How to clean central air unit yourself! It's easy! 

Definitely don't use the hard end on a shop vac. Use the round brush attachment. Then don't use coil cleaner unless you're confident in following directions to the T! Be exact! If you aren't sure set the top with the fan off to the side (wires still attached) and hose it with your garden hose from the inside out. Put it back together and go enjoy your ac

That AC condenser definitely needed a cleaning. I have a Lennox XC 14 and I clean it every other year. I also use a wet dry vac but I use a soft brush attachment so I don’t damage the aluminum fins. I vacuum the inside bottom also, and lift up the top and spray water from the inside out. I use a spray can foaming coil cleaner also. I change my air filters every 90 days. My HVAC system still runs great after 14 years. 👍

lol you definitely did bent them a little 😂. For heavy stuff like that you need to use your hose spraying at a downward angle on fan setting.

Use a brush on the shop vac, those fins are SO delicate, even tapping the plastic on them WILL bend them. You should also absolutely use a hose (NOT a pressure washer) with a flat spray nozzle to rinse the remaining dirt out that the vacuum won't get.

Thanks John Goodman

Please make sure you rinse it off with water after you apply that spray

Finally this video was meant for me I am doing Ac today

No cleaners. Wash at least twice a year. Do “not” press hard on the fins if picking stuff off or using a vacuum or soft bristled brush. Clean inside out. Make absolutely sure the motor does “not” get wet. At all. Let outside unit dry completely using a battery operated but weak blowing blower before to wash it off and after to speed up the drying process. It must be completely dry or the water can get fan motor wet and cause problems down the road. Cover or keep covers “on” the electrical parts outside of fin areas. They cannot get wet. Use only hose pressure. Do not use your thumb/finger to increase hose pressure. You could bend the fins and you’ve just defeated the purpose of cleaning it. Be safe. Don’t use cleaners. Cleaners that claim to be rinsed off by condensation is not wise or smart. Just because they say they don’t damage things doesn’t mean they won’t. If you choose to use a cleaner you must rinse several times and at least twice after “all” suds appear to be gone. No residual cleaner shall be on fins after rinsing. The more you rinse the better. I never use cleaners and mine is 20-25 years old and I’ve only had to change one capacitor. I will not mention the brand. Don’t ask. It’s more about preventive maintenance inside and out. Get pleated filters for your inside unit. They have more filter area and can catch small particles. They say replace them every 3 months. They’re expensive, I know. Wanna replace your a/c? Try to replace them every month, even if you can see through them. For many reasons. Be smart. Be diligent. Be wise. Learn what you can, where you can, when you can. Use your phone to take pictures of the most easy things to remember. You may not remember and find yourself up a creek without an a/c. You have more than enough info on this thread, as a whole. Not just in my comment. I suggest you “trust but verify”. You might be glad you did. None of this is manufacturer specific. If you want to do it right, you must be smart, intelligent, vigilant use everything at your disposal and use them “properly”. You don’t need expensive tools. Be patient and thorough. It will take more time than you think or may appear. If only washing twice, do so in early spring and early fall. I suggest, if you have grass right next to the a/c, kill it, rinse off your outside unit as instructed and make sure nothing ever grows/blocks around your outside unit. Even if it’s sitting on something that raises your unit above ground. I suggest a minimum of 12” around entire unit. A small amount of grass/weeds can be killed with weed and grass killer and left alone. Never put anything around it to hide the “eye sore”. It needs room to “breathe”. This may seem like a lot. It’s not. Just be careful. You’ll get quicker (not faster) as you get used to doing it and find a routine that works best for you. No short cuts.

You’re using evaporator coil cleaner. The evaporator coil sweats and rinses itself yea, but you’re cleaning the condenser coil. It needs rinsed. Just use water though. 99% of the time that’s all that’s needed. Trane/American standard systems are a different story.

I usually just pull the disconnect. Also we use a sprayer and mix our own condenser cleaner, but the stuff we use MUST be rinsed off or it will eat up your fins

Lennox recommends water only. Sticker on the unit says so.

@blue collar llc, reach in the ac panel take off the condenser fan leads. Then take out the bottom row of screws and take the whole shell off

lol... "so i don't bend the fins..." you bent them alright... Is this what homeowners should expect from all AC techs? "It's not my unit... so let me press my hard plastic vacuum wand against the fins."

U are very much appreciated❤❤!!

That’s called a condenser bud, your central unit is in the attic containing evaporator, blower and furnace

Thank you

Can we wet it with a hose instead?

Can of spray is $15-$20, cleaning call is usually $150+

About the spray, make sure you wash it off because it will eat the fin just let it sit for 10 minutes

I rinse mine every time I cut my grass!

There's a disconnect outside to cut the power, "dirt"? looks like you have a dryer vent nearby that lint is excessive. What do you consider a lot of money 💰? I only charge $125 for a proper acid wash.

Found it easy to just get a small piece of that crap and then use to get the rest of. No scratches. I did start off putting my thumb over over and saw i bent the fins. So just running hose over it worked

HVAC tech here we use water goes with spray and spray it all went then we use this commercial foam cleaner that meant for coils that cleans the coil (it irritating if touched skin) and when we finally rinse it up after a min or 2 . Then plug unit it and boom

Please use brush tool sir.

It’s best to have done by professional especially if it’s the first cleaning on an old unit, if the unit is extremely dirty and you clean it that can then show a low refrigerant charge if it has been leaking for years, that dirty coil would hide some of the symptoms then cleaning it would reveal it

i just dont want yall to think its easy like that becauee once you take the outside cover off it is very difficult to get back on a lot of the time. The fan on top is not light and you really want to go from inside out. you can easily bend those fins that he vacuumed with a little too much pressure or even when you are taking the outside cover off and puttin it on

Which episode did Phil Dunphy an A/C cleaning guy?

you do not need to take anything off or shut off power. just spray with a hose

My AC never has that much dirt or debris even after 10 yrs. Where do you live?

Wat if we don't have access in using a vaccum or hose like if townhouse association?

I use a torch with the ac one it burns the cotton out instantly nothing gets hot because the cotton burns so easily. I wouldn't use the torch method on this one tho lol

What’s the spray you used

That spray not lookn' to g00d , just take top off & hose it down from the inside out

Can u recommend someone to do the maintenance?

Call that cotton candy😂😂😂😂

I have a unit that keeps cooling after the set point like by 4/5 degrees or more used to be on point any suggestions on the issue

What spray did you use

I can't figure out how to put it back together. The front panel won't go under the cover. Help

How warm should the air be coming out of vent of electric a/c in winter time?

There’s a sticker on that unit that says “water only”😂😂😂😂

Why wouldn't you use a brush on the vacuum?

Holy hell I had a heck of time putting the AC back together....I feel it's a two person job to actually put the pieces back....🤔

Don’t ever leave chemical on a condenser coil, unless you’re trying to sell units. Teaspoon of dawn in a gallon of water is safe and effective, non corrosive.

Just light the fuzz on 🔥.

What will happen if I didn't clean it?

Whts the cleaner name u used

What’s that spray?

Water and a brush will always do a way better job

That’s not dirt, it’s lint or pet hair. Must be a sheep dog running around. 😂

Supertech would lite it on fire where you at?

I can hear his call backs

this is not a great video. Not doing the inside is a major miss and no hard edges against the fins. Use the furniture brush with the soft bristles to initially vacuum the big dirt. Then spray it down with a cleaner, wait for penetration and hose it down with minimal pressure. Inside and out. Ensure to do the bottom plate and evacuation holes at the bottom for better draining of rain etc.

John Goodman?

How long does it take for AC to turn back on after switching breaker back on

DO NOT USE A SHOP VAC! MAN IF SOMETHING HARD THAT SOFT STUFF GETS JAMMED INTO THE COIL YOURE SCREWED.

No water jet?

Just spray it down with a water hose without taking anything off🤷🏽‍♀️

Question is, why would you ever let them get like this in the first place? That right there just shows your goofiness

Damn thas dirty

Does this dirt effect on cold air in the house and power of blowing cold air?

Bent fins 2 seconds after you said you didn't

I always wondered how retirees wasted their days away doing

You were ruining the dents. 😕 Use THE BRUSH it comes with!

🔧👍🔧

I wouldn’t give people this much credit best to hire professional you never wanna spray a chemical on a condenser without rinsing it away the coil and cause possible leaks in the future also evaporator should be cleaned also and it is nowhere as easy as you’re trying to make it sound for the evaporator coil

That looks like pile of dog hair or cotton on there. I’ve lived at my place for 7 years, almost nothing in the fins and I never clean it.

Make sure you’re rinsing from the inside going out

Lol maybe try a hose? Lol

Yikes!!!😅😅😅😅

So meant things wrong or not said, horrible PSA

Guys don’t do this he is not doing this correctly!!

Definetly rinse it lol

Most useful straight to the point video on this. Thank you mf you are dope

What type of spray you use