Excellent advice, been taking care of my Trane units for 32 years without calling for service. Take time to listen to this young man folks and save yourself a lot of money. I’m old as dirt and can still do most of the things shown in these videos.
Would be great if we lived in a world where we could trust repair personnel to always do the job properly... but since we don't, DIY is really the only way for those of us who aren't wildly rich.
@@ogre706 I mean this goes from everything. Anywhere or anyone you give money to. Biggest scam is 100% government but people ignore that for some reason and give them more money... Ehh off topic
After 32 years of maintaining your AC system......what is the first component to fail? I am going to gather a few spare parts to keep on hand and was just wondering which ones would be most prudent to have on hand and in which order they might fail. Also, are there some parts you would replace just because some other part failed. Like if that top fan motor failed would you automatically replace the capacitor? Thanks if you have time to answer. I have an Amana unit outside.
@@rael5469 I think it was a hot surface ignitor. Valve cores and brass caps, all the electrical components, Freon and gauges if you’re comfortable doing that sort of thing. You can purchase refrigerant without EPA certification though several vendors online this can be a tremendous cost savings. Also flame sensors and blower motor capacitor. TEMU also carries quite a few items including filters. I did just change both systems out completely and went with Carrier. I will be selling the house soon and I got wind that there may be a 30% price increase across the board on all HVAC systems and components. Not sure if it will happen or not. I’m also getting to the point where I just don’t want to bother with things anymore, too many health issues. The total installation, 2.5 and 2 ton came to $18,000. There are less expensive options though. However God has blessed me beyond belief so I will use what time I have remaining to serve him and I hope to see you in the New Jerusalem one day! Shalom
I’ve been in the cleaning industry 32 years and you need to add some soap. The difference is night and day. You could just use a little dawn in a spray bottle and mist it. Let it sit for a minute then rinse. It will be way cleaner. I do clean frequently because my AC is right next to my dryer vent. Good job builder.
@@virgil3241 Newer ones do not like the cleaners. They have very tiny fins and break down. There is probably some cleaners for it but you have to look. Water does work fine but probably need the lid off if its bad.
Living in a very dusty farm area I think I will continue to remove my sides/ fin slats. I just really like being able to see all sides of the condenser while cleaning. Thank you for the video.
Hands down you have by far the best HVAC channel on RUclips. Thank you so much, you have saved me hundreds if not thousands of dollars over the years. Cheers 🍻.
Good video and thank you! I used some diluted Dawn/water in an old squirt bottle as suggested by another viewer below. This worked great and got everything really clean. I'm a Mechanical Engineer with 42 years of experience and am wary about using those foam products. I have a Miitsubishi Mr. Slim Minisplit and a Comfortmaker for the other side of my house. Both units were installed in 1999 and run like new. I keep them clean and maintain them well. I had a couple of indoor unit control boards blow over the years and couldn't find replacements. I found a repair source in Australia and sent them the boards from the US. When I got them back I installed them and success! I like your channel and keep up the good work!
I have a package unit/heat pump. I had to clean it for the summer season last weekend. I did the obvious coils on the outside. I first did as you showed but I removed the outer/louvered covers so I could rinse from the top down. Everything went well and I put the covers back on. I thought that was all but my HVAC guy said there was another coil that HAD to be cleaned also. I removed the only cover not involved with electrical/HVAC servicing. And there it was. Covered in mildew from not being cleaned. Cleaned it just as the other coils and the airflow is stronger and colder. Now me and my wife will stop sneezing from allergies related to the mildew/mold/pollen. Thanks for your help.
What I love about your channel is, you ARE the HVAC guy to be trusted. I can tell you love sharing your knowledge and of course making some spare cash, but that money is not your only motivation like it is for so many other channels. Too many people who have channels covering everything under the sun will throw in an HVAC video giving all sorts of "expert" advice and tips as if they are pros. Then they load the video up with a ton of ads. I hate that.
Thank you for the video. I just use coil cleaner every couple years if even that often if the unit allows it to just dissolve the oxide off the coil fins for maximum efficiency. Like you had mentioned, most important is to clean it once or twice during the season with water to get the large debris out for high efficiency operation. The older Trane condenser is fine, the newer gas pack specifically says to not use any cleaner just water which I follow because it's probably due to the fact the metal alloy probably doesn't react well to corrosive chemicals. I can also tell if the unit needs cleaning based on putting my hand on the high pressure line. I noticed before I cleaned it was pretty warm if not hot, after I cleaned the unit with just water, coils are clean, the temperature of the high pressure line drops to being just warm which means the coils are doing their job.
@@bluejay713Personally, I'd go with Tempstar or Ducane. Both fairly decent middle of the road brands in my humble opinion. There are more expensive ones, obviously. Just my two cents worth.
I just cleaned my condenser for the summer season. I have to lift my fan to remove leaves inside plugging up my weep holes. But I always sweat bullets afraid that I will pull fan wires or put a hole in condenser coils. So, I think those are good tips as usual. Being a safety professional, liked the safety message too!
I live in Southern New Hampshire and just last week we fired up our AC system because of a couple early hit and humid days which is actually very early for New Hampshire. Now after watching your video, I am going to wash my condenser just like you did. So thank you for your great content!!
In the Spring, I decided to check my home's a/c capacitor. It was just barely within the +/- tolerance (on the minus side!). Obtained a quality brand exact replacement and installed.
Excellent video (coming from a professional photographer/video producer). I've been dealing with an issue with my AC split system. A year ago our HVAC maintenance company replaced the condenser motor when I was out of town. A year later it needed to be replaced again. Symptoms are that during really hot days, occasionally the fan motor would stop and therefore air coming through system was warming up. So after the HVAC company replaced the motor a second time the same issue occurred with the motor. I can turn off the AC system for about 15 minutes and then it will work properly again. I'm an avid DIY'er and so I decided to research this myself, since obviously the problem was not corrected. Incidentally, the second service tech indicated that the refrigerant was low and so he added 3 pounds (rated at 8 pounds from factory). After some research I thought maybe the run capacitor was faulty and so with it costing only $13 I thought it couldn't hurt to replace. FYI, we are in CA and have had 40+ days of 100° temps, so the ambient temp is up there. I feel like the condenser motor is overheating and shutting down, with an auto reset occurring once it cools down. I installed a sail shade to the side of the house to provide some relief for the AC unit as it is exposed to direct sunlight in the afternoon. After I installed the condenser I left the service panel off for a few days so if that was not the solution I could get to the unit without taking off the panel again. It ran flawlessly for a couple days and so I reinstalled the panel. It then experienced the same motor freeze symptom during the latter part of the day. So, after this long set up, I am wondering if poor air flow into the condenser space could somehow contribute to this problem? Would creating vents in the service panel help to alleviate this problem? I know it may not make sense, but so far nothing has worked to solve this issue. I have also considered replacing the contactor. Interested in any professional feedback. Thank you.
One thing I find often on residential condensing split units , that the inside base has leaf debris, mulch, roots (they seek moisture), and accumulated dirt which clogs the drain openings, this must cleaned out. Also always make sure there is no mulch or dirt surrounding the base make sure the pedestal it sits on is clean and free of debris. Great video TY!!!!!!!
Ok! You are my new best friend! Thank you so much for all of your videos! I have already spent close to $2000.00 this year! I am more than happy to do the maintenance. If I know how I will do it!!
Good video. Personally, I don't see any of these topics as being total myths outright. It's just that there are so many facets and conditions to these topics that most people (contractors and homeowners alike) just adopt absolute philosophies one way or the other, rather than bother with the details. That's when it starts to become myth.
@@PlymouthVT Not really. It has some kind of 'energy rating' on it, which makes it somewhat efficient. My in laws have a recent unit and a similar square footage house, and they are paying only 20 dollars a month less.
So the reason why they say to remove the top is to clean the inside of the unit. Its either going to have dirt buildup or leaves from trees and brushes. Then you can water down your unit afterwards. Just adding that in case someone was wondering.
If you haven’t done this in a while you might want to look inside. I took the top off and I’m glad I did. There was a lot of stuff in the bottom that you don’t see from the outside. After I scooped it out I sprayed cleaner on both sides and then blasted the crud from the inside out first.
Worthwhile comment at the end about capacitors. I keep an extra on the shelf. Local ACE carries them for about $10. Simple fix just make sure breaker/fuse is off/pulled of course.
I got a DEhumidifier for my home. By lowering the humidity I can keep the temperature at 75/76 degrees and very comfortable . With a fan it is very cool or maybe too cool. Do research on brands and sizes. I am very pleased
Just wondering what you got. In FL the heat doesn't bother me, it is the humidity. If you are working, even at 65 degrees, with 100% humidity, I will be miserable. Once I was working with my neighbor heavy outside work, but no big deal. I noticed that it was actually 92 Degrees, but humidity about 40 some.
I just pull the couple screws off the top, lift out the fan assembly, spray it all down with simple green -best cleaner hands down except purple power (purple power is lightly corrosive on aluminum and will etch the surface shiny clean) and hose it from the inside out/top down. It legitimately gets alot more crap out. Rather than pushing it IN like just spraying from the outside does. The airflow is drawing crap into the fins from the outside toward the inside. You cant really push it all the way through clean.. youll compact it in partially. Same as cleaning a car radiator or intercooler. Wash opposite of airflow. Youll double the amount of crud you clear out
great video - I clean my outdoor unit myself cause the company that installed my new system 3 years ago always tells me my condenser looks clean and they don't look at the air handler much either..... so I learn a lot from you and you have become my internet service go to guy !
I have a cottonwood tree down the block, so I have to do weekly hose-downs with just water, to keep the seed-film off the coils. I do a deeper clean in the fall, with coil cleaner for winterizing...
@@diyhvacguy my window unit is under trees but the coil is protected but i still clean it when it need i got the unit from the road side because someone left the manual in the outside coil for years its super quite
I used coil cleaner this morning on both my units. Rinsed after letting the foam work for about 10 minutes. Flipped em back on after waiting 30 minutes. What’s weird is that I’m getting a higher interior temp inside my house today. Could I have done something wrong? How long until after rinsing should I have waited to flip em on?
Living in FL AC business is always booming. Units do not last long here so you gotta keep up as shown here. Great video, I clean ours several times a year as lawn clippings and dust from other landscaping seems attracted to the units. Cap replacement on 3 units is about once per yer between the 3 on rotation.
Thanks Please keep them coming. Some of us would have to do with out things if it wasn't Awesome People like you. Good things happen to good people....
I know you can clean most of the dust and debris from the outside but in Arizona where we are dry and dusty, I still prefer to take the top fan off and clean from the inside out. It does get dirty inside. But for most homeowners, just cleaning the outside will be a tremendous help in their cooling efficiency. Thanks for the video.
Yea I say it really depends. Many times you get stuff inside and the dust/pollen/grass makes a spider like coating over the back. Spraying the front will only clean the front while the back will still be stuck.
Good tip video. I used to have quite a few cottonwood trees around me and the coils would have a layer on them much like your lint trap. The coils would have to be cleaned twice per season. Over the years with the removal of the trees, a huge decrease in debris from the trees with cleaning once and sometimes so clean not even needing it.
Good tips... On the A/C unit we have, the coils are mostly exposed, protected by a metal grate (instead of metal panels with louvers punched in them). I clean them regularly, as in weekly, depending on conditions. Mostly because our unit is surrounded by exposed gravel and during a hard rain, sand/dirt will splash up on the lower portion of the coils. A few things I noticed that help with efficiency... Try to have your unit installed in the shade. Ours is on one side of the house that is shaded by trees and our neighbors fence 95% of the day, only briefly being in the sun for about 30 minutes or so in the late afternoon. We had the unit moved when we installed a replacement, as it was originally adjacent to our patio, which got direct sun for about 4-5hrs a day. Made a huge difference in cooling the house. If you don't have shade, build fence around your unit to shade it, ensuring that the fence is far enough away from the unit and built to allow sufficient air flow through the coils. On super hot days, I find spending 15-20 minutes spraying cold water from the hose on the coils a few times a day during the hottest part of the day, to really help drop the temp in the house quickly. Our 99yr old home tends to heat up (especially upstairs) during these occurrences, and the unit will not shut off all day, unless I provide extra cooling to the coils. From what I understand, in hot but dry climates, people will install water "misters" around their A/C units to drop the ambient air temp around the coils to increase efficiency in the really hot weather. Hosing down the coils as I do, more or less just provides additional cooling, ramping up the efficiency temporarily, but it does help. Thankfully, city water is cheap where we live...
Great video! I've watched a few of these condenser cleaning videos and was always skeptical about the cleaning sprays and whether or not I needed to use it every time. Thank you for showing that it isn't always necessary to use those sprays. It saves me even more money
I literally just gave mine its annual wash this morning. In the past I had been doing just water and it worked okay. This year I tried some cleaner with a foam cannon and also removed the top to get the front and back of the coils. It made a very noticeable difference and I washed out a whole lot more junk than I normally do. My a/c was blowing 2 degrees cooler afterwards and the unit isn't running as long now either.
well done clear and easy to follow your pace. i've been doing mine the same way except i have pulled the fan top plate off to thoroughly clean pushing the debris OUT from the inside. but as you mentioned if you have a yearly or bi-yearly regiment it would be fine without the extra work, thanks again your GREAT.
I mix up a little simple green or car wash soap in a pump up sprayer, I just wet it down good with the soap and let it sit a few minutes. Then rinse as well as possible.
I would be careful with simple green. A diluded solution is probably ok, but they make a product called simple green extreme that is better suited for aluminum. It was developed for aircraft and the aerospace industry and is safe to use on aluminum.
@@angelangelangelist On top of my unit, four screws loosen the grill which has the motor / fan mounted to the grill. I take out those 4 screws and slide the grill over a bit where I can stick my pump up sprayer nozzle inside and spray mist the cleaner (simple green or car wash soap) onto the inside set of coils. I spray the outside set of coils simarly through the outside grills. The two rows of coils are separated by about an inch of space between them. I just let everything sit about 15 minutes. I make sure no leaves or sticks have clogged up the drain areas below the coils while I wait. And lastly I use a gentle spray rinse on each set of coils. Reinstall the four screws and return power to the unit.
I love cleaning these little residential units or mini splits, most of the time I'm cleaning TRANE air handlers the size of a dump truck that are supplied chilled water from the plant. It's also a plus if it's micro channel coils.
There’s a house attachment that is for cleaning pool filters that has fins just like these coils. It is perfect for this because the pool filter is exactly the same as the these fins and it has many streams at once and you rinse from top to bottom the same way. When i bought it for pool filter it got a lot more out of pool filter than a hose sprayer so you will see you get more out of coil fins. It sprays more of a wide fan spray but in single streams not misty.
I’ve used a mild soapy solution that I spray on the unit just before I turn the power off, with the fan running to draw the solution into the coils. Then cut the power and rinse the coils top to bottom. Otherwise I’ve used Coilrite (Koilrite?) cleaner on very dirty units and flushed/washed them from the inside out.
Good video. I live in an area with a massive amount of cottonwood trees. I always have to take off all the covers on my AC. It only adds about 10 minutes and I get to spray the covers out on the back and front.
I have saved a few of my neighbors units from this very thing, i could hear the units trying to suck air as if they had asthma they were so clogged. Even made a few green backs cleaning a couple out for people. Cottonwood trees are killers for any manufacturer's units.
i just decided to clean my 25 year old coil this spring for the first time. I never cover it when winter comes either. It was of course quite dirty and nothing serious though. the summer before and all others preceding it had been flawless. I think it works better this summer but that is rather subjective. it is 10 seer and fortunately we have cheep power for now, costs me about 2 dollars a day to keep my house at 70. All that said when it does crap out I will not replace it because I can complete a DIY mini split for less than the likely cost of repair performed by HVAC pros. to be fair my ac season is about 4 months and I rarely use the heater side.
I bought a $35 mesh screen cover for my 3 ton unit which I recently cleaned. Cottonwood was the main debris and I'll check again next season to see if the mesh helped to keep the cottonwood out. I did completely remove the outer shell of the unit and the coils looked like a well caked dryer screen after cheap fleece clothing was dried.
If your condenser coils are near your kitchen exhaust, then use coil cleaner. If it only gets dust on it, not suet or smoke or oily air, you only need water, or regular detergent to clean them.
If you have tile roof that you have cleaned every year or so, many roof cleaning companies use chlorine to help kill mold on roof when they pressure clean it. Make sure you turn off air conditioners and insist they cover and protect the outside air conditioner unit from chlorine based roof cleaning. Clorine rapidly corrodes aluminum condenser coil fins.
Thank you for your video!! 🤩 We appreciate the knowledge of this matter whether we clean it ourselves or hire someone to do it. At least we understand the process. Anyone who has a problem with this type of information probably charges customers an exorbitant amount of money (rip off) for this service or any other contractor provided repair service! Thanks again!👍🏻
one particularly warm year when my condenser was running a lot, it got a thick "sweater" of Cottonwood seeds caked on it in a matter of weeks. HVAC companies in this area must really make a killing with all the "cottonwood killed" A/C condensers. Cottonwood seeds don't wash off like dirt and dust, so you have to shoot water from the inside out to remove them. Those who don't live in an area with light, fluffy Cottonwoods just don't know.
I have a Luxaire (York) since 2015 and we have a Linden Tree adjacent to it (very messy), a sure thing for debris and dirt coating the coils. What I found is the coils are covered with a spongy filter film which surrounds the exterior 4 sides of the coils. It has been necessary for me to remove the metal exterior panels and the film to properly clean this unit. The filter film will defeat other cleaning attempts unless it is removed. There are no shortcuts. My brother in Law lives next door. He does not care for AC and only uses his Goodman AC on occasion. Never have to clean his, the coils are mostly clean. No trees nor plants near his unit. And yes, you have to be careful to avoid injury to the wiring going to the fan. Manufacturer did a sloppy job in designing that harness setup---like if they care less about maintenance people anymore. Using a spray can of coil cleaner does a great job, but I use plenty of water spray rinsing to get stubborn debris off.
We have Cotton Wood Trees here, If you don't take it apart that cotton & Dirt sits at the bottom & my fins face down, when it was cleaned by a professional, 6 months later I took it apart & I got out a trash bag of crap out if the unit. & the neglected backside was packed with a thick coat of Dog Hair from Previous Owner.
Every HVAC company at the hospital where i work use chemical cleaning and recommend 2 times a year! Pollen in spring will find it's way in even when not in use and during sometime in August,
I love your videos. Thank you. I love fixing my own things, but I know when I’m going to need a pro. Also These vids help honest hardworking folks from getting ripped off by the shady contractors.
if its actually dirty, like visibly caked with lint or other crap you really do need to to remove the sides and the top/fan and spray it from the inside out. On side discharge mini splits a lot of them have a cleaning function where it can reverse the direction of the fan to blow out stuff that has been sucked onto the coil.
My unit has air slits that face down, so I would have to point the hose up to get from the outside. Also, it is under stairs going to the upper rear porch, so I just hold the fan open with a couple bungee cords.
Thank you for the video. My question is ; why you have to disconnect the power if you are only clean it from the outside? I usually disconnect the power if i have to clean from the inside.
Great video. I think your myths make more sense in areas where there are no trees and little pollen. Here in North Carolina, leaves, maple tree pods, etc. add to the heavy pine pollen to really create a mess on the inside of the unit. So I do unscrew the top, vacuum out all that debris and apply cleaner and water from the inside out. I get much better access to the fins this way as the outside cover is not in the way. But I can see how my method may not be necessary in other areas of the country. Thanks for doing a great job on these videos. 👏👏👏
I've seen 1 big error that some people will do. Don't hit the coil with enough water pressure that you bend the fins. Also, the coils that look more like strings of Christmas tinsel are a pain to clean. They'll hold onto things, such as cottonwood seeds & their white fluff, to the point that you may have to take the lid off and spray from the inside to dislodge them on the outside. Standard fins, such as the unit in this video has, will usually clean easily by just rinsing on the outside. Some systems have coils on all 4 sides, but 1 side is covered. You may need to remove the cover to rinse that side of the coil. This is 1/4 of the coil, so rinsing it makes a big difference. However, the electrical connections are under that cover. So, pull the interlock on the wall or turn off the circuit breaker before rinsing the covered side of the coil.
Really like your channel I'm enjoying it quite a bit keep it up. I'm 54 know the basics but I've been learning a lot more. I literally just walked inside from doing this lol
Dawn power off is just dawn and alcohol. If it’s not really dirty i wouldn’t let it sit. I’d spray with water. Wait 10-15 minutes. Spray and rinse. I was recommended diluted simple green but I feel Dawn would be safer.
Mix Downey fabric softener in water in a sprayer. Soak the coils with this solutio and let set for a half hour or so. Then hose down with a garden hose. Do this about every 6 months. Also do it for your A coil, the evaporating, or cooling coils. No need to hose down as the condensate will rinse it away.
I’ve witnessed double coil units that have been cleaned regularly, that when troubleshooting, there was a blanket of dirt between the two coils. This was in a high pollinated area.
I remove the fan. Very carefully. It isn’t hard, just don’t drop it, strain/break the wires, or smack the coils. Take your time and do not rush and it’s all good. Then I hit the inside coils with a hose sprayer with condenser coil cleaner, not the spray can stuff. Then I hit the outside coils. Wait 5-10 minutes and rinse it off well. I start from the inside then go to the outside, taking several minutes with each. Longer than the cleaner application to make sure it’s well rinsed. Then put the fan back on and you’re good for another year. Also show the evaporator coil some love. My annual cleaning is done in April before it gets really hot in South Florida. Evaporator first, then while the no-rinse cleaner is doing its thing hit the outside. Then switch it all back on and the evaporator self rinses.
I get lot of leaves from trees inside the unit. No choice but to take top off to clean out. Lot of units in my area have same issues - leaves, leaves and more!!!
Don't just avoid pressure washers but try to use a gentle shower spray. It really will surprise some people just how delicate those fins are and they could be difficult to straighten.
Man, wish I would have seen this video first. I took the casing off and up pinching a wire. I found it then cut and rewired it. But it still didn't work. It blew a fuse in the furnace, which I didn't know to check. But my system hadn't been cleaned in 10 years so it was bad! It ended up ok, because my capacitor was on the verge of going bad.
This is fine for places that only have dust but here we have the wonderful cotton wood that looks like a blizzard some days you need to remove the steel covers to get rid of it
Funny af. Ty for the content and as a field tech i find your videos interesting. Always sad to hear about the con artists. Spray in a downward angle the motion you were doing was side to side =b just goofing i like your style! No issues with your feelings towards cleaning product, they could corrode. If a customer pays they are getting a tare down and full cleaning and proper reassembly with new ties for wire retention. But if they need a simple hose down i encourage them to save money and do a little bit on their own. You might be surprised at how many people do not want to do simple things to save money or keep a warranty.
Yep, that’s the reality. A lot of people don’t want to touch it. There is plenty of work to go around. I don’t know why people who do hvac get butt hurt about the videos. 🤷🏻♂️ thanks for the input! Cheers
@@diyhvacguy @Raider352 2 weeks ago Home warranties don't like honoring warranties. 5 Reply @JohnDoeEagle1 0 seconds ago Your equipment manufactures don't like the homeowner screwing with stuff themselves either. Once you've put your hands on it not knowing what you are doing and wrecked something fully expect to be out all on your own. @laserimage8583 2 weeks ago Really appreciate you sharing your excellent knowledge about HVAC systems. I have question about compressor freeze up. If on a 90+ degree days and we set the thermostat temperature to 60 degree, will it cause the system to freeze up? Been getting conflicting answers, some tech said yes and some said no. What's the correct answer? Thanks in advance! Reply 1 reply @eDoc2020 12 days ago It depends on your specific setup and condition of your system. If you have a "dumb" system and your airflow is limited (such as from a dirty filter or undersized ductwork) it will probably freeze up. If your system has great airflow and is properly charged it will probably be fine. Usually it's recommended not to cool below 68F or so just to be safe. If you want it colder you can get an inexpensive freeze protection control installed which monitors the operating temperature and shuts off the compressor if it gets close to freezing. If you have a modern inverter-based system like a mini-split it probably has this protection built-in. Reply @JohnDoeEagle1 1 second ago @eDoc2020 Nope....air conditioners are only rated to cool 20 degrees colder than outside. You might get a bit more but no way you could ever pull down to 60 on a 90 degree day outside. That unit will freeze up. And yes, I am a licensed professional! Reply @JohnDoeEagle1 0 seconds ago Good trap..... 18 degrees difference between the return and supply is usually ideal. Anybody who is licensed and has been professionally trained would already know that. @tedyoh7394 6 days ago Yeah......the proper way to clean is inside out, the AC coil is basically built like an air filter.......first the tiny particles, say pollen, get caught in the fins, then the dust and dirt builds up next....then comes grass clippings......you get the idea.....inside out is the proper way to clean a coil.... (coming from the son of a HVAC contractor with 54 years experience) 3 Reply @JohnDoeEagle1 0 seconds ago This guy is a amateur at best doing a huge disservice with his "advice". He says they rarely get blockage in between. That simply isn't true and I find them like that all the time. In which case you have to run the unit while quickly and carefully whisking over with a propane torch to suck in the flame and set the cottonwood on fire. You do this very carefully and with a hose turned on and right next to you in case it gets out of hand. Don't stay in any one spot for more than a fraction of a second or you will damage the aluminum coil. After it's all burnt and the smoke was expelled through the top via the fan running you turn off the disconnect switch and go about it as normal. All the ash and residue washes right out. 22 years experience and the company I formally worked for was in business from 1912 - 2017.
I know all about that from american home shield. They would never fix my leaking ac. They would come fill it with more freon and charge me a deductible every time and go up on my policy. I canceled them asap.
Your equipment manufactures don't like the homeowner screwing with stuff themselves either. Once you've put your hands on it not knowing what you are doing and wrecked something fully expect to be out all on your own.
Excellent videos. In one of your other videos, you recommend taking off the fan unit and clean with a foam gun and Nu-Brite. This process seems a lot easier. I'm curious why you went to a can spray and no fan removal? Thank you!
I like to tell the average person who doesn't work around electricity to take a piece of wire and take the disconnect out and wrap the wire around the handle then close the box and put the wire through the hole for the paddle lock. this way they can look and see its hanging there and is still safe. And just use the foaming coil clear that's meant for the air handler indoors. Its easier on the metal and DEFINATLY get the foaming kind and try to get the spray straight in deep in the coil. It pushes the dirt out as the foam expands. Its worth it. The air handler coil that's usually inside the house is a little more difficult but if you can do it then its very much worth it. but the coil cleaners that say no rinse, rinse it for sure and especially on the out side unit. it says that because the condensation that gets on the coil (on the air handler one in the house) "rinses" it. just doing this I was able to get my unit to be able to take in 93 degree air and put out 64 degree air that's a big difference and was in phoenix AZ in the summer while it was 115+. you want a 15-20 degree differential if its under 15 then you need to investigate and maybe call a good hvac company before it costs you more. and definitely check out his vid on how to replace the capacitor it can cost you up to $400 to have one put in, just for discharging the old one and unplug it and plugging in a new one. compared to that they are cheap. this guy is doing everyone a favor and giving correct advise! good work diy havc guy!!! give him a like he probably saved you $1000 or more easy.
Unfortunately I have dead vines from years of incomplete service (I'm a new renter), so I'm gonna have to go the tough route and take the fan off and probably the sides to remove all the built up junk in the case.
Simple Green is non corrosive to the aluminum fins so that’s what I use. Btw you need to figure out how to clean the evaporator coils on your vehicle. There is a way so be patient cause your AC will love you for it. ❄️
![Stromae, Pomme - “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1F3OGIFnW1k/mqdefault.jpg)
Excellent advice, been taking care of my Trane units for 32 years without calling for service.
Take time to listen to this young man folks and save yourself a lot of money.
I’m old as dirt and can still do most of the things shown in these videos.
Would be great if we lived in a world where we could trust repair personnel to always do the job properly... but since we don't, DIY is really the only way for those of us who aren't wildly rich.
@@ogre706
I mean this goes from everything.
Anywhere or anyone you give money to.
Biggest scam is 100% government but people ignore that for some reason and give them more money... Ehh off topic
After 32 years of maintaining your AC system......what is the first component to fail? I am going to gather a few spare parts to keep on hand and was just wondering which ones would be most prudent to have on hand and in which order they might fail. Also, are there some parts you would replace just because some other part failed. Like if that top fan motor failed would you automatically replace the capacitor? Thanks if you have time to answer. I have an Amana unit outside.
@@rael5469 I think it was a hot surface ignitor. Valve cores and brass caps, all the electrical components, Freon and gauges if you’re comfortable doing that sort of thing. You can purchase refrigerant without EPA certification though several vendors online this can be a tremendous cost savings.
Also flame sensors and blower motor capacitor.
TEMU also carries quite a few items including filters.
I did just change both systems out completely and went with Carrier.
I will be selling the house soon and I got wind that there may be a 30% price increase across the board on all HVAC systems and components. Not sure if it will happen or not. I’m also getting to the point where I just don’t want to bother with things anymore, too many health issues. The total installation, 2.5 and 2 ton came to $18,000.
There are less expensive options though.
However God has blessed me beyond belief so I will use what time I have remaining to serve him and I hope to see you in the New Jerusalem one day! Shalom
You've had the same ac unit for 32 yrs?
Thanks a million for teaching the hard working families what it takes to save money. You are an example of a great human being. THANK YOU.
Wow, thank you! That means a lot
100%. not many people willing to help others nowadays.
Hard-working or just stupid AF😂😂😂😂…. I think its the latter
If only he was telling you how to do it properly.
@@joehernandez8208explain?
I’ve been in the cleaning industry 32 years and you need to add some soap. The difference is night and day. You could just use a little dawn in a spray bottle and mist it. Let it sit for a minute then rinse. It will be way cleaner. I do clean frequently because my AC is right next to my dryer vent. Good job builder.
Put a pantyhose over the dryer vent !!!
@@hvacray8279That way it will take 3 times as long for your clothes to dry and cost equally more not to mention plug up twice a week
My unit literally says, water only right on it
@@integr8er66
Extend the vent down or to the side then.
@@virgil3241
Newer ones do not like the cleaners. They have very tiny fins and break down.
There is probably some cleaners for it but you have to look.
Water does work fine but probably need the lid off if its bad.
Living in a very dusty farm area I think I will continue to remove my sides/ fin slats. I just really like being able to see all sides of the condenser while cleaning. Thank you for the video.
I agree with you 100%.
Hands down you have by far the best HVAC channel on RUclips. Thank you so much, you have saved me hundreds if not thousands of dollars over the years. Cheers 🍻.
Good video and thank you! I used some diluted Dawn/water in an old squirt bottle as suggested by another viewer below. This worked great and got everything really clean. I'm a Mechanical Engineer with 42 years of experience and am wary about using those foam products. I have a Miitsubishi Mr. Slim Minisplit and a Comfortmaker for the other side of my house. Both units were installed in 1999 and run like new. I keep them clean and maintain them well. I had a couple of indoor unit control boards blow over the years and couldn't find replacements. I found a repair source in Australia and sent them the boards from the US. When I got them back I installed them and success! I like your channel and keep up the good work!
Just cleaned my RV coils. Night and day difference and it wasn't even that dirty. I think twice a year is a very good practice. Great video!
Super good job I clean mine twice a year and I didn't think I needed a cleaner. My coils never really looked dirty.
I have a package unit/heat pump. I had to clean it for the summer season last weekend. I did the obvious coils on the outside.
I first did as you showed but I removed the outer/louvered covers so I could rinse from the top down. Everything went well and I put the covers back on.
I thought that was all but my HVAC guy said there was another coil that HAD to be cleaned also.
I removed the only cover not involved with electrical/HVAC servicing. And there it was.
Covered in mildew from not being cleaned. Cleaned it just as the other coils and the airflow is stronger and colder.
Now me and my wife will stop sneezing from allergies related to the mildew/mold/pollen.
Thanks for your help.
What I love about your channel is, you ARE the HVAC guy to be trusted.
I can tell you love sharing your knowledge and of course making some spare cash, but that money is not your only motivation like it is for so many other channels.
Too many people who have channels covering everything under the sun will throw in an HVAC video giving all sorts of "expert" advice and tips as if they are pros. Then they load the video up with a ton of ads. I hate that.
Realistic, hands-on, DIY on-site tips are the best info ever put online. Thanks.
Thank you for the video. I just use coil cleaner every couple years if even that often if the unit allows it to just dissolve the oxide off the coil fins for maximum efficiency. Like you had mentioned, most important is to clean it once or twice during the season with water to get the large debris out for high efficiency operation. The older Trane condenser is fine, the newer gas pack specifically says to not use any cleaner just water which I follow because it's probably due to the fact the metal alloy probably doesn't react well to corrosive chemicals.
I can also tell if the unit needs cleaning based on putting my hand on the high pressure line. I noticed before I cleaned it was pretty warm if not hot, after I cleaned the unit with just water, coils are clean, the temperature of the high pressure line drops to being just warm which means the coils are doing their job.
You create the most understandable and usable DIY content on the internet. Thanks for looking out for us homeowners. 👍🇺🇸
Thanks so much! 🙏🏻
@@diyhvacguy Hi can you give me the best brand hvac system i wanted goodman but hvac techs are telling me its the worst brand to go with amana
@@bluejay713Personally, I'd go with Tempstar or Ducane. Both fairly decent middle of the road brands in my humble opinion. There are more expensive ones, obviously. Just my two cents worth.
One of The Best How To Videos I’ve seen, especially for newbies at AC maintenance! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I use simple green. Works good. Twice a year. Before summer and after summer.
I just cleaned my condenser for the summer season. I have to lift my fan to remove leaves inside plugging up my weep holes. But I always sweat bullets afraid that I will pull fan wires or put a hole in condenser coils. So, I think those are good tips as usual. Being a safety professional, liked the safety message too!
I live in Southern New Hampshire and just last week we fired up our AC system because of a couple early hit and humid days which is actually very early for New Hampshire. Now after watching your video, I am going to wash my condenser just like you did.
So thank you for your great content!!
In the Spring, I decided to check my home's a/c capacitor. It was just barely within the +/- tolerance (on the minus side!). Obtained a quality brand exact replacement and installed.
Excellent video (coming from a professional photographer/video producer). I've been dealing with an issue with my AC split system. A year ago our HVAC maintenance company replaced the condenser motor when I was out of town. A year later it needed to be replaced again. Symptoms are that during really hot days, occasionally the fan motor would stop and therefore air coming through system was warming up. So after the HVAC company replaced the motor a second time the same issue occurred with the motor. I can turn off the AC system for about 15 minutes and then it will work properly again. I'm an avid DIY'er and so I decided to research this myself, since obviously the problem was not corrected. Incidentally, the second service tech indicated that the refrigerant was low and so he added 3 pounds (rated at 8 pounds from factory). After some research I thought maybe the run capacitor was faulty and so with it costing only $13 I thought it couldn't hurt to replace. FYI, we are in CA and have had 40+ days of 100° temps, so the ambient temp is up there. I feel like the condenser motor is overheating and shutting down, with an auto reset occurring once it cools down. I installed a sail shade to the side of the house to provide some relief for the AC unit as it is exposed to direct sunlight in the afternoon. After I installed the condenser I left the service panel off for a few days so if that was not the solution I could get to the unit without taking off the panel again. It ran flawlessly for a couple days and so I reinstalled the panel. It then experienced the same motor freeze symptom during the latter part of the day. So, after this long set up, I am wondering if poor air flow into the condenser space could somehow contribute to this problem? Would creating vents in the service panel help to alleviate this problem? I know it may not make sense, but so far nothing has worked to solve this issue. I have also considered replacing the contactor. Interested in any professional feedback. Thank you.
One thing I find often on residential condensing split units , that the inside base has leaf debris, mulch, roots (they seek moisture), and accumulated dirt which clogs the drain openings, this must cleaned out. Also always make sure there is no mulch or dirt surrounding the base make sure the pedestal it sits on is clean and free of debris. Great video TY!!!!!!!
Followed your instructions to the letter. Almost effortless, and the A/C is purring almost silently now. Thank you!
Ok! You are my new best friend! Thank you so much for all of your videos! I have already spent close to $2000.00 this year! I am more than happy to do the maintenance. If I know how I will do it!!
Good video. Personally, I don't see any of these topics as being total myths outright. It's just that there are so many facets and conditions to these topics that most people (contractors and homeowners alike) just adopt absolute philosophies one way or the other, rather than bother with the details. That's when it starts to become myth.
We have a Sears A/C unit since 1993, that is still working well!
And is incredibly expensive to run.
@@PlymouthVT Not really. It has some kind of 'energy rating' on it, which makes it somewhat efficient. My in laws have a recent unit and a similar square footage house, and they are paying only 20 dollars a month less.
Things including hvac units were built better in the 90s compared to today...by far!
I’m a sucker that fell for a $2g job.
Thanks for the heads up!
I appreciate your help!😊
So the reason why they say to remove the top is to clean the inside of the unit. Its either going to have dirt buildup or leaves from trees and brushes. Then you can water down your unit afterwards. Just adding that in case someone was wondering.
If you haven’t done this in a while you might want to look inside. I took the top off and I’m glad I did. There was a lot of stuff in the bottom that you don’t see from the outside. After I scooped it out I sprayed cleaner on both sides and then blasted the crud from the inside out first.
Worthwhile comment at the end about capacitors. I keep an extra on the shelf. Local ACE carries them for about $10. Simple fix just make sure breaker/fuse is off/pulled of course.
I got a DEhumidifier for my home. By lowering the humidity I can keep the temperature at 75/76 degrees and very comfortable . With a fan it is very cool or maybe too cool. Do research on brands and sizes. I am very pleased
Just wondering what you got. In FL the heat doesn't bother me, it is the humidity. If you are working, even at 65 degrees, with 100% humidity, I will be miserable. Once I was working with my neighbor heavy outside work, but no big deal. I noticed that it was actually 92 Degrees, but humidity about 40 some.
I use one too. Haven't used my ac unit yet. It's late june
Leaves always drop in the middle of my condensor and plug up the drain holes so would end up having to take the top off to clean up the middle anyway.
I just pull the couple screws off the top, lift out the fan assembly, spray it all down with simple green -best cleaner hands down except purple power (purple power is lightly corrosive on aluminum and will etch the surface shiny clean) and hose it from the inside out/top down. It legitimately gets alot more crap out. Rather than pushing it IN like just spraying from the outside does. The airflow is drawing crap into the fins from the outside toward the inside. You cant really push it all the way through clean.. youll compact it in partially. Same as cleaning a car radiator or intercooler. Wash opposite of airflow. Youll double the amount of crud you clear out
I use my $14 Amazon low pressure car wash spray foamer with 1 teaspoon of dawn. Seems to work great. Thanks, I subscribed.
great video - I clean my outdoor unit myself cause the company that installed my new system 3 years ago always tells me my condenser looks clean and they don't look at the air handler much either..... so I learn a lot from you and you have become my internet service go to guy !
"Because" is what you meant I believe.
I have a cottonwood tree down the block, so I have to do weekly hose-downs with just water, to keep the seed-film off the coils. I do a deeper clean in the fall, with coil cleaner for winterizing...
Nice, do what you have to do for your particular application. Nice job 👍🏼 cheers
@@diyhvacguy my window unit is under trees but the coil is protected but i still clean it when it need i got the unit from the road side because someone left the manual in the outside coil for years its super quite
I used coil cleaner this morning on both my units. Rinsed after letting the foam work for about 10 minutes. Flipped em back on after waiting 30 minutes.
What’s weird is that I’m getting a higher interior temp inside my house today.
Could I have done something wrong?
How long until after rinsing should I have waited to flip em on?
Living in FL AC business is always booming. Units do not last long here so you gotta keep up as shown here. Great video, I clean ours several times a year as lawn clippings and dust from other landscaping seems attracted to the units. Cap replacement on 3 units is about once per yer between the 3 on rotation.
Thanks
Please keep them coming.
Some of us would have to do with out things if it wasn't Awesome
People like you.
Good things happen to good people....
Now i feel stupid that i disnt realize you had to do this. Guess ill be doing it this weekend! Subscribed!
I know you can clean most of the dust and debris from the outside but in Arizona where we are dry and dusty, I still prefer to take the top fan off and clean from the inside out. It does get dirty inside. But for most homeowners, just cleaning the outside will be a tremendous help in their cooling efficiency. Thanks for the video.
Yea I say it really depends.
Many times you get stuff inside and the dust/pollen/grass makes a spider like coating over the back. Spraying the front will only clean the front while the back will still be stuck.
Good tip video. I used to have quite a few cottonwood trees around me and the coils would have a layer on them much like your lint trap. The coils would have to be cleaned twice per season. Over the years with the removal of the trees, a huge decrease in debris from the trees with cleaning once and sometimes so clean not even needing it.
Good tips... On the A/C unit we have, the coils are mostly exposed, protected by a metal grate (instead of metal panels with louvers punched in them). I clean them regularly, as in weekly, depending on conditions. Mostly because our unit is surrounded by exposed gravel and during a hard rain, sand/dirt will splash up on the lower portion of the coils.
A few things I noticed that help with efficiency... Try to have your unit installed in the shade. Ours is on one side of the house that is shaded by trees and our neighbors fence 95% of the day, only briefly being in the sun for about 30 minutes or so in the late afternoon. We had the unit moved when we installed a replacement, as it was originally adjacent to our patio, which got direct sun for about 4-5hrs a day. Made a huge difference in cooling the house.
If you don't have shade, build fence around your unit to shade it, ensuring that the fence is far enough away from the unit and built to allow sufficient air flow through the coils.
On super hot days, I find spending 15-20 minutes spraying cold water from the hose on the coils a few times a day during the hottest part of the day, to really help drop the temp in the house quickly. Our 99yr old home tends to heat up (especially upstairs) during these occurrences, and the unit will not shut off all day, unless I provide extra cooling to the coils.
From what I understand, in hot but dry climates, people will install water "misters" around their A/C units to drop the ambient air temp around the coils to increase efficiency in the really hot weather.
Hosing down the coils as I do, more or less just provides additional cooling, ramping up the efficiency temporarily, but it does help.
Thankfully, city water is cheap where we live...
Great video! I've watched a few of these condenser cleaning videos and was always skeptical about the cleaning sprays and whether or not I needed to use it every time. Thank you for showing that it isn't always necessary to use those sprays. It saves me even more money
Thanks for the videos with simple explanations. Cleaning my drain and coils tomorrow
I literally just gave mine its annual wash this morning. In the past I had been doing just water and it worked okay. This year I tried some cleaner with a foam cannon and also removed the top to get the front and back of the coils. It made a very noticeable difference and I washed out a whole lot more junk than I normally do. My a/c was blowing 2 degrees cooler afterwards and the unit isn't running as long now either.
well done clear and easy to follow your pace. i've been doing mine the same way except i have pulled the fan top plate off to thoroughly clean pushing the debris OUT from the inside. but as you mentioned if you have a yearly or bi-yearly regiment it would be fine without the extra work, thanks again your GREAT.
I mix up a little simple green or car wash soap in a pump up sprayer, I just wet it down good with the soap and let it sit a few minutes. Then rinse as well as possible.
I would be careful with simple green. A diluded solution is probably ok, but they make a product called simple green extreme that is better suited for aluminum. It was developed for aircraft and the aerospace industry and is safe to use on aluminum.
Are you removing the cover??
@@angelangelangelist On top of my unit, four screws loosen the grill which has the motor / fan mounted to the grill. I take out those 4 screws and slide the grill over a bit where I can stick my pump up sprayer nozzle inside and spray mist the cleaner (simple green or car wash soap) onto the inside set of coils. I spray the outside set of coils simarly through the outside grills. The two rows of coils are separated by about an inch of space between them. I just let everything sit about 15 minutes. I make sure no leaves or sticks have clogged up the drain areas below the coils while I wait. And lastly I use a gentle spray rinse on each set of coils. Reinstall the four screws and return power to the unit.
@789295 thanks , I really appreciate it...
I've been doing ac work for over 50 years. Changed very few capacitors. Only on motor or compressor replacement.
I love cleaning these little residential units or mini splits, most of the time I'm cleaning TRANE air handlers the size of a dump truck that are supplied chilled water from the plant. It's also a plus if it's micro channel coils.
There’s a house attachment that is for cleaning pool filters that has fins just like these coils. It is perfect for this because the pool filter is exactly the same as the these fins and it has many streams at once and you rinse from top to bottom the same way. When i bought it for pool filter it got a lot more out of pool filter than a hose sprayer so you will see you get more out of coil fins. It sprays more of a wide fan spray but in single streams not misty.
I’ve used a mild soapy solution that I spray on the unit just before I turn the power off, with the fan running to draw the solution into the coils. Then cut the power and rinse the coils top to bottom. Otherwise I’ve used Coilrite (Koilrite?) cleaner on very dirty units and flushed/washed them from the inside out.
Good video. I live in an area with a massive amount of cottonwood trees. I always have to take off all the covers on my AC. It only adds about 10 minutes and I get to spray the covers out on the back and front.
i use a coil cleaner, and use on car radiator also, breaks the static charge that keeps dust dry while water running over coils.
I have saved a few of my neighbors units from this very thing, i could hear the units trying to suck air as if they had asthma they were so clogged. Even made a few green backs cleaning a couple out for people. Cottonwood trees are killers for any manufacturer's units.
I spray Windex inside & out then spray with hose from inside Works great
i just decided to clean my 25 year old coil this spring for the first time. I never cover it when winter comes either. It was of course quite dirty and nothing serious though. the summer before and all others preceding it had been flawless. I think it works better this summer but that is rather subjective. it is 10 seer and fortunately we have cheep power for now, costs me about 2 dollars a day to keep my house at 70. All that said when it does crap out I will not replace it because I can complete a DIY mini split for less than the likely cost of repair performed by HVAC pros. to be fair my ac season is about 4 months and I rarely use the heater side.
I bought a $35 mesh screen cover for my 3 ton unit which I recently cleaned. Cottonwood was the main debris and I'll check again next season to see if the mesh helped to keep the cottonwood out. I did completely remove the outer shell of the unit and the coils looked like a well caked dryer screen after cheap fleece clothing was dried.
Something I use the coil cleaner on is my old, basic refrigerator coils. I cant really rinse it but a light spray made a difference!
If your condenser coils are near your kitchen exhaust, then use coil cleaner. If it only gets dust on it, not suet or smoke or oily air, you only need water, or regular detergent to clean them.
Rinse with water early in the morning, once a month. Start at beginning of cooling season. All you need.
If you have tile roof that you have cleaned every year or so, many roof cleaning companies use chlorine to help kill mold on roof when they pressure clean it.
Make sure you turn off air conditioners and insist they cover and protect the outside air conditioner unit from chlorine based roof cleaning. Clorine rapidly corrodes aluminum condenser coil fins.
Thank you for your video!! 🤩 We appreciate the knowledge of this matter whether we clean it ourselves or hire someone to do it. At least we understand the process. Anyone who has a problem with this type of information probably charges customers an exorbitant amount of money (rip off) for this service or any other contractor provided repair service!
Thanks again!👍🏻
Two things that make things super difficult, Cottonwood Fluff and the spikey wiring type cooling versus the fin type.
one particularly warm year when my condenser was running a lot, it got a thick "sweater" of Cottonwood seeds caked on it in a matter of weeks. HVAC companies in this area must really make a killing with all the "cottonwood killed" A/C condensers. Cottonwood seeds don't wash off like dirt and dust, so you have to shoot water from the inside out to remove them. Those who don't live in an area with light, fluffy Cottonwoods just don't know.
I have a Luxaire (York) since 2015 and we have a Linden Tree adjacent to it (very messy), a sure thing for debris and dirt coating the coils. What I found is the coils are covered with a spongy filter film which surrounds the exterior 4 sides of the coils. It has been necessary for me to remove the metal exterior panels and the film to properly clean this unit. The filter film will defeat other cleaning attempts unless it is removed. There are no shortcuts. My brother in Law lives next door. He does not care for AC and only uses his Goodman AC on occasion. Never have to clean his, the coils are mostly clean. No trees nor plants near his unit. And yes, you have to be careful to avoid injury to the wiring going to the fan. Manufacturer did a sloppy job in designing that harness setup---like if they care less about maintenance people anymore. Using a spray can of coil cleaner does a great job, but I use plenty of water spray rinsing to get stubborn debris off.
We have Cotton Wood Trees here,
If you don't take it apart that cotton & Dirt sits at the bottom & my fins face down, when it was cleaned by a professional, 6 months later I took it apart & I got out a trash bag of crap out if the unit. & the neglected backside was packed with a thick coat of Dog Hair from Previous Owner.
I’m 71 and through moving, I always buy window screen and place it on top to keep leaves/debris from inside😊
You are so good at what you do truly appreciate your videos thank you 😊
Every HVAC company at the hospital where i work use chemical cleaning and recommend 2 times a year! Pollen in spring will find it's way in even when not in use and during sometime in August,
I love your videos. Thank you. I love fixing my own things, but I know when I’m going to need a pro. Also These vids help honest hardworking folks from getting ripped off by the shady contractors.
if its actually dirty, like visibly caked with lint or other crap you really do need to to remove the sides and the top/fan and spray it from the inside out. On side discharge mini splits a lot of them have a cleaning function where it can reverse the direction of the fan to blow out stuff that has been sucked onto the coil.
My unit has air slits that face down, so I would have to point the hose up to get from the outside. Also, it is under stairs going to the upper rear porch, so I just hold the fan open with a couple bungee cords.
Thank you for the video. My question is ; why you have to disconnect the power if you are only clean it from the outside? I usually disconnect the power if i have to clean from the inside.
Great video. I think your myths make more sense in areas where there are no trees and little pollen. Here in North Carolina, leaves, maple tree pods, etc. add to the heavy pine pollen to really create a mess on the inside of the unit. So I do unscrew the top, vacuum out all that debris and apply cleaner and water from the inside out. I get much better access to the fins this way as the outside cover is not in the way. But I can see how my method may not be necessary in other areas of the country. Thanks for doing a great job on these videos. 👏👏👏
I've seen 1 big error that some people will do. Don't hit the coil with enough water pressure that you bend the fins. Also, the coils that look more like strings of Christmas tinsel are a pain to clean. They'll hold onto things, such as cottonwood seeds & their white fluff, to the point that you may have to take the lid off and spray from the inside to dislodge them on the outside. Standard fins, such as the unit in this video has, will usually clean easily by just rinsing on the outside.
Some systems have coils on all 4 sides, but 1 side is covered. You may need to remove the cover to rinse that side of the coil. This is 1/4 of the coil, so rinsing it makes a big difference. However, the electrical connections are under that cover. So, pull the interlock on the wall or turn off the circuit breaker before rinsing the covered side of the coil.
Really like your channel I'm enjoying it quite a bit keep it up. I'm 54 know the basics but I've been learning a lot more. I literally just walked inside from doing this lol
Dawn Powerwash Dish spray works like Magic! $4.99 a bottle, all u need is 1. Spray and let it sit for 10 minutes, rinse.
Thanks, I am going to try some dawn powerwash
That’s probably best I’ve heard dawn is super excellent at breaking down dirt and oil I’m surprised they haven’t entered the market with that !
Dawn power off is just dawn and alcohol. If it’s not really dirty i wouldn’t let it sit. I’d spray with water. Wait 10-15 minutes. Spray and rinse. I was recommended diluted simple green but I feel Dawn would be safer.
I have been using a pressure washer for years better than any hose which is about 60 psi my washer dose about 80 psi! And a lot faster 😊
Mix Downey fabric softener in water in a sprayer. Soak the coils with this solutio and let set for a half hour or so. Then hose down with a garden hose. Do this about every 6 months. Also do it for your A coil, the evaporating, or cooling coils. No need to hose down as the condensate will rinse it away.
If you've done commercial HVAC, then you know you have to separate those coils. Sometimes there's a blanket of pollen in between. Keep it clean.
I always keep a spare capacitor for my AC condenser unit.
I’ve witnessed double coil units that have been cleaned regularly, that when troubleshooting, there was a blanket of dirt between the two coils. This was in a high pollinated area.
I remove the fan. Very carefully. It isn’t hard, just don’t drop it, strain/break the wires, or smack the coils. Take your time and do not rush and it’s all good. Then I hit the inside coils with a hose sprayer with condenser coil cleaner, not the spray can stuff. Then I hit the outside coils. Wait 5-10 minutes and rinse it off well. I start from the inside then go to the outside, taking several minutes with each. Longer than the cleaner application to make sure it’s well rinsed. Then put the fan back on and you’re good for another year.
Also show the evaporator coil some love. My annual cleaning is done in April before it gets really hot in South Florida. Evaporator first, then while the no-rinse cleaner is doing its thing hit the outside. Then switch it all back on and the evaporator self rinses.
I get lot of leaves from trees inside the unit. No choice but to take top off to clean out. Lot of units in my area have same issues - leaves, leaves and more!!!
좋은 영상 흥미롭게 잘 밨습니다. 저는 대한민국에서 에어컨 설치하는 기술자입니다. 항상 건승하세요
Don't just avoid pressure washers but try to use a gentle shower spray. It really will surprise some people just how delicate those fins are and they could be difficult to straighten.
Man, wish I would have seen this video first. I took the casing off and up pinching a wire. I found it then cut and rewired it. But it still didn't work. It blew a fuse in the furnace, which I didn't know to check. But my system hadn't been cleaned in 10 years so it was bad! It ended up ok, because my capacitor was on the verge of going bad.
Always great content and presentations. Thanks
This is fine for places that only have dust but here we have the wonderful cotton wood that looks like a blizzard some days you need to remove the steel covers to get rid of it
Funny af. Ty for the content and as a field tech i find your videos interesting. Always sad to hear about the con artists.
Spray in a downward angle the motion you were doing was side to side =b just goofing i like your style!
No issues with your feelings towards cleaning product, they could corrode. If a customer pays they are getting a tare down and full cleaning and proper reassembly with new ties for wire retention.
But if they need a simple hose down i encourage them to save money and do a little bit on their own. You might be surprised at how many people do not want to do simple things to save money or keep a warranty.
Yep, that’s the reality. A lot of people don’t want to touch it. There is plenty of work to go around. I don’t know why people who do hvac get butt hurt about the videos. 🤷🏻♂️ thanks for the input! Cheers
@@diyhvacguy keep doing you even if we hate man! F em!
@@diyhvacguy
@Raider352
2 weeks ago
Home warranties don't like honoring warranties.
5
Reply
@JohnDoeEagle1
0 seconds ago
Your equipment manufactures don't like the homeowner screwing with stuff themselves either. Once you've put your hands on it not knowing what you are doing and wrecked something fully expect to be out all on your own.
@laserimage8583
2 weeks ago
Really appreciate you sharing your excellent knowledge about HVAC systems. I have question about compressor freeze up. If on a 90+ degree days and we set the thermostat temperature to 60 degree, will it cause the system to freeze up? Been getting conflicting answers, some tech said yes and some said no. What's the correct answer? Thanks in advance!
Reply
1 reply
@eDoc2020
12 days ago
It depends on your specific setup and condition of your system. If you have a "dumb" system and your airflow is limited (such as from a dirty filter or undersized ductwork) it will probably freeze up. If your system has great airflow and is properly charged it will probably be fine. Usually it's recommended not to cool below 68F or so just to be safe. If you want it colder you can get an inexpensive freeze protection control installed which monitors the operating temperature and shuts off the compressor if it gets close to freezing. If you have a modern inverter-based system like a mini-split it probably has this protection built-in.
Reply
@JohnDoeEagle1
1 second ago
@eDoc2020
Nope....air conditioners are only rated to cool 20 degrees colder than outside. You might get a bit more but no way you could ever pull down to 60 on a 90 degree day outside. That unit will freeze up. And yes, I am a licensed professional!
Reply
@JohnDoeEagle1
0 seconds ago
Good trap.....
18 degrees difference between the return and supply is usually ideal. Anybody who is licensed and has been professionally trained would already know that.
@tedyoh7394
6 days ago
Yeah......the proper way to clean is inside out, the AC coil is basically built like an air filter.......first the tiny particles, say pollen, get caught in the fins, then the dust and dirt builds up next....then comes grass clippings......you get the idea.....inside out is the proper way to clean a coil.... (coming from the son of a HVAC contractor with 54 years experience)
3
Reply
@JohnDoeEagle1
0 seconds ago
This guy is a amateur at best doing a huge disservice with his "advice". He says they rarely get blockage in between. That simply isn't true and I find them like that all the time. In which case you have to run the unit while quickly and carefully whisking over with a propane torch to suck in the flame and set the cottonwood on fire. You do this very carefully and with a hose turned on and right next to you in case it gets out of hand. Don't stay in any one spot for more than a fraction of a second or you will damage the aluminum coil. After it's all burnt and the smoke was expelled through the top via the fan running you turn off the disconnect switch and go about it as normal. All the ash and residue washes right out.
22 years experience and the company I formally worked for was in business from 1912 - 2017.
Those home warranty companies will always find an excuse not to cover the equipment they promised.
I know all about that from american home shield. They would never fix my leaking ac. They would come fill it with more freon and charge me a deductible every time and go up on my policy. I canceled them asap.
If I am not to remove the lid, How do I get rid of leaves on the inside bottom?
You Don't =p
Thanks for doing what you do to help others. ❤
I only use simple greens it is non aggressive on copper or aluminum. Other than that, I don't waste money on Canned coil cleaner.
Home warranties don't like honoring warranties.
Your equipment manufactures don't like the homeowner screwing with stuff themselves either. Once you've put your hands on it not knowing what you are doing and wrecked something fully expect to be out all on your own.
True but my comments was about hm warranties. I am qualified to work on my own.
Excellent videos. In one of your other videos, you recommend taking off the fan unit and clean with a foam gun and Nu-Brite. This process seems a lot easier. I'm curious why you went to a can spray and no fan removal? Thank you!
excellent info, you get straight to the point, do you serve the Dallas area?
I want to commend HVAC Guy on how professional he has become with his videos and narration! 👍
Also those are some killer eyebrows dude 😁
Simple green works well
You explain things so well! Thank you!
I like to tell the average person who doesn't work around electricity to take a piece of wire and take the disconnect out and wrap the wire around the handle then close the box and put the wire through the hole for the paddle lock. this way they can look and see its hanging there and is still safe.
And just use the foaming coil clear that's meant for the air handler indoors. Its easier on the metal and DEFINATLY get the foaming kind and try to get the spray straight in deep in the coil. It pushes the dirt out as the foam expands. Its worth it.
The air handler coil that's usually inside the house is a little more difficult but if you can do it then its very much worth it. but the coil cleaners that say no rinse, rinse it for sure and especially on the out side unit. it says that because the condensation that gets on the coil (on the air handler one in the house) "rinses" it. just doing this I was able to get my unit to be able to take in 93 degree air and put out 64 degree air that's a big difference and was in phoenix AZ in the summer while it was 115+. you want a 15-20 degree differential if its under 15 then you need to investigate and maybe call a good hvac company before it costs you more. and definitely check out his vid on how to replace the capacitor it can cost you up to $400 to have one put in, just for discharging the old one and unplug it and plugging in a new one. compared to that they are cheap. this guy is doing everyone a favor and giving correct advise! good work diy havc guy!!! give him a like he probably saved you $1000 or more easy.
Unfortunately I have dead vines from years of incomplete service (I'm a new renter), so I'm gonna have to go the tough route and take the fan off and probably the sides to remove all the built up junk in the case.
Simple Green is non corrosive to the aluminum fins so that’s what I use. Btw you need to figure out how to clean the evaporator coils on your vehicle. There is a way so be patient cause your AC will love you for it. ❄️