How to Clean an Evaporator Slant Coil
The condenser coil in your home's air conditioning unit cools the air and removes moisture. Refrigerant passes through a series of copper pipes surrounded by hundreds of thin aluminum fins, heat is absorbed as the air passes through the coil, and water condenses from the air and collects in a drain at the bottom of the coil. Over time the coil can become clogged with dust particles from the air in your home, and reduce the unit's ability to efficiently cool the air. If you can gain access to the coil, you can clean it using a commercial coil cleaning foam and improve the airflow in and out of the central unit. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Safety goggles
- Breathing mask
- Soft wire brush
- Coil cleaner foam
- Wet/dry vacuum
Instructions
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1
Put on safety goggles and a paper breathing mask. If you can access your evaporator coil, you will most likely be working on its underside. Protect your eyes, nose and mouth from any debris and dust dislodged during cleaning.
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2
Disconnect power to the air conditioning unit at your home's breaker box.
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3
Remove any dust and debris from the coil using a soft wire brush. Draw the brush across the coil in the direction of the cooling fins until you can see through the fins to the refrigerant pipes.
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4
Spray a coat of coil cleaning foam over the entire area of the coil. Cleaning foam can be purchased at any home supply store. Allow the foam to soak into the fins for several minutes.
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5
Vacuum out the foam and any remaining debris with a wet/dry shop vacuum. You may repeat the application and removal of the foam several times as need to penetrate the coil and dissolve any clogs.
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Return power to your air conditioning unit and set the thermostat to run the fan only. Allow air to circulate through the unit for several hours before switching the thermostat back to cooling mode.
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References
- Photo Credit Klimaanlage image by Imagemaker from Fotolia.com
