[guysmilely]

I have some tech's telling me to never use condenser coil cleaner on the cond. coils, just use water. but they come out so clean when I use the cleaner and I make sure I rinse it all off. what do you believe?

 

[Senior Tech]

I believe they are wrong.

 

[vmc1161]

I have some tech's telling me to never use condenser coil cleaner on the cond. coils, just use water. but they come out so clean when I use the cleaner and I make sure I rinse it all off. what do you believe?

If they are using just water they are idiots, I'd call them morons but that's not allowed here. Just make sure you follow the instructions to the letter and continue to rinse it off.

.

 

[newoldtech]

I know some guys who don't use cleaner, seems like they are not doing a proper cleaning to me. Alot of them use a pressure washer which can bend the fins but some say if you do it right you won't bend them. I used to use a pressure washer years ago, following orders, and it usually did the job. More often I hear the debate of acid cleaners versus non acid cleaners. I think most guys prefer the non acid including me, but there are some that use acid. Personally I've settled on low pressure non acid cleanings. Ask a hundred guys in this business, and you will get a hundred different answers.

 

[jpsmith1cm]

Use the cleaner.

A hose will do a fair job, but detergent, especially the foaming ones, will do a great job.

I agree with the non-acid cleaner, too. If not rinsed out completely, you will destroy a unit. I've seen big air cooled condensers with fins that have turned to dust from that not being rinsed out.

Personal note, I use Renewz from rectorseal.

In some cases, a pressure washer is really required to do an adequate job of cleaning. Not so much on the residential stuff, but a big rack condenser with a coil between 4 and 9 inches thick is not going to get clean with a hose.

 

[Diceman]

Only need acid cleaner on greasy units. Reg dirt will come off with water pressure. I almost never use it, it makes no difference other than it looks shiny.

I guess I'm an idiot.

 

[iron]

I would be leery of letting someone use a pressure washer on a coil unless I knew that they were on their game.
very easy to bend the fins into a mess if you are not paying attention

 

[pjh008]

Had two 140 ton Trane chillers installed about a year ago. The Trane rep specifically told me, if you use any kind of coil cleaner on it you will void the warrenty. I guess they just don't build em the way they used to. The only time i'll pull out the cleaner is for greasy kitchen friges.

 

[amickracing]

I'm a fan of no cleaner unless you need it.

Around here most units just get full of cotton and dust, so there's not much need for cleaner.

I've yet to try it, but I've heard a lot of people say simple green is a pretty good cleaner. Now if it's a greasy nasty mess, there's no choice but using a cleaner.

I like the idea of a pressure washer, but between getting it set up, the time it takes and extra cost, it's not always a needed option.

We do pressure wash our slab coils (liebert) since they are pretty thick, we also pressure wash our chiller coils every few years as needed, once again, thicker coils there too.

 

[mo-flo]

I use simple green most of the time,seems to do the job well and won't kill the grass,flowers,etc. around unit.....if it's real bad i use non-acid foaming cleaner.

 

[Bsmith78]

A pressure washer? Never crossed my mind, seems like too much force on the fins.... what number tips are you guys using? I work in a potato chip factory and the coils get so dirty I have to use the strongest acid I can find and rinse the crap out of it.

 

[gruntly]

This is the only stuff I use. I use it in a hand sprayer and/or my pressure washer chemical dispenser. I pressure wash some and hose pressure others... all depends on what's required.

http://www.nucalgon.com/products/coil_cleaners_tripower.htm

I don't think there's a set rule since every coil can have a different matting on it or in it. The old 5 & under RTUs and PTACs seemed to be the worst for plugging up years ago. Nowadays, everybody's gone for bigger face area and less cross rows so they're hellaeasy to clean by comparison. Old units used to take up less sqft than anything after about 1985-90.

 

[james80031]

The foaming ones work great. They are corrosive, so rinse well after. We really clean them in the spring (right now) and the rest of the cooling season we use a shop-vac and then water.

 

[vmc1161]

Only need acid cleaner on greasy units. Reg dirt will come off with water pressure. I almost never use it, it makes no difference other than it looks shiny.

I guess I'm an idiot.

I did not mean to call you an idiot, this time ...


I have done a comparison test many times for the non-believers. We clean a coil with only water and a hose ... looks clean. Then we clean the same coil using only water with a pressure washer ... wow look at the extra poo that came out. Then we clean that very same coil with coil cleaner and a pressure washer ... double wow ... look at all the poo coming out. If you are in an area that is urban or near traffic, especially trucks, you most likely need coil cleaning and coil cleaner ... your welcome.

Oh, do not; I say do not use a pressure washer rated over 700 psi. Even at that rating, you have to be very careful. Also when you do the coil try what I do and spray the coil with out cleaner first to get the outer poo off, then hand spray the cleaner on the coil and power wash, rinse then spray the cleaner using the power washer feed, rinse twice. Then spray cleaner from both sides if possible power wash and rinse, rinse, rinse, which includes flooding and rinsing the roof or area.

If you are not sure of this or don’t believe me then don’t do it, but do check your head pressures … maybe try two similar units running the same head and clean one the various ways above and see what differences you get.


.

 

[local553]

coil cleaner works great when you have to split a coil that has not been cleaned in years. straight water takes forever.

 

[ascj]

I was just cleaning coils at a location for two days. 18 Trane Intellipacks, which are cleaned yearly. We wash the coils with just water with a hose, first. Then we use Nu-Brite with a coil gun. The dirt comes out like chocolate milk. There is no way, these coils could be cleaned with just water.

I was thinking today that I should have made a video of us cleaning the coils. Because there was a discussion a week ago about coil cleaners and different sprayers and such. I wish I did now. We have another location coming up next month, where we are cleaning 14 Carrier RTUs, I'll try to get a video.

Also here's a link to the cleaner and guns we use for condenser coils-
http://www.nucalgon.com/products/coil_cleaners_coilgun.htm
http://www.nucalgon.com/products/coil_cleaners_nubrite.htm

 

[billygoat22]

I use coil cleaner, and flush with hose from inside out, opposite to airflow.

and use coil cleaner on blower wheels and casing as well

sometimes on evap coils I'll pull out the nitro tank with long blow tip on hose and blast the deep crap opposite airflow. I put towels or something around since will look like some animal pooped all over otherwise.


If you mix cleaner too strong, it'll take the paint off cond coil and some blowers as well ( ask me how I know that)

 

[james80031]

( ask me how I know that)

Okay, how do you know that?

 

[billygoat22]

A big pile of black stringy stuff coming out cond coil......

 

[james80031]

Ouch. thats gotta feel pretty bad, but I guess that's one of those mistakes that you only make once.