How to clean a condenser coil

HVAC school is back to demonstrate how to clean a condenser coil impacted with lint using Viper Heavy Duty cleaner from Refrigeration Technologies. Jesse and Jayson show before and after results as well as every step in between.

The condenser coil in this video has been running on high head pressure because the lint and soil impaction is so severe. The homeowner cleaned the surface of the coil with water, but that just wasn't enough for a job that requires intensive coil cleaning; the fins remained severely impacted. Before starting the cleaning, Jesse takes the condenser air split and sees that there is a 40-degree difference between the condenser temperature and the ambient temperature, which indicates a serious problem.

After taking off the top and the sides, Jayson begins cleaning the unit by spraying just water. Then, he and Jesse use the Viper Heavy Duty cleaner with the Viper Foam Gun at setting E (10:1 dilution ratio).

Start cleaning the coil by building foam from the bottom and working your way to the top on the inside and outside of the coil. Once you've finished spraying the foam, allow it to dwell for five to ten minutes. Then, rinse off the coil from the inside out, starting from the top and moving towards the bottom. Carefully force water between the tubes to dislodge lint and soil from the fins; be careful not to bend and damage the fins, as those help with heat transfer.

The final result allows us to see the wall and the grass through the coil, indicating a cleaning job well done. Jesse and Jayson finish the job by putting everything back together and wiping the condenser down. Both the head pressure and condenser discharge air temperature came down significantly as a result of a good cleaning.

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Refrigeration Technologies: refrigtech.com/