How Clean Trane Heat Pump Spiny Outdoor Coils?

[edwardh1]

Whats the best way to clean the Trane heat pump outdoor condenser coils? Water hose and some dish detergent?????

- or are they self cleaning since they are in the rain?

[hvacdrd]

There is no easy way to clean these. For best results, disconnect power, remove the top and side panels, cover the electrical controls, then wash from the inside out, then wash down the outside, again inside out. I suppose you could try compressed air first to remove the heavy stuff first. I usually only have a garden hose at my disposal. Those dandy spiny coils are plenty efficient but a pain to keep clean. Just be sure to use caution since they bend so easy... patience is a virtue on these.

[dkpd1581]

To clean your Trane (or any condensing unit) turn off the power at the disconnect and remove the metal louvred covers - properly called hail guards.  Older Trane units used 1/4 or 5/16 screws.  The newer XR series units have a set of screws around the top and both sides of the controls section.  The sides of these units actually snap into place on the bottom and along the upright posts (they are a real pain to remove).  If you dont want to or cannot remove them, dont worry about it.  When you spray the chemical angle the water stream upward to get under and inside of the louvers.

Remove the top of the condensing unit (the fan motor and blade stay attached to the top).  If you are lucky the top can be peeled back and proped against the side of the house.  If not, it is easy to remove the 3 power wires leading into the control section.  Mark their locations and colors so that you can replace them later.  Set the top and motor/blade assy aside.

You can use any non-acid/alkaline cleaner you choose.  Professionally and on my personal unit I use Triple-D produced by Diversified Products.  It can be purchased at Johnstone Supply and United Supply for approximately $15.00/gal.  Most likely you will not be able to get this great product.  Go to the cleaning section at Lowes, Hechinger, Home Debt (I love calling them that) and look for a good quality degreaser.  Simple Green is a good choice as well as some of the Zep Products. 

Now that you have chemical you will need a way to apply it.  Now go the garden section and get a hose end chemical sprayer that you would use for the lawn - preferably not a pump up bottle and spray wand (you will see why later).  Ortho brand is a common one.  It must #1 attach to the end of the spray nozzle of your hose #2 be able to meter the degreaser.  The top should have an adjustable dial so you can mix at least 3 or 4 parts water to 1 part of the degreaser.

Pour the degreaser into the sprayer's bottle, set the dial to the lowest setting of at least 3 or 4 to 1 and attach it to the hose end.  Start applying the water/chemical in slow even side to side motion to the coil face from the outside  begining from the bottom up.  The reason for the  hose end  sprayer is that it floods the coil face completely with the water and chemical and carries it  through the coil completely.  Pump sprayers only  cover the surface and do not penetrate nearly as well as a hose end sprayer.  You start at the bottom  up because  the bottom is typically the dirtiest and the chemical  will cascade down as you move upward and really flush the area.  Also from bottom up is easier to see where you have not been yet while top down masks the untreated coil with the cascade action.

Work your way around the other 3 coil faces taking your time.  By the time you are done it will be time to remove the chemical sprayer and use the clean water to wash everything off.  Do not - I REPEAT, REITTERATE, AND SAY AGAIN - D O   N O T use a pressure washer of any kind to rinse off any condensor coil.  use a 3/4 spray pattern (more than a half way fan pattern and not the hard 100% squeeze stream) and spray the coils off.  This time work from top to bottom.  Spray from the inside of the coil face - there had to be a reason for taking the top off right??  Work your way to the bottom and repeat for each of the 3 other coil faces.  Then do the same from the outside as a final rinse - top to bottom.

Reattach the hail guards,  put the top back on, and rewire the 3 power wires to the fan.  Turn the disconnect back on and your done.

When you remove the top initially, remove all the pine straw, leaves, compost, and stuff from the bottom of the unit.  This plugs the units drain holes and if you do not, you will have a foaming dirty swimming pool inside.  Once all of the heavy stuff is out, spray the hose down in the bottom to clean out the drain holes.  Trust me on this one.

If you have the coil professionally done, ask what chemical they use.  Most likely it is acid or alkaline based and will foam heavily (the pink stuff, the blue stuff, the rootbeer stuff - guys in the industry know what I am talking about).  Foaming is not bad; however, for there to be foam there must be some chemical reaction.  The acid or alkaline uses your coil's aluminum surface to do this and actually removes a few layers of metal.  No big deal at first, but after several years your coils will become weak and brittled.  The same goes for the dog taking a leak on the condensing unit (its acidic ya know) - his new favorite corner.  I have seen many units MISSING the fins and spines for just this reason.  Save yourself the expense and heartache.  Use a good degreaser only  - it will not remove any coil surface.  The coil will not be shiny but it will be equally as clean.  Chemical companies like to sell the idea of a shiny coil as a clean one and this is just not the case.

Cleaning your coils regularly is the 2nd best return for the investment - only behind changing the filter.  The combination of the two WILL save you money, make your equipment last much longer and give you a better quality of conditioned air.