Air Conditioning For Home Owners

Evaporator Coil Cleaning

Cleaning the evaporator coils can be tricky and messy.  I don't even recommend it unless you are at least somewhat familiar with the system and are prepared.  This text will try to cover the basic fundamentals involved in cleaning your own coils.  This is NOT for cleaning attic units.  And I bear NO responsibility for any damages that may occur. 

Materials Needed

  1. Cleaning solution

  2. Flash light

  3. Garden Sprayer

  4. Wet/Dry Vac

  5. Small garden hose

  6. Small Drop Cloth

 

 The cleaning solution should be made specifically for evaporator coils for best results.  A foaming degreaser can be used but don't expect the same results as with the coil cleaner.
The Wet/Dry Vac is not necessary, but like I said, this get messy and you'll wish you had it.
The garden sprayer will be used to spray the coils with the cleaner.  The garden hose will be used to rinse the coils.  If the hose cannot be used, the sprayer will do.  I do not recommend using the hose without the vac!

Turn off ALL power to the unit.  If your water heater is under the air handler, disconnect it' s power also.  Using the drop cloth, cover everything you don't want to get wet.  Mix the cleaner and water into the garden sprayer.  Spray into the face of the coils from the bottom to the top and allow it to soak a few minutes.  Using the wet vac,  remove the foam from the coils by carefully sliding it up and down the face until all the foam is removed.  Re-apply the cleaning solution in the same manner as above, allow to sit, then re-vac the foam. 

Using the garden hose in short bursts, spray from the top to the bottom of the coils.  Repeat this rinse process until the entire coil has been rinsed and no more dirt is removed.  This is where the Wet/Dry vac is needed most.  The drain pan of the evaporator cannot handle this much water and you will get a lot of run off.  The vac will prevent it from making a watery mess in your closet.

This is the way I clean coils without removing it from the air handler.  Not all coils can be cleaned this way...some need to be removed to be properly cleaned.  This is not very effective on 'A' coils.  Not all techs will use this method  But over the years, I have found this method the best for removing 90% of the dirt deep within the fins of the coil.

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