks, for mentioning this, Steve.
Better to determine if washing the coils down is going to flood in the first place. If so, either move the junk/trash around it so it will or, don't use the cleaner, just the hose. I have seen a lot of condensers that were never mounted onto a platform or a concrete base/slab and they just sit in the mud all winter long. All you can do in that case is recommend getting the drainage corrected or mount the condenser on a platform. Then, if water is going to pool up regardless, ask if there are pets and either leave a warning or don't use the stuff.
Hey Steven thank you for sharing the story about the dog. truthfully it never even cross my mind about that happening.as for the raising the condenser, the best way to go is to pour a pad raised of the ground at least four inches that's how down here at the bottom.thanks for the squire cage tip.
Nelson Ramirez thanks for watching nelson
New to the HVAC field. Dang it! Now this means I gotta read the instructions lol. excellent point. Will simple green be to strong for this? even if you delude 3to1.....just wondering
+Homework04 not sure about simple green .you want to use something that designed for use with copper and alunumum . what condensers are made of. u would stick to coil cleaner
Homework04 Simple Green contains lye from what I understand.
I love my Water Saber I bought two years ago. I can clean almost any coil unless it's full of grease. Best coil cleaner ie used without chemicals. their are other new "water saber" knock offs by large companies but this stainless steel water saber is lifesaver. I got a Coil Jet endo last summer on sale and am anxious to use it this summer I highly recommend it. I'm a tool a dictionary like most of you guys making these videos. I dot even want to know what th total cost In too and demo test tools ive had/have.
a good idea is to have a customer sign a acknowledgement about coil cleaner and risks involved. Forget about cleaning most blower wheels because they will be unbalanced and labor to Clean the coil can exceed a replacement! CYA BROTHER!! (ESPECIALLY IN NJ!)
I know this is three years old. If you're still there, can you explaiin more about why the blower wheel is unbalanced. Is it due to cleaning it?
Hey Steve got a Miller a/c and furnace 25 years old never been service just change out surface igniter and bad squarril cage think I should upgrade?
Great points Steve. There are also cats, birds and in some cases wildlife. Here in Texas it gets very hot and dry, creatures are all looking for water. Also, coil cleaning is an absolute must on most units I see. We all talk a lot about the perfect refrigerant charge, etc., but if those coils are dirty, it doesn't,t mean Jack. Thanks for putting this out.
your right and down south coils being clean is a must or your head pressure will be off the chart..up my way its not as hot .but good point about the other animals .we all need to think things out
good point about raising the units. the system im doing now, i just built a 4x4 PT frame and filled it with gravel, then put a plastic pad on top of that. raised it about 4" off the ground.
the higher the better i always say
Patio blocks double them up be good. I use them in my extra drain pan in attics and basements.
Steam boilers low water cutoff switches are supposed to be disassembled and cleaned annually and not just flushed out. A dry fired boiler can cause fires. Read McDonnell Miller maintenance net ructions.
Idk if this is unique to my area, Philly, but there's a local motor shop that sells motors or will rebuild a motor for you if it's a motor you can't get. What they do is steam clean the blower assembly for you. I handle a few restaurants in center city that have returns pulling from the kitchen and those blower assemblies get covered in grease, very nasty. So when I have to change their blower motor I take the whole thing to them, motor and all, and have them steam it for me. It comes out looking brand new. These places don't have the money to relocate the return, they'd rather deal with the greasy motor I guess. I think a engine machine shop can also steam clean large items for you.
Mike Mace i usally do not deal with to muck grease
CRC 14416 Hydroforce industrial degreaser is also pretty good. It really lowers the surface tension of water, allowing it to wet dirt and lint and get it to rinse off of condensers and squirrel fan blades. Not as good as coil cleaner, but a little goes a long way.
I never really thought about what you said in your video . but that's a good point you are talking about .
+ducklandwikeno never hurts to talk about protenial problems that may arise
+steven lavimoniere me listening to you is opening my eyes as a hvac brother . thanks man .
I use the coil brush first, blow out with nitrogen then a low pressure power washer with only water. Sometimes if chemical is needed use a diluted Simple green concentrate. This is also biodegradable and won't kill the bushes as coil cleaner, or the grass. Vac out the interior. Wash inside to outside. This all depends on the conditions. The head pressure will tell the story in most cases.
Yup I'm being sued for not finishing a engine rebuild because the guy told me to stop because he thought I never ordered the parts. Screwed up sounding huh?
I won my first case, now he got a attorney and now we get to go in front of a jury.
But if someone does work at my place and doesn't clean up their chemicals then they should have to pay and replace my doberman a good dog is expensive to replace and if someone is sloppy and don't want to clean up a hazardous chemical then they need to lose some money, kids could get hurt by it as well.
+Patrick TheBaptist point is to hose it off good and also hose off the grown to prevent that from happening or do not use cleaner for some jobs might be a oppion to concider
Thank you very much Steven for your advice, I never thought about that.
just something to think about
To be safe and not damage the condenser and my dog I start with a dishwasher detergent in my sprayer and garden hose.If the unit is still dirty I'll go on and hook up some FCC-300 non-toxic foaming spray coil cleaner.
Erik Cable good point .
Very informative video. Thanks for letting others know. When I coil clean I use non acidic unless she's a real dirty mama then the good stuff must be used
You are right. I never use much. No more then a mouth full to 2 gallons sprayer. On rooftop units a little more. Try to just use indoor coil cleaner for homeowners on the AC units. Inside just brush. Or pump it down cut coil loose take to shop clean, vacuum unit braze back plus filter dryer $1700.00 R-22 $2200.00 on the r-22 the homeowner will buy a new unit most of the time. Carry on
good point always on guard in the house from nanny cams to bills on the table. never thought about the pooch drinking coil cleaner waste water, or the cat . thanks steven i do rinse the crap out of the units.
dino vistroni thanks for the comment
Great job like all ways ( Steven )
You do the job right and you don’t try to sell people new equipment
Only in america everyone is sue happy !! good point Steve
thanks for watching harry
In Canada too.
It ain't easy out there Steve. Enjoy your video's.
I do mostly industrial work but sometimes residential and I really never thought much about using coil cleaner.Anymore If I don't need to I don't use it at all.Thanks for bringing this up.Might save a pet and prevent a law suit
thanks for watching mrtool
Great video never thought of that!! We use a ton of coil cleaner but we try and wash all bubbles left away. I noticed in your videos you use that brush but can't find one like that in Texas. What supply house or website you get them from? Thanks for the video!
my coil brush is a mars .its a eveporator cleaning brush but works great on condensers to get the bulk off .no good for spin fin coils .i get mine from f.w. webb the supper i deal with there like 2 bucks for them .i will get the numbers and send you the info on brush
Thank a lot I appreciate it
Also, we can sell condensing unit covers to customers & show them how to pull the disconnect switch & then cover the unit before they mow grass or weed wack.
This would prevent the coil from getting plugged in the first place.
& would be 1 less liability on us because we wouldn't need coil cleaner to clean coils. We could probably make do with just removing the top of the unit & just rinsing the coil inside & out.
I only use the coil cleaner if the coil is plugged bad.I can get alot done taking the top off and sides and using just water.Years back when I was a newbie I accidentally killed some expensive flowers a lady had,she made the boss buy her 300 dollars worth of new flowers...needless to say since then I have only used coil cleaner in certain situations.
+Andy Daly lol ya the cleaner can kill stuff for sure ,most of the time water is all you need anyway
the way i do it is dilute coil cleaner 50 5 0 with water in spray can before using it . and rinse with plenty of water .never had problem
I worked for a Management company here in Phoenix AZ.
They sent me to a upstairs unit to replace a Toilet.
They told me use the EZ-Flow poly line on the toilet.
I said it should be a metal type line.
A few weeks latter .I meet with some lawyers.
A cat chewed into the line and caused a flood to the down stairs unit.
Filled with vintage things.
I found a coil cleaner made by Nu Calgon called "Green Clean". It's supposed to be non toxic. I've used it on condensing and evap coils. Works pretty good. But just like the foaming stuff you have to rinse it good. The only time I use the foaming cleaner is when I'm working on a roof of a commercial building or restraint, out of the way of the general public or a home owner.
i will be carefull were i use the cleaner also
I love your videos, you are the best... God bless you.. keep making more videos please
It is very true... you don't want to be sued for something like that... but also much more important... you don't want to hurt or kill a loving beloved living creature that has feelings and emotions and feels empathy and love not just for the person that cares for that animal but an animal that will love everyone that feels love and empathy towards it....
Here is a simple rule to live by.. but is very difficult to grasp...
Remember... its never JUST a dog...
what about pure vinegar to clean the coils - it descales things like kettles and coffeepots...
i do alot of commercial sites and even some guys dont know that the "BLUE DEATH" condenser coil cleaner eats through and stains certain flat roofs... and draining off the roof... my one boss had to re-sod a customers lot for coil cleaner turning his grass brown... and YES i have always thought about peoplea animals getting sick or dieing.. shit is scary especially running ur own business... like u said USE AS NEEDED AND TAKE CAUTION OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS TECHS!!
The blue coil cleaner will eat up a rubber roof too (for those of us who service rooftop units)
+Josh Smith good point
Eats right through it....
Triple D I think is mild but it does eat asphalt but really slowly . It has a nice Oder to it triple D DDD stands for Deodorizer Degreaser Disinfectant . Yea what they call the blue devil yea that some powerful shit .
It'll also put you blind. Got just a spec in my right eye. Hasn't been the same since.
Wow definitely a good point! Not too long ago i had to replace a 5-year old condenser because one happy pup kept peeing on it at exactly the same spot over and over again until the copper deteriorated and sprained a leak. In that case, the dog killed the unit lol so it can work both ways. Coil cleaner VS dog is a lot more serious matter of course. Excellent heads up. Thank You Steve good lookin out!
the old dog with the lifted leg what a way to die lol
Good point, same thing can be said if you change your own auto coolant, if your in a neighborhood, use the pet friendly kind.
We always tried to also use oversized a/c pads. Kept the grass out and the mower wouldn't bang the condenser.
good idea.i like to raise up my stuff if possable for better drainage
At our company we use cascade dish detergent we always have just because we don't want a damaged the coils never thought about animals
animals are like family to a lot of people
never thought of using dish soap. excellent idea, ill probably keep a big bottle of dawn on the truck for residential and leave the chemical cleaner for commercial where there's no pets, vegetation, etc.
you can clean the dishs at the same time kill 2 birds with one stone
Literally! Cascade powder is great at cleaning greasy coils, gotta be careful though!! Too strong and the coils will start smoking!! That's the aluminium reacting with the sodium hydroxide and the copper. Don't burn holes in the copper tubes!! That'd be bad....LOL! Nice and clean though! A tablespoon in 2 gallons of hot water is a STRONG cleaner! Usually a teaspoon is plenty! Just as with any cleaner, flush with lots of water to rinse the coil, AND Dilute the runoff!
A trick for getting off lots of dust that is useful sometimes is shaving cream. It captures the dust and binds it up into a slurry.
I have a sad story to tell you..
It may hurt your feelings a bit..
Last night I walked into my bathroom..
And stepped in a big pile of..
Shaving cream..
Be nice and clean..
Shave every day and you'll always look keen...
Not to mention that using too much coil cleaner too often will deteriorate the coils, should only be used if coil is real greasy and dirty. It is cool to get a good heavy foam though when they are bad.
common sense first which is not so common Steve what I have found in high risk areas is super clean and in play yards simple green it`s bio safe great video thanks again vinny
+jhackme i will have to try simple green
great point. with ac season coming up it's something to thing about. it's bad enough to get sued but who what's to hurt the families pet.
Don't they have a pet friendly coil cleaner like they do anifreeze?
So basically, use some common sense. The home owner is obligated to do the same, but they rarely do. I have to use all kinds of chemicals, solvents, etc. Probably 70% or 80% of the units where I lived were rooftop mounted anyway. I like your videos, & I love accent. I am going to have to clean the condensing coils on the Amana on my mom's hew house, and I am going to get the drainage around it fixed. It sits in a mud hole now. I am going to set the plastic pad up on piling block for the interim. Later, I will pour a sidewalk/patio. I had to clean mold off the fan, motor & housing on our Trane in Phoenix. The roofers from hell botched the whole roofing whole job, and water leaked into the return air duct. It molded up all the duct work, up really good, so I had to replace all the flex duct, clean out the whole AC/furnace unit, and clean and paint ALL the hard duct work with special cleaners & special paint. I make my own mold cleaner from TSP trisodiumphosphate, but it has to have the phosphate in it, then I use bleach water, and TSP, then bleach, then water and more water, then paint all the galvanized stuff ASAP. That bleach makes it want to oxidize so you need to hit the galvanized with a wire brush & get all the white powdery stuff off & get the mold resistant paint on it really fast, before it oxidizes again. I could have sued the idiots who did the work, but then I get a new batch of idiots, so I figure I can do idiot work myself, just take care of it, and be done with it. If you can read, you can read that "Concrobium" mold killer is trisodiumphosphate in distilled water, with a surficant. A little dish detergent, $6 for distilled water and $4 for some TSP, & a spray bottle, and you have a few gallons of mold killer, for $12. I think the paint was $120 for 5 gallons, and it is thick like ketchup, so you can easily add water and get 10 gallons of paint. It would sure not go through the airless spray rig without watering it down. The squirrel cage fan came out beautifully! I just used a brush on the fan housing. The duct board & paint inside the unit are guaranteed for 5 years against mold. I used a cold fogger on the boot & ell duct, & hit it with the paint with a 72" wand, & the airless sprayer.
+Seth B thank s for the comment
Great tip, Thank you Steve
I like to rinse well. Average time rinsing is about 15 or 20 minutes. I'm thinking of the coil though not the dog. Thanks for the food for thought.
the home owner thinks more about the dog,,,, then the coil ,just food for thought
I know a guy that was working and his partner put some left over coil cleaner in a Gatorade bottle. Well it was during hot summer this guy took a big drink of it and ended up on life support. They turned his throat upside down and all kinds of crazy shit!
thereceman wow crazy story
Yet guys do stupid things like that all the time!! 90% of these cleaners say right on the container :
"Hazardous to humans and pets. It is illegal to put this product in to an unlabeled container."
Even when you buy concentrate and put the diluted product in to a pump can, it's legally supposed to have a label!
It sounds like a lot of techs are not diluting the coil cleaners correctly, that being said, it seems there was a laps in common sense for both the tech and the owner of said dog. For the tech, make sure you rinse the the whole area, I try to rinse the whole area as far away from the condenser as possible. For the dog owner, tech comes in, says he need to clean condenser, you have to assume he will be using some kind of cleaner/chemical, the onus at this point falls on the owner, after tech is done, go outside inspect the area where the tech performed the work, make sure there are no hazards that can hurt you or your pet. people forget that pets are like children you need to monitor them.
I use Simple Green. It works fine. No worries. My Lennox is 26 years old and has never needed service.
Everything today is about STUFF. You have STUFF and somebody wants your STUFF. The easiest way to get STUFF is to take it from somebody who has STUFF. Several people attempted to carjack a lady near here. One got out in front of here car to get her to stop which she did initially. Then, when she saw the others come out, she took off. The culprits were recording it. If she didn't get away they would have had her car. If she had injured the one in the road she would have been sued.
Not trying to be a wise guy here. In the state of Ohio you have no standing in the court for damages to a pet. You may be liable for the original cost of the animal but your insurance should cover if fido drinks the cool-aide. I always inform the homeowners to the hazards of chemicals and have them sign a consent to service the premises. In my state, signing a release does not excuse any wrong conduct on my part but simple let's the courts know the consumer was well informed prior to my service. And thanks for the heads up on the blue coil cleaner. I service a lot of rooftop units!
+melvin292 good comment thanks
Same here in Mass, The pet is considered property. Though I'd feel terrible, the financial part would be manageable. I am usually pretty sure where my chemical run-off goes. I worked for a chemical company many years ago and sold things like oven cleaners, exhaust hood cleaners etc while servicing refrigeration and warewash. Sometimes you don't think about where it's going!! Evaporators especially-- Down the drain...to WHERE? Condensers in Kitchens are greasy and need a cleaner, but you can see where the runoff goes. Just remember: think- where is it gonna go?
i know of clients who asked not to take out permits than after the job was done say either for the company walk away with out pay or the client will turn them in for no permit pulled.
Clients? That is some shady shit those clients of yours try to pull. Only takes one time to come across the wrong company owner who won’t accept that kind of attempted sabotage and make sure they never try to pull some shady shit like that again.
I like your video all the time
Good job
My pets like to drink the condensation as it comes out of my air handler drain. This really got me thinking about people who are using condensate pan tabs.
use vinager
Absolutely when I did cleanings back in the day we'd always assess the situation and we didn't alway's go the chemical route outside. Evaporator's blower wheels when they got pulled always got the full Monty for mold etc etc.
cotton wood hate that shit with a passion! Lol lol..
Steven I wished I had you're famous little brush at that time too.
-Mike
brush works great i just replaced my old one it was on its last leg
If the home owners would take the time and kill the power and hose the condenser at least twice during the cooling season that would prevent major problems and would eliminate the use of coil cleaner.
I love your show men been blessed
is there a product that is non toxix?
hey Steve, I have got some good results with vinegar and water for coils. Another thing that I have done was to have a customer sign off that they have been told that the cleaner has some hazard concerns. Example: lawn maintenance techs leave a paper sign on a little plastic spike after the have sprayed with certain chemicals and have a note right on their service sheet. Might be a good idea for HVAC techs to do the same. Thanks for taking the time to get these issues out there. Joe, N.Y.
That is actually a really good idea. Thanks for the tip. My signs are at the printer waiting for pickup!
in my opion if you do yearly maint on a system you dont need to use coil cleaner every time
I'm glad you make this video .I'll be on alert now for animals that ks steve
Good point gotta be careful, was moving spider webs to access the condensor and was told that im destroying the spiders habitat although saying it would rebuild didnt help much
ben smith spider webs concern thats a first ,never herd that one before
steven you got a good point cause I know that's truth cause I went through that I killed my own cat with coil cleaner, after that I don't use it no more I just use water from inside out and it worked good so far
Wow. I had no idea about the coil cleaner and what it could do to pets. Hope that never happens to any of us.
it can happen so just be carefull is all
i sell the cats to the chiness resterants down the street
Yummy. Tastes like chicken.
simple green or some organic orange cleaners are pretty safe not as good as coil cleaner but is better than plain water.
I use a biodegradable coil cleaner. In and out. I had a customer ask about it and I told them keep pets away old stuff. But all good now.
Hi steve thankyou bud
nice video,very important topic not the getting sued part but the fact that we as technicians should have a good handle on what were using and how to use it properly,and every situation is different,so know your surroundings its the dumb ass who kills someones pet that gives us hvac techs a bad name when it comes to common sense,but just like anything i only get a call when its broke,and half the time it could be prevented with regular serv,go figure.
Rehome Riffs being careful is part of our job ..i did the video to raise awarness sometimes we are in a rush and leave stuff like cleaner on the grown its easy to just spray it down is all i am saying .a lot of these videos i do are just talking about stuff that could happen .for the new techs mostly
Thanks for all your videos
Wow never thought of that! Ruin a carpet once that's all.. got acid fall on my chest trying to put coil back being under the coil someone else pushing it and making sure it went inside fricking track.. who pays me for that lol.
I use spray 9 on condenser and evaporator what ever. Rinse off
Hilarious keep making these vids more of actual service calls are awesome for new serv tech like me. Starting out and I'm fifty ha hard to get info
The green cleaner from Auto Zone works great
viniger and water I heard it works really good
I saw your coil cleaning video and you left a full puddle and stream of coil chemical residue in a nice scrub and flower bed. That plus pets is a major liability that's why I clean all my coils (35 years worth) with regular dish washing liquid ($1.59) It's safe, it's a degreaser and your profit is ten times greater with a discount to your customer. Or offer "free cleaner" with a cleaning.
+Mackjames i will have to try the soap .
Do they even make a pet friendly coil cleaner ? Never thought of the pet thing. Great point to keep in mind. Thank you Steve....
i am sure they make a enviofriendy cleaner and i am sure its more money also .most of the time people buy the cheap stuff
Worms don't like coil cleaner they start coming up like crazy. Time to call it a day and go fishing