Cleaning Condensing Coils
Cleaning your outdoor coils also know as the condensing coils is one of the easiest things you can do to prevent a breakdown on your AC system. The condensing coils are the copper tubes and aluminum fins that surround your outdoor unit. The purpose of these coils is to transfer the heat from inside your home out. To maximize efficiency the coils need to be free and clear of dirt and debris. If you fail to keep the condensing coils clean and airflow is impeded your compressor will overheat and cause a breakdown. The best way to clean the coils is to remove the top of the unit and clean coils from the inside out.
What You Need
Cleaning Process
Estimated Job Time: 15-30 min.
Tools And Equipment Needed: Drill Or Nut Driver, Water Hose, Coil Cleaner
Difficulty: Easy
First Turn the power off at the disconnect box or breaker panel.
Remove screws from top of AC unit or fan.
Spray coils a generous amount and let stand for 3-5 minutes.
Rinse coils thoroughly from the inside out.
Replace top of unit or fan and fasten with screws.
Restore power at disconnect box or breaker panel.
For best results perform this cleaning bi-annually.
I regularly clean my AC coils and looked it up to make sure I was doing it right 🙂 I do use a spray. I add soap to a spray bottle and spray the coils, let stand and then hose off. I have a question for you. In your post you indicate to spray a generous amount onto the coils, but you don’t say what you use. Can you tell me what you are spraying?
Hey Matt’s Mom ! Thanks for reading. It makes a huge difference if you use coil cleaner. Regular soap is just not aggressive enough to get the coils as clean as they need to be to run a peak performance. Check back soon for more DIY maintenance tips!
Nu-Calgon 4291-08 Nu-Brite, 1-Gallon
Hey there Erik, thanks for the tip! Giving the coils a regular cleaning does improve efficiency considerably and helps cut down the power bill. I’ll have to try that Nu-Calgon cleaner you recommend.
Cheers!
No problem Mr.Oren. Nu-Calgon is the stuff I use at work and it foams up once applied and pulls all of the dirt and debris out of the coils !