How to clean this A/C coil ?


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Old 05-22-16, 05:41 PM
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How to clean this A/C coil ?

So i was doing a lot of sanding this week to prepare a subfloor for a wood floor install, and i guess a lot of dust got sucked in to the AC system, and clogged the 'removable' filter enough to overwork the system and freeze it up.

Cleaned out the removeable filter and let the system thaw out for a few hrs. Not much water dripped down into the pan, maybe half a glass. So its fair to assume it wasn't completely frozen solid !! However the AC will no longer go below 76f

TBH it may of not gone below 76f for a while, and i've just not known, as i typically just leave it on 77f all yr round.

Anyway upon pulling the filter and have a look up the thing, (once it had thawed out) i noticed it was filthy and clogged. I suspect this is probably why it won't go below 76f. Not sure exactly what i should be doing to clean this out? Or am i best just leaving it to the pro's?

The unit was installed in 2009, but had its coil replaced under warranty in late 2013

 
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Old 05-22-16, 05:48 PM
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Would a shop vac work?
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Old 05-22-16, 06:01 PM
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Absolutely leave it to the pros. If you bend the fins on the coil you will make it worse.
That coil will need a major cleaning.
 
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Old 05-22-16, 06:12 PM
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What will the pro's do to clean ? Spray it up with something ?
 
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Old 05-22-16, 06:15 PM
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Spray, soak and rinse it. It will be a messy job.
 
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Old 05-22-16, 06:38 PM
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I don't get how it could of got that dirty? I always clean out the removable filter. every other week. Its one of those hard plastic mesh ones, that i blast out with water, shake as much of the water as i can, and re-install.

The filter is always in place, unless i'm cleaning it.
 
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Old 05-23-16, 06:08 AM
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Better put, how can a DIYer such as myself prevent this from happening ? I'll get a tech out and have him straighten this out.

We live in a very clean home, as mentioned i do clean out the filter every two weeks. sometimes weekly in the hot summer months.

Is the only way to take a contract out with a pro and have them specially clean every six months? Are we saying there's no DIY cleaning.

Could it be that the filter i've been pujtting back in, isn't bone dry? I do vigorously shake sweep out any water till i see nothing else to shake. But of course there's always parts that are still moist such as the dense foam on the seals.

Could that be part of the reason its got so filthy?
 
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Old 05-23-16, 12:46 PM
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One of the reasons why your A-coil got that way is because the only thing that "filter" does is to catch the really BIG particles. You need a better filter, no question about that. The bigger question is, will your existing filter rack accept a better filter?

I like the four-inch thick pleated media filters but in most cases that will require a fair amount of sheet-metal work on your installation to install the proper filter rack. Using too small a filter will be as bad as no filter at all. It is a dance between the equipment manufacturer and the installer that often leaves the poor homeowner in the cold.

Post a few pictures of the installation and I might have some other suggestions.
 
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Old 05-23-16, 05:48 PM
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I agree with Furd. Those blue "hog hair" filters do not work very well.

A return air leak or an outside air duct may also be adding to the problem.
 
 

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