Cleaned the outdoor AC condenser units today.

[RhondaHonda]

Three units are 8 years old and haven’t been cleaned before and one is 5 years old. I got through 2 before they were in the sun and it’s 100 today so I’ll do the other 2 this evening or tomorrow. I can only imagine how much better the airflow is.

The first one was after removing the fan and hosing from the inside out. Then I realized how much junk was still on the outside so I took the rest of the cage off. The second and third were taken before any cleaning took place.

 

[hemitom]

I'm suprised the unit didn't freeze up !

 

[eagle14]

Three units are 8 years old and haven’t been cleaned before and one is 5 years old. I got through 2 before they were in the sun and it’s 100 today so I’ll do the other 2 this evening or tomorrow. I can only imagine how much better the airflow is.

The first one was after removing the fan and hosing from the inside out. Then I realized how much junk was still on the outside so I took the rest of the cage off. The second and third were taken before any cleaning took place.View attachment 109510View attachment 109511View attachment 109512

Question: is your clothes dryer vent in the vicinity? I ask since it seems like dryer lint is accumulating.

Mine was, from when the house was built 40+ years ago, which also meant the condenser had hot dryer air blowing at it until I rerouted the vent outlet in a different direction.

Just a thought.

I suspect you will see major cooling improvement regardless.

 

[tnt_motorsports]

I did mine in the spring before we turned the AC on. I killed the breaker and unplugged the fuses in the line running to the unit. First step was to remove the fan from the top so I could shopvac all the crap out of the inside, leaves and debris. Then I mixed up some cleaner I bought at Menards and used my pump sprayer to apply it on the inside and outside of the coils. I used the hose with the nozzle on it and washed it from the inside out. The water was pretty nasty running off the unit. Prior to cleaning I could not see a flash light through the coils, but after it was shinning right through.

just my $0.02

 

[Warstud]

Scary.

 

[Donald]

I have kind of a service contract on my two Trane units. They service the units spring & fall. Replace parts needed. Still under Trane warranty for parts.

Around where I live in DE if you don't have a service contract and your unit breaks, the people you call will put you on their list and get to you at some point. If you have a service contract then they will be there same day or next.

 

[FT92]

has to be the dirtiest one I've ever seen; I'm amazed it did any cooling at all

 

[bullwinkle]

has to be the dirtiest one I've ever seen; I'm amazed it did any cooling at all

I’ve seen a few in the vicinity of cottonwood trees that lost compressors (no airflow, drove head pressure high enough to damage the valves), they looked like an unshorn sheep!

 

[RhondaHonda]

Question: is your clothes dryer vent in the vicinity? I ask since it seems like dryer lint is accumulating.

Mine was, from when the house was built 40+ years ago, which also meant the condenser had hot dryer air blowing at it until I rerouted the vent outlet in a different direction.

Just a thought.

I suspect you will see major cooling improvement regardless.

There’s a dryer vent for the basement laundry room not too far but that dryer gets used maybe 5-10 times a year so I don’t think that’s it. I think it was really fine weed seeds as we built a pool and an addition and that side of the house got really weedy and dusty for a year or two. Either way, I’m glad I cleaned it!

 

[Highboy]

I do mine every July. It usually looks like this. 2 stage cool with a 2 stage condenser fan. It spends most of its on time on low speed and seems to pick up lots of stuff.

 

[UncleDave]

Three units are 8 years old and haven’t been cleaned before and one is 5 years old. I got through 2 before they were in the sun and it’s 100 today so I’ll do the other 2 this evening or tomorrow. I can only imagine how much better the airflow is.

The first one was after removing the fan and hosing from the inside out. Then I realized how much junk was still on the outside so I took the rest of the cage off. The second and third were taken before any cleaning took place.View attachment 109510View attachment 109511View attachment 109512

Nice coil sweater!

 

[alarmguy]

I can’t believe what I am seeing is the air that dirty there?
We have two units, now 15 years old I’ve never seen anything like it.
Every year (mostly) I check the coils, never anything on them but for the heck of it I still spray with water once a year.

 

[Fitter30]

Did any of the coil look like a double? Two coils sandwich together. If so your not done cleaning. Dirt gets trapped between them. Only 85% can be really cleaned. Look at the piping it will piped only on one end the other end is either has screws,clips or plastic wire ties holding them together. Some cases the outer coil can be spread a little most the inner coil will spread and piping end will only spread 8 - 10" away from end. I don't recommend coil cleaner unless coil has a oily film. Coil cleaner after a few cleanings weakens the fins where just touching them they bend and don't care how well rinsed still there's a residue of cleaner left on the coil. Cottenwood trees made me $1000s when they were snowing one tree could blocked muiltiple condensers and units cleaned 5 or 6 times a season on overtime.

 

[gman2304]

and used my pump sprayer to apply it on the inside and outside of the coils. I used the hose with the nozzle on it and washed it from the inside out. The water was pretty nasty running off the unit. Prior to cleaning I could not see a flash light through the coils, but after it was shinning right through.

Good catch! Looks like you were close to $pending some major buck$ in the near future if you had waited much longer. I use Simple Green diluted 10:1 sprayed inside out as well but only lightly spray water through the coils to rinse. An hvac friend told me years ago to gently rinse the coils because high water pressure could damage the coils. My 4 ton Trane is 28 years old and has needed only a start capacitor and contactor (less than $100) in all these years.

 

[Fitter30]

I'm suprised the unit didn't freeze up !

Dirty condensers raise condenser pressure not lower suction pressure. Dirty blower, evaporator or filter will lower suction pressure to freeze coil up.

 

[RhondaHonda]

I do mine every July. It usually looks like this. 2 stage cool with a 2 stage condenser fan. It spends most of its on time on low speed and seems to pick up lots of stuff.

I’ll definitely make a note to do them annually now. I’m dying to do the other 2 but it is miserable out today. Maybe tomorrow. These are single stage units so they don’t run as much but 8 years will do it apparently.

 

[RhondaHonda]

Did any of the coil look like a double? Two coils sandwich together. If so your not done cleaning. Dirt gets trapped between them. Only 85% can be really cleaned. Look at the piping it will piped only on one end the other end is either has screws,clips or plastic wire ties holding them together. Some cases the outer coil can be spread a little most the inner coil will spread and piping end will only spread 8 - 10" away from end. I don't recommend coil cleaner unless coil has a oily film. Coil cleaner after a few cleanings weakens the fins where just touching them they bend and don't care how well rinsed still there's a residue of cleaner left on the coil. Cottenwood trees made me $1000s when they were snowing one tree could blocked muiltiple condensers and units cleaned 5 or 6 times a season on overtime.

I don’t think so. I’ll look on the next Lennox unit I do as they are all the same model. Either way, it’s way cleaner now and I can see light through the fins. I don’t have any cottonwood trees but do have a sycamore (I think).

 

[JTK]

That baby should run like new now!

Anything ground level like that can take a beating in terms of sucking up debris, especially when there's cotton wood trees in the area.

 

[hemitom]

Dirty condensers raise condenser pressure not lower suction pressure. Dirty blower, evaporator or filter will lower suction pressure to freeze coil up.

you are correct !
Don't know why but i was thinking of the indoor coil and freezing.
The issue here is lost cooling capacity.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

I’ve seen a few in the vicinity of cottonwood trees that lost compressors (no airflow, drove head pressure high enough to damage the valves), they looked like an unshorn sheep!

We have the same problem with cottonwood trees, so I purchased both intake and exhaust screens for our Trane AC condenser. Put the exhaust screen on in the spring to catch the helicopters coming off of our neighbors trees and then install the intake screen when the cotton starts falling. Just remove that screen last week. Even with a strong shop vac, that cotton is very hard to remove from the screen. The Trane Spin Fin technology on the condenser tubing is very susceptible to fowling with the light weight cotton. All over until next year.