I have a quick question in regards to our home A/C condenser unit. We are moving and our home inspection found the A/C condenser coils are dirty. Is there any quick way to clean this or do I need to hire someone to come out. Also how much does this tend to run?
If you are confortable with it, you can put a vacuum tube in there and clean it out yourself. Just make sure its off. If the inspector said it was only needing cleaning and not replacing, then this would do fine. Its also possible that the inspector missed holes in the coil which is bad and means its time for a new coil. EDIT: disregard this post. I thought you were talking about the internal coil which rusts over time and drops rust into the furnace area. I see now that you are talking about the outside unit. My goof!
It's pretty easy to do, give me a call and I will ship you some professional coil cleaner for you condenser, it's like 15 bucks or so. Pour into a sprayer, spray your unit, let it sit about 10 minutes, and rinse with you hose, and your done. Give me a call 404-312-3401, or I would be happy to do it for 60 bucks!
I talked to a technician about this. You can get a solution that you spray on and hose off, but it isn't as good as what they have. It is an acid based solution. I would try the diy route first. By the way, mine were dirty but no obvious grass / dirt buildup. After he cleaned them with his solution, it did not change the cooling capacity at all (verifed with gauges / temp probes).
these are outside CONDENSING coils, not the evap coils right? just clean them, and try not to bend the fins. you can't really hurt it unless you break a joint and lose your refrigerant. if someone suggested an acid solution, try a diluted vinegar (acetic acid) mixture. if anything, dirty condenser coils will just raid the head pressure of the system. not a terribly bad thing, the compressor just has to work harder to raise the refrigerant's pressure up so it can be liquefied.