HVAC: cleaning the evaporator coil

[multiz007]

do you need to worry about getting the black foam insulation wet when doing this? im afraid if i try this and the acid gets on something, it will eat right through breaking something...

ps i used your vid about cleaning the drain line - saved me $100 service call. Thanks!

[DrZarkloff]

@multiz007 Thanks for watching. The black foam can get wet but I don't advise getting coil cleaner on it.

[woode1965]

the coil cleaner i use at work is alkaline based and is very nasty when even a drop gets on bare skin. i keep a bottle of white vinegar (wal-mart) on my van just in case of skin contact. vinegar is acid based and instantly neutralizes the alkaline cleaner. don't breathe the vapors either. trust me, you will know if you do. it's really best to have a pro HVAC tech do this kind of work, since they can also to a complete system check to see if the system is at peak condition.

[CTGETLITTLE]

Where should this coil be located? I can't locate mine, I don't believe I have access to mine. Any suggestions?

[DrZarkloff]

If you have a gas furnace then more than likely you'd have to remove the evaporator to clean it.

[zaxfire69]

DrZarkloff. I am running an old Fedders Gas Furnace with the A/C Evap coil on the top of the furnace. How would I get into the A/C Unit to clean the Evaporator coil. It appears to be in the Plenum. The plenum is in the Attic. I have never cleaned it, but I know it needs it. What is the easiest way to gain access to it?

[DrZarkloff]

The evaporator will have to be removed to properly be cleaned.

[demoad]

My air handler is in the attic, so I don't think it's possible to clean the coil on both sides without removing the coil unless I run a hose up there??

I watched a few of your videos and it was a little confusing, as it seemed that to get to both sides you must remove it?

I failed to change filters for..err. 12 months, and now I can't cool below 80 when it's 91 outside, the unit outside tested fine and the handler is only 3 years, clean time? what do you think? Thanks

[DrZarkloff]

It's always a good idea to clean the coils once a year.

[butchtropic]

By watching your vids I've dropped my bill $50/month. My ducts (installed in 72) were badly in need of re-sealing, not a fun job but a very necessary one after that long a time. I also cleaned both coils and sucked my drain line. Thanks a lot for the info. You might want to mention to folks to use eye protection when doing a cleaning, coil cleaner in ones' eyes is not gonna be much fun!.. Thanks again.

[DrZarkloff]

Thanks for watching. Coil cleaner can be nasty.

[deleonmonstro]

this is exactly what i needed! thank you so much!!!

[liquidgiggles]

damn dirty coil was there even an air filter?

[DrZarkloff]

Yes, but it was just a cheap one.

[snagarwal53]

can u tell me exactly which liquid you used for cleaning coil and the instrument. thanks in adv.

[DrZarkloff]

I used an inexpensive pump sprayer and I used Alka-Brite to clean the coil. I usually won't use anything so strong on an evaporator but the coil in this video was just plain nasty. It needed to be nuked.

[mokcikkuakberok]

good use coilbrite100

[hemiownzu]

Gawd a real symptom of a dirty evap (air filters or low air flow) is when the suction line starts freezing up really quick on the start of the unit. After knowing the coil is not just frozen and the blower is operating you got an extremely dirty coil. I tell the homeowners to ALWAYS change your filters.

[budharvesting]

Thanks for posting the vid. Ive been into mine but wasnt totaly sure how to clean it. As a prior A/C mechanic on aircraft, Ive never had the pleasure of cleaning a home unit.

[DrZarkloff]

That sounds like an awesome job.

[coastnative]

Thanks a ton. I have two ac/s running perfectly now. Would you care to go into how to work on other parts of the a/c while you're changing the world for the better for us amateur fix-it homeowners?

Dinner's on me if you get to Houston sometime. You saved me at least 400. so the restaurant will be first class. Come see me.

[coastnative]

This is awesome. Thanks for showing. Does this mean that there are actually two evaporator drains? First one drains into the sink line inside the house plumbing, and second is the catch pan drain? I was told once that if I saw drip into the catch pan (which I do now), that it means the primary drain is clogged. From your video, I almost don't want to look at my evaporator coil. Sounds like it's easily accessible however--unit's in the attic, made a face plate to remove? Thanks

[DrZarkloff]

You might want to use a wet vac to clear the condensate drain.

[Suiscycho]

I am almost afraid to say this, but that was relatively clean to begin with compared with alot of the ones I'm exposed to daily.

[DrZarkloff]

Yikes! Actually, I've seen worse, too.

[Suiscycho]

Always a gratifying sight for the resident to see all that dirt being removed! I heard the "Oh my God" exclamation in the background.

[DrZarkloff]

She might just as well said, "I'll be calling you more often".

[Suiscycho]

When you find one that has been collecting dirt for quite a while, a light misting of hairspray, followed by a few minutes wait, can then be relatively easily cleaned using something like a plastic putty knife to remove the dirt and debris. The hairspray helps to solidify everything so that it comes off sort of like a cookie sheet. This is followed by your normal cleaning.

[DrZarkloff]

Thanks. I'll have to try that.

[Suiscycho]

Those a- frame coils are really a pain to clean. Perhaps keeping a seperate pump/sprayer with only water in it in place of running hose inside would help. Also, I've found it's very easy to dent the fins while using the hose from a wet-vac to clean out sludge.

[DrZarkloff]

Good tip. Thanks.

[resarchitecture01]

Is it a difficult or long process (for a tech) to remove the coil from an air handler or cased coil?

[DrZarkloff]

You should be able to remove and clean a small residential evaporator coil within a few hours.

[aznlepkham]

you should zip lock bag your camcord

[DrZarkloff]

THanks for the tip. Now why didn't I think of that.

[canefan77]

Thanks for the videos Dr. Z! I'm going to try and clean my own coils. In this video you say the proper way is to remove the coils first, and from the video I can see why! How are the coils removed? Is this something a DIY'er can do? Does the refrigerant need to be discharged? As far as cleaners go, can Simple Green be used? Or maybe a Tire Foam Cleaner? Thank you.

[DrZarkloff]

You'd have to pump the system down and remove the coil from the air handler. Sorry, this isn't something that a homeowner can do without the proper tools and knowledge.

[ebaltrip]

thank DrZ! How would you recommend cleaning a case-coil on an up-flow furnace with the plenum only 1" from the floor joists. That 1" of room is just not enough to throughly clean the case coil without removing the lineset. I would guess just remove the upper plenum and assorted ductwork then raise the casecoil enough to get at it easier. What do you think?

[DrZarkloff]

Most definitely remove the pieces necessary to do a good job on the coil. In many cases, you'll find it easier in the long run to just remove the coil.

[local614bro]

dr z ,

two ?s

1.does it matter which way air flow over a-coil?

2. can a filter lay against each sice of a_coil?

[DrZarkloff]

I don't recommend two air filters unless the first one in line is more of a low cost pre-filter so not to dirty up a second more expensive one so fast.

Technically, it doesn't matter which side of the coil is the return and which is the supply. Are you trying to design some sort of bi-airflow air handling system? You could be creating a maintenance nightmare. If you put one filter on the return side and one on the supply side, the one on the supply side is liable to create a moisture problem.

[local614bro]

a-h is pos no place for filter, so iwas just gonna two cut filters on each side top a-coil

as for the direction thing , i never seen air flow the way it does in this video... that was all (me engineer sumthin, you crazy.lol)

[risc19]

Another fine job sir.

[DrZarkloff]

Thanks

[jimmymoss7644]

that probably saved her 200 bucks a month in electric! i cleaned my parents id coil and od coil and saved them 300 bucks a month in electric. the id coil looked like shag carpet! their bill was about 600 bucks a month before i took care of the issue! good video as always

[DrZarkloff]

Their power bill had been over three hundred dollars per month and they keep their thermostat at 78 degrees.

[25HNA6]

That was a good video. By the way, I was wondering if you knew how a gas furnace electronic pressure sensor works and what it does.

[bigdave706]

Ha. Lady in the background says "Oh my God".

[DrZarkloff]

That was the owner of the house who lives across the street from me. She had no idea how dirty the coil was. Her entire family had been plagued by asthma and allergies since moving into the house.

[bigdave706]

Wow... You probably really helped them out! I looked at my coil yesterday in my Rheem attic AHU and it was clean. Is there a need for the perm. filter in the unit itself? It was missing...

Dave

[DrZarkloff]

If you have a filter in the return duct inside of the house, you don't need one in the plenum.

[hdyudu]

no wonder why that garbage get blown back in the

house where the family breths in the stuff.

it is also pretty dangerios to someone that has asthma all becose of something in a place that most do even think of looking in.

[DrZarkloff]

You can already feel the difference in the house.

[hdyudu]

it a realy good feeling to have in the house

[mechanicwarrior20]

yay it's nice and clean.

Looks almost like someone forgot to change the air filter or this AHU has been running with no filter at all for a while.

[DrZarkloff]

They had an old fibered air filter that wasn't really doing a very good job. I replaced it with a pleated filter.

[hdyudu]

those 3m filtret flters are very good removes stinky stael cooking smoke that flow arount the house and mold.