Cleaning an Air Conditioner
Air conditioners come in many different types and sizes but all have similar components and need to be frequently cleaned to obtain maximum efficiency and prolong the life of the unit. Because units differ in size and style on site common sense and some mechanical ability are required.
The most important part of maintaining any air conditioner is cleaning the coils.
All air conditioners will have two coils, one called the condenser coil and the other called the evaporator coil. In window type air conditioners the coils are very close with the evaporator coil being the one inside the conditioned space behind the filter.
The condenser coil is the one that is outside and rejects the heat. The evaporator coil is usually pretty accessible with out removing much of the a/c outer cabinet. The condenser coil however is more difficult to get at the side that most of the dirt will build up on. You must try to remove the a/c units' outer shell by removing any screws that are holding it. Once you have removed the outer cabinet you should be able to see the back side of the condenser coil that may be so dirty it may not even look like a coil surface.
In most homes central air type air conditioners you condenser coil is located in the part of your air conditioner that sits outside. You may have to remove some louvered panels to get at the coil fins. The evaporator coil is located in an air handler of some sort in side the home. This may be in the duct work above your furnace or in an air handler in an attic. The evaporator coil can some times be a challenge to get at. Always turn off power to the unit and ware safety glasses as well as gloves.
Now that you have access to both coils it's time to clean them. Start by brushing off as much of the heavy dirt with a small compact stiff bristle brush so that the coil cleaner can be injected into the coil. Now wet the coils with a sprayer or garden hose being careful not to use too much water pressure as to bend over or damage the fins. If you find that some fins are damaged you can repair them with a coil fin comb. Now spay on a genres amount of coil cleaner injecting it into the coils so that it can start to loosen the dirt. Coil cleaner in an aerosol can is great for injecting the cleaner deep into the coil. In some cases a liquid concentrate or powder cleaner that can be mixed in a sprayer works well also because the wand of the sprayer fits into tight areas. These coil cleaners, brushes, coil coating treatment and condensate pan treatment can be purchased online at www.mainsupplies.com . After letting the cleaner soak for 5-7 minutes it best to then rinse or flush the coil with water. If you use a no rinse type cleaner and plan to run the a/c after you do not need to rinse the evaporator coil. I always recommend flushing the condenser coil the help remove dirt. Repeat this process until you see clean water coming out of the coil while flushing.
After you coils are clean you can apply a coil coating treatment that will keep dirt from sticking in the future in turn reducing the frequency of coil cleaning. First Strike is a great product that turns you coils into self cleaning coils. Be sure to then clear the condensate drain that may be a drain hose coming from the evaporator or a weep hole in the window type a/c unit pan. I also recommend placing some type of condensate pan treatment tablets or pads in the evaporator pan to prevent future drain blockage. Now reassemble your air conditioner and your all set.
All products listed in this article as well as a do it your self Air Conditioner Maintenance Kit can be purchase online at www.mainsupplies.com
Information provided by Terry Manlick with HVAC Maintenance & Supplies
Information provided by Terry Manlick with HVAC Maintenance & Supplies. Other maintenance articles as well as hvac maintenance products such as filters, v-belts, humidifier filters and coil cleaners can be found online at http://www.mainsupplies.com
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