How to clean evaporator coil - AC freezing over with ice - cleaning dirty HVAC coil with cleaner
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 มี.ค. 2013
- My friends AC's evaporator coil freeze over with ice. This is a common problem when its dirty. Here is how we cleaned the evaporator coil. We are not professionals, just documenting what we did.
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This was the only video I could find that showed how to take the panel off and show specifics on what to do.
Thanks for posting the video. I had an A/C guy come out and tell me it would cost $990 to clean the coil. Thanks to your video and a trip to home depot for some evaporator coil foam, I did it myself and the unit is humming.
These prices are insane! I can't believe there isn't a regulation put on these companies from ripping people off. The job doesn't take that long and certainly not that difficult to do. Hell, my car mechanic charges less and he does a lot more complex work than these HVAC techs. No disrespect to the techs but the companys are certainly making a killing.
Yea and they pay their techs 15 an hour with no benefits.while the owners go on vacation 6 times a year and drive a brand new car. Yeah they are thieves.
Thanks for posting, ac tech wanted $550 to do what took me 30 mins to do after watching this. AC tech Priced cleaner at $150 ... bought 2 cans at Lowe’s for $25. Rip off artists make DIY even more motivating.
You're missing the fact if you make one mistake it can coat you a lot to fix.
*So amazingly quiet and **Fastly.Cool** in my room! 42db is at a whisper level. I bought 2 and installed myself.Very sturdy bracket and easy to adjust to fit windows of different size. Absolutely fabulous units!!*
wtf are you talking about?
Older upward air flow units sometimes have one flat evaporator coil mounted at a 45 degree angle, with a small pan to catch the condensation at the bottom of the coil. If the coil gets dirty or a tiny bit oily, it will drip water off from all over the coil, rather than it running down the coil and dripping off the bottom into the pan where it is supposed to drip. The water dripping from random spots on the coil will get blown all over the inside of the unit and cause it to leak into the building. Clean the bottom facing side of the coil by soaking it with foam. You may need to use a paintbrush to get a really dirty one clean. Brush downward. You can use 409 or Fantastic spray cleaner, and rinse it off with clean water spray when you are finished. Never use liquid laundry detergent. I fixed my 40 year old leaking unit like that. It took 2 hours.
Just a tip; you should never wipe the fins. Certainly not across them. A soft bristle paintbrush works wonders.
I saw that and cringed
A nice soft toilet bowl cleaning brush works as well with nice rotating motions to bring out more muck.
Thanks for showing how to do it without removing the coil. I'm not experienced/informed enough to do that so it's nice to know I can still clean it somehow.
Best video on How to clean a evaporator Furnace coil you save a lot of money easy to do. Thanks
Easy set up. Comes with everything you need for a snug install. Gets very cool. Thank you.
Before the summer of 2018 I upgraded my 15 year old HVAC to an all new system. I have always changed filters every 4 to 6 weeks. I have never had the A coil (evaporator) cleaned and wondered about that. I noticed this guy said the coil is self cleaning through the condensation or water that occurs on the coil and in my case is pumped out of the house through a drain line. When my 15 year old A coil was removed I checked it out of curiosity and other than being a little darker in color than the new one, it was as clean as the new one. No wonder they make it impossible to get to the coil to clean it. It does appear to self clean, and having a good quality filter, the pleated type not the $1.99 fiberglass junk, is a help, too.
I live in the desert and our highest temperature can go to 124 degrees. Average is 112. HVAC guys are going to hate me for saying this but in all the years I have never done the so-called annual maintenance and only once had failure due to a bad capacitor. I do clean the coil on the outside unit with a garden hose because that is definitely not self cleaning. Especially when you get no rain for 8 months. The new unit ran great all summer, house at 76 even the day we hit 124. I have already changed the filter 4 times. I have read many, many stories and viewed many TH-cam videos. I believe the more you let people F with your AC the more U get F’d. The quality of the initial installation is #1 in carefree AC.
Can I ask what you installed for your new unit? Looking to upgrade mine as well. Just wanting to know . Thank you.
This procedure totally works. Thanks for uploading this great info!
not exactly how I will do it, but the only video I could find that starts from the beginning. Thanks!
I had tech out today and 1000$ for cleaning 🤬 thank you for the video. Saturday project 1🥶
yes, you are right. he did have it charged a few months later. The tech didnt say anything about the evap coil, nor did he check the coil. but thats good to know you can see the oil. can you point out where it is by min/sec on the screen.
Thanks for the video, we have an older up flow unit that works fairly well until temps get up close to 100 then it starts to freeze because it has to run constantly. I've been thinking about cleaning the evaporator coil but wasn't sure how to get to it. Off to HomeDepot to pickup some coil cleaner and some Duct Tape
Good video. I need to do the same thing to mine. Thanks for the inspiration!
thats a good point, i've heard about that before, but never seen it myself. keep me posted if adding R22 fixes your problem.
You've inspired me to give it a shot. Thanks!
thx for pointing that out. And i do agree a professional is the best option. pulling the evaporator coil out with a deep clean is ideal, but this is for some that cant afford, or wants to DIY.
Will you ever do a video on cleaning the drain next to the evap coil
Great Video!
Marc you are referring to a heat pump where in the heating mode the outdoor coil acts as the evaporator and the indoor coil as the condenser. This has a defrost circuit which is activated when frost accumulate on the coils.
Did the A-coil clean.. wow just wow. Both sides 50% covered in hair fur and dust. Like a carpet. All i did was used a vaccum.
Reson I did this is because for the past 3 summers my house would take longer and longer to cool off. What a difference in enfecientcy.
tribulation138 thats wonderful you cleaned it. you will see a cheaper electric bill and cooler AC! Dont forget to change the airfilter every 1 to 3 months.
DIY Tinker I just found your video. My unit is having issues with cooling after a hot weekend and it kept freezing up in the basement. I am checking this on mine tonight and see what happens, thanks a bunch!
berger1980 if that doesnt work then you might be low on refrigerant. you will then need a hvac tech. hope its just dirty and cleaning will do the trick. good luck.
You're right! Had about a pound put in this morning and it dropped the exit temp to 54 and it's running great again.
Great video, thanks!
Good video....Thanks for posting.
I had freezing to my line and the outside fan wouldn't stop. I opened up the panel to the coils but it wasn't that dirty since I replaced them a few years ago. I went to the outside unit to clean with the hose spraying outward. Then the fan won't come back on. I hear a humming sound that I suspect to be the capacitor. So does this mean that I have a capacitor issue and low on freon? I would suspect that the capacitor issue would have come up before now.
The 24volt relay is working ok. Im going to check the compressor wiring to
see if there are any shorts to ground on its termials.
The freon might be way to low for the compressor to operate at all correctly.
thank you for sharing
Would have loved to seen you removing the end cover !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If I cannot clean the inside, should I at least clean the outside (easier) ? The a-coil is in the attic and I have a hard time removing the screw of the A-coil to clean the inside because there are lot of small copper tube/coil blocking it. I don't want to mess it up by bending it or cause leaks. The a-coil has over 30 years and I wonder it matters to clean it now. Thanks for the video.
Would love to see how you removed the triangular panel, that’s my biggest issue
This was a good basic video, he doesn't use coil cleaners, its a must for me. Inside and outside the condenser by a hvac person. The only thing required is to rinse it down very well. Some do charge too much. Only needed done every two or three years. CM Atl Ga.
Thank you so much
interesting, yes, his unit was low on refrigerant. where is the oil deposit on the header you see. can you point out the min/sec.
That coil wasn't even that dirty
Very nice to see someone reach the inside of the coil from the side plate!! Saves having to pull the coil,reclaim the freon & possibly causing damage to the coil while removing & cleaning.I do this every time I can't reach the coil from under the unit ;)
Thanks for the video. If you look at it close you will see that removing the side cover on the A coil evap gives you access to the inside of the coil letting you clean it with a small brush. Very easy and saves several hundred dollars if you hire an a/c man to do it. Don't use a water hose, that is just dumb.
Be extremely careful removing the a-coil front panel though, so you don't rupture/compromise the copper lines!!!
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Great vid.. thanks..
thanks for this video, our house has been smelling of mold and cat since their litterbox is in the basement too along with our a/c. I will investigate it and find our coils to clean off and see if that gets rid of the smell.
Gross
thanks for info
great! thank you
Great video,will try it 👍🏾
1:48 where the feeder tubes join the suction line. It's dark and shiny.
Awesome thanks.
Are you serious!!! I can do this! Thank you sir
hahaha... sorry, i never saw that. Thanks for pointing that out. You know its clean when it kills virus.
Thanks
Good job, my friend! As I have said before, I think it's great for people to learn how to do this sort of thing themselves. HVAC/ Refrigeration isn't rocket science or brain surgery. However, a few words of advice if I may: It is much easier/better to pull the coil, take it outside, and clean it with a "professional" grade cleaner and rinse it thoroughly. This type of cleaner is advertised as "no rinse" but it will leave residue on the coil that will promote corrosion...
How do you pull the A coil out? It's all on stiff connection, no?
@@lesio333 you have to pump down or recover the system and cut the lineset. After that it's usually just held in with a couple of sheet metal screws
How much is the cost for clean evaporator coil outside.???
so nice
thanks
my AC takes 25 to 35 minutes to go from 88 to 85F, condenser is clean,
bigger pipe with insulation is cold, smaller pipe is warm. the junction
between the 2 pipes got a hissing sound. is it Freon leaking? anything
else other than Freon? how much to fix and refill? thanks
+Oaythen001 ~ If you know where the leak at you can weld, make sure you turn off your a/c, my tech charge me for $80 for refrigerant.
First thing I noticed is a rust, that means bad condensate drainage, blow out the drain or suck it out with a shop vac, Your coil now is lackin a stable cage, whick can lead to a leak in the coil, that iced over coil does,t look that filthy. If your filter was clean ,and your indoor fan is wokin good then you got a low charge, find the leak, then go from there
Thks
dont forget to clean the drain too, its right next to the evap coil.
i wish you are my friend too.. and ask you to come over in my house and clean my A/C 'coz a have the same problem as well.
Thank you. You're right, good service techs are expensive. You're also right that most evaps can be cleaned in place. It is still a more thorough job to have it upside-down outside on the lawn. If I was doing it for a friend; I would still pull the coil and just charge them for the parts: the cleaner, the drier and a bit of brazing rod. Because I have the tools and know-how; it is actually easier for me to do it that way. But if you don't, our friend here has shown a good way to DIY! Take care:)
Expensive? You mean highway robbery
Low on freon will cause it to freeze too.
Hope you show adding freon some time. Im trying to add some R-22 freon to
my unit. The compressor seems to come on but have cool air coming out condensor
fan and there should be warm air coming out.
When I hook gauge to low side and turn on valve I don't seem to get any pressure on
the gauge, Hmmm
there are some good videos on how to do it. Watch about 8 of them, because they'll all offer some good tips on how NOT to wreck what you have into a non-working A/C unit, when all you needed was a charge to make it work better on hot days. It's pretty hard to do actually, so be careful.
you tube /watch?v=6T4bUNUz5Hs this "REME" will help that issue. You can in addition use a high large high efficiency filter with carbon. The carbon will help absorb the odors, the high efficiency will prevent airflow restrictions, and the REME will help with the odors as well as the mold and other indoor air pollutants.
wouldn't the spray foam be more effective if your angle of spray was more vertical with relation to the radiator fins, for a deeper penetration?
what does the foam do? does it eat up the gunk?
Easy now! As long as the cleaner is getting to the coil, it's all good. I doubt we needed to see him clean the whole thing. The cleaner helps collect the dirt & crud as it returns to liquid so that it can go to the drain pain & down the drain. However, if your coils are nasty dirty you'll probably need to manually get the crud off by hand. Fin combs are great for this. Or a high pressure sprayer. You can also use a shop vac with the angle tool. It's sad how few ppl know about simple AC maintenance & it's great that this guy & others take to using TH-cam to help others. If you or your families have allergies to molds, it's imperative to keep your coils clean. Spread the word.
But he didn't show how clean the inside coils were! the most important part. The video just skips to reassembling.
@@kerryc I like your attitude Kerry, you seem like a good guy. Spread knowledge.... help others out👍🏽
James D Thanks for the compliment but I’m not a dude. Reeeeeeeee! 😉 Simple tasks such as cleaning out under your refrigerator & the coils in the back are huge helps. Cleaner air going in = better efficiency. #TheMoreYouKnow 🌈 ⭐️
The makers should have made it easier to get to to clean them out.
Is evap coil for AC only or for both AC and heat? My furnace is giving me insufficient air flow and I'm guessing it may be the evap coil. The tech came out but couldn't fix it.
A/C only
Well the air blows through it either way. So if it's caked with junk the flow will decrease.
It would be allot easier if you disconnected that B Vent there my friend
your refrigerant is too low causing ice to build up, lower pressure = colder refrigerant which u need to keep somewhere around 40 degrees Fahrenheit since it will freeze at 32 and cause this issue again
You clean the coil on the side the air is being pulled into. That is the part that gets dirty. Never brush anything that pushes dirt into the coil. The whole reason for the foam is to attach to the dirt and push it out. Also the reason you use self rinsing cleaner.
smart ,,thkx
Nonsense...... Pull the coil to clean it? You'd have to pull the refrigerant charge out, that doesn't make any sense. You'd be better off spraying with that foam..... which is perfectly fine to use (No Residue) and if you're concerned, put some warm water in a pump sprayer, you want to make sure that drain is draining anyways.
Two questions.. First, isn't there a relay that defrosts the evaporator coil, and wont the unit freeze up if the relay goes out? Second, can the inside/underside of the evaporator coil typically be reached by removing the filter? Thanks for helping an HVAC newby!
I am not aware of a defrosting unit. Maybe some high end ones, but the norm doesnt have a defrosting capability.
Filter locations are all over the place, but most arent near enough to clean the evaporator coil.
Just my 2 cents, hope that helps.
There is no such thing as a relay that defrosts the evaporator coil in an air conditioner. Under most circumstances the coil temperature is going to be around 40 degrees or so. If your evaporator freezes it's due to a low charge, a refrigerant restriction, low air flow, dirty evaporator coil, or dirty air filter.
Normally air filters are located in the return side of the furnace, so you're not going going to get access to the evaporator that way.
If your evaporator is icing up, your best bet is to call a professional.
The condenser outside if it's a heat pump has a defrost cycle for when it freezes in the winter. The indoor evaporator coil does not have a defrost cycle. The only reason it will freeze is low airflow due to dirty filter, undersized duct or an obstruction of the coil ( It's really dirty and stopped up.) If none of those are the case it's low on refrigerant and needs to be leak checked. If no leak is found a professional should charge the system to the manufacturers recommended subcool. (Usually between 8-12 depending on brand. The data sticker should state designed subcool.)
@@trumillionaire can a faulty blower motor cause the evaporator and low suction line to freeze also
And if a blower motor is faulty what will be the reason that it is faulty of a bad wiring bad relay switch I need to I need answers
You need to be careful with the garden hose, if you get water on the control board, it's toast
It’s nearly impossible to get inside mine
lol, thats a good idea :)
Where can I find some plastic cloth for this?
lol
Look for "drop cloth" in the paint section
I laugh when people when the only "cloth" they know is fabric... :P
All come on now, he was nice enough to to post... So he called the sheet of plastic, cloth... I imagine you could use super sized Granny panties as long as it blocks the debris from getting in....Lol
so theres no need to take out
I've never heard of a tech pulling an A-coil to clean it, ever. If you're going to go to all that trouble to remove it, the wise thing to do would be replace it, and difference in price would be minimal.
maybe some people with immune deficiencies require an antiviral in it to clean the a/c regularly, or it may be used in a clinical field. sure looked pretty clean afterwards though!
Tbh I see a lot of folks mad about the price you have to pay for a evaporator cleaning. Yes if you do regular maintenance like cleaning your coils you don’t have nothing to worry about. I’ve seen some neglect coils from people that needed to be cleaned and/or replaced. Also not everyones evaporator coils are easy to get to, definitely for the elderly. Don’t forget that you need to turn off your electrical connection to the unit for the everyday novice(voltage can kill). As a home owner I advise you when using the foaming no rinse solutions, to let it do it’s job and rinse it off with water( it’s a acidic chemical and over time will eat up your coils trust me) than boom a 900 dollar cleaning would be worth it. How he cleans coils isn’t how I clean my coils. I take it out the unit and do a deep cleaning of the unit. If I didn’t need to do much to your unit, and cleaned the coils how this guy cleaned the coils I wouldn’t charge you much. Just change your filter and you won’t pay 2000 dollars lol (had to defend my HVAC brothers God Bless)
Do you have any ideas about my a/c isn't blowing cold air throughout the house?
Yeah, im an idiot.
Go to Word of Advice youtube channel. He has a video about what might be the problem.
This method only removes surface dirt.. get a water hose or a tank sprayer and rinse it down after this...Better job..
Is the water on the pan normal or would I have to drain all that out.water is leaking in one of my bedroom wall and goes all the way to the carpet..please help on how to fix or an idea on what to do..thank you
carlos navarrete yes water is normal as the cooling effect of the heat exchange causes condensation to form, which runs down into the collection trough and out a drain pipe. The higher the humidity, the more water. If water collects and spills out, ensure your drain pipe is not blocked or partially blocked.
Will u pls explain another reason for this freezing
Low on freon will also cause freezing.
Blocked air flow, low refrigerant & leaks, & an oversized system for the space. Sometimes, I've heard older systems become less efficient & will freeze up if run, nonstop on full blast during heat waves. Beyond that; not much else beyond bad luck. :)
Kerry Cook thanks
...But, not everyone is HVAC/R mechanic so these proper procedures may seem like "Nonsense". There is mold and all kinds of nasty things growing right next to the coil where it sits in the air handler. Clean your AC or your friends AC however you like. But, know this: It's not a complete job and a professional wouldn't do it that way. So, please check yourself in the future before you mouth off and make yourself look... like this :) cheers
Disinfectes Herpes also. wow
I think your system may be undercharged due to a leak. That coil did not look dirty enough to cause icing. You should call a professional
yes, you are right. it was undercharge and there is a leak. he got it fixed.
my home AC is not getting cold enough air anymore, i think i will try this and see what happens, if anybody has any other ideas please let me know.... An AC tech came and told me i had to replace the whole thing with out even looking at the unit, he told me over the phone..
TheJanka51 I did open the rear side of the Coil panel and there was a bunch of trash that had I clogged up, this video was very helpful. Home Depot came out yesterday and they tested my compressor and it seems like it about to give out... it makes a very loud crank when it starts..
I hope you lectured your friend about the importance of change the air filter every month. The more often you change your filter the longer your system will last. But right now it's too late, there's corrosion on the A-coil.
+DZEyoyo123 A-Coil can be replaced. However, if the people there never change the filter, then its a problem and will only get worse. It greatly reduces the life of the a/c unit.
What a pain in the butt to get to...
TheCrazyLazy
I have absolutely no access to the coils. The covers are not removable in my HVAC. What do I do?
Same here mine freezes up only when the outside temp is lower than the inside. About 74 degrees. When its hot outside it doesn’t freeze. Any luck?
How to adjust temparature
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Are you letting your business run you? If so you can do better. Does your HVAC company suffer from any of these time consuming issues?
Your technicians have to come to the office to pick up their paper work orders for the day.
You schedule using Outlook or a whiteboard and still have to generate separate work orders.
I have good flow but ac stays takes a long time to reach set temp could it be eval coils be problem?
If you have good flow then you could have a dirty condenser outside or not the correct amount of refridgerant
+Damian Dokis good point. Many techs overlook dirty cond coil. Ive seen them so dirty it made the high side line so hot I couldnt hold it. cant get a good charge like that
You have a freon leak if it's icing up. Your coil is not dirty.
I'm not saying anyone's a fool, but I will say that for a $100 an hour sometimes it's more cost effective to replace the thing. I apologize for any disrespect, but I've never ran into a coil I couldn't clean in place.
Ok, you're obviously questioning my qualifications and knowledge; that's fine. I'm used to it. In many people's OPINION; I'm just a kid and these people have a hard time with the FACT that I know my stuff. But, you're really making yourself look silly by continuing to act as if you are the authority on this subject. look at the thumbnails on the side of this video. Dr Z is a well established HVAC pro here on YT and how is he cleaning his evaporator coil?? Is he a fool, too?
Piuu
hvac supplies are avaible at a low price guarantied
What the fuck happened to the sound?
all good till some home owner breaks the lineset and gets their skin burnt off by the coolant. probably should add a disclaimer to all your videos before you get sued.
That coil wasn't even dirty enough to effect airflow. See all the oil? That's where you're losing your refrigerant. Where is the follow up video which shows the unit STILL ICING UP? Also, there is no such thing as a "self cleaning" coil, never wipe or spray anything at a perpendicular angle to the fins, and call a professional. That cool was NOT dirty enough to cause an ice issue. A real technician would've found and repaired the real issue.
Where do find friends who know shit?
Not in my house mickey mouse
Mmm... ok everybody is entitled to their OPINION. The FACT of the matter is that you cannot get it as clean in place. The FACT of the matter is homeowner grade coil cleaner is not as strong. The FACT of the matter is that if you where an HVAC/ Refrigeration mechanic; you would pump the system down (5 min) pull the coil, clean, rinse, reinstall and braze back into place with a new filter drier, vac and recharge in about an hour. There are also areas that you can't reach with the coil in place...
For $900.00? For an hour?!!!That’s the estimate one of the commenters was given to “clean the condenser coil “ by an HVAC company. Absurd.