On 12/28/2004 5:53 AM US(ET), jt took fingers to keys, and typed the
following:

Do window a/c units have to be hosed out regularly? I see corrosion of
the case after less than a year, and the fins seem to clog up with
algae or something near the wetted bottom. This is in a very hot,
salty air environment sheltered from the rain.

I saw some older units nearby, also panasonic, with just shocking
corrosion - the fins almost eaten totally away to bare coils (lower
ones) and some casing corrosion where the vents were stamped into the
sides (stamped after painting, so bare metal is exposed).

Unfortunately it is awkward to hose the thing - maybe a spritz sprayer
is possible. I didn't expect this corrosion and worry about algae or
whatever messing up efficiency, but no preventative maintence is
mentioned in the user guide. Maybe the exposed metal vents in casing
should be painted, but probably too late. Thanks for any advice...



Window units should be set so that the back end is slightly lower to
allow for condensate drainage. Some other units may have a pan on the
bottom that holds an amount of condensation water that doesn't drain. I
have drilled drain holes in the bottoms of those.
You have a particular problem with salty air, so any condensate sitting
in the pan or on the fins, casings, etc. becomes corrosive salty water,
even though sheltered from the rain (actually, non-sheltered units would
be washed occasionally by non-salty rain water). My former window units
(pre-central A/C) lasted for 10-15 years and were exposed to the rain.
However, I'm in upstate NY where the air is not salty.
I gave all 4 of them to my brother-in-law, and they were as good as new
(except for some dents caused by bi-annual handling).

--
Bill