Yes, you can. But it would be no where as effective as having the techie use
the correct cleaning chemicals and solvents, and rinse it out with the
garden hose.

Please don't try to save money and just hose it down yourself -- you're
likely to get electrical stuff wet, and cost yourself more repairs.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.org
..
..

"Ignoramus16661" wrote in message
...
Our A/C guy mentioned that it would be helpful f they cleaned the
outside AC unit (compressor/condensor).

My questionis, is it necessary (I assume so), and second, can I do it
myself with a big wet or dry vacuum or something.

Thanks

i

On 2 Sep 2003 19:46:15 GMT, Ignoramus16661
wrote:

Our A/C guy mentioned that it would be helpful f they cleaned the
outside AC unit (compressor/condensor).

My questionis, is it necessary (I assume so), and second, can I do it
myself with a big wet or dry vacuum or something.

Thanks

i


The fins on mine have a grill over them. I use a blow gun to remove
debris between the cover and the unit, and regularly sweep the debris
on the cement slab.

What do you do when it rains? I usually turn th power off remove the grill and
spray the fins out with a garden hose, Sometimes I soak them with simple green
first. I take care not to spray water anywhere else, although anywhere rain
goes I figure its sealed enough so mist won't hurt it. after i am done I run
the ac for 10 minutes and the fan dries everythhing out.







Subject: Cleaning compressor/condenser/outside unit
From: "Stormin Mormon"
Date: 9/2/2003 4:57 PM Central Standard Time
Message-id:

Yes, you can. But it would be no where as effective as having the techie use
the correct cleaning chemicals and solvents, and rinse it out with the
garden hose.

Please don't try to save money and just hose it down yourself -- you're
likely to get electrical stuff wet, and cost yourself more repairs.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.org
.
.

"Ignoramus16661" wrote in message
...
Our A/C guy mentioned that it would be helpful f they cleaned the
outside AC unit (compressor/condensor).

My questionis, is it necessary (I assume so), and second, can I do it
myself with a big wet or dry vacuum or something.

Thanks

i

"Blank" wrote in message
...
What do you do when it rains?

Didn't you know the rain KNOWS better than to go to the wrong places! :-)

He's new, he's lost...........and looking for home, just hasn't found it
yet! LOL

--
kjpro
_-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-_

( kjpro @ starband . net ) remove spaces to e-mail

Want it done yesterday? Or done right today, to save money tomorrow!!

_________________________ __

Ignoramus16661 wrote:

Our A/C guy mentioned that it would be helpful f they cleaned the
outside AC unit (compressor/condensor).

My questionis, is it necessary (I assume so), and second, can I do it
myself with a big wet or dry vacuum or something.

Thanks

i

What the tech would do is remove the outside covering
(likely to be as few as 4 to 8 screws), then he would squirt
some stuff on the coils, then rinse it off. This isn't
space science. The difference between the results of the
tech and the results of you spraying with a garden hose will
be minor. And you will be ahead if you spray it once each
month or two compared with the tech spraying it once a
year. You don't really need to remove the outside
covering/grill and you really don't need to spray any
detergent on the coils, but if you do it better be mild so
that it doesn't eat the aluminum (Dawn would be good). All
you need to do is spray the coils through the covering with
a garden hose. The electrical part is pretty much sealed so
spraying with a hose isn't going to hurt it especially if
you direct the spray mainly at the coils..

Sounds like a lot of work to do every time it rains. Usually when it rains,
I just leave it alone.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.org
..
..

"Blank" wrote in message
...
What do you do when it rains? I usually turn th power off remove the grill
and
spray the fins out with a garden hose, Sometimes I soak them with simple
green
first. I take care not to spray water anywhere else, although anywhere rain
goes I figure its sealed enough so mist won't hurt it. after i am done I run
the ac for 10 minutes and the fan dries everythhing out.







Subject: Cleaning compressor/condenser/outside unit
From: "Stormin Mormon"
Date: 9/2/2003 4:57 PM Central Standard Time
Message-id:

Yes, you can. But it would be no where as effective as having the techie
use
the correct cleaning chemicals and solvents, and rinse it out with the
garden hose.

Please don't try to save money and just hose it down yourself -- you're
likely to get electrical stuff wet, and cost yourself more repairs.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.org
.
.

"Ignoramus16661" wrote in message
...
Our A/C guy mentioned that it would be helpful f they cleaned the
outside AC unit (compressor/condensor).

My questionis, is it necessary (I assume so), and second, can I do it
myself with a big wet or dry vacuum or something.

Thanks

i

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
Sounds like a lot of work to do every time it rains. Usually when it
rains,
I just leave it alone.

--

Christopher A. Young

He was referring to you saying "to not get water on the electrical
components".

Not that he cleaned it every time it rained.

--
kjpro
_-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-_

( kjpro @ starband . net ) remove spaces to e-mail

Want it done yesterday? Or done right today, to save money tomorrow!!

_________________________ __

"Ignoramus612" wrote in message
...
thanks. Would the pressure from garden hose be damaging to the little
fins?

i

Yes, the pressure can damage the coils if your not careful.

Don't spray at an angle to the coil.......or it will flatten the fins right
over.

--
kjpro
_-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-__-~-_

( kjpro @ starband . net ) remove spaces to e-mail

Want it done yesterday? Or done right today, to save money tomorrow!!

_________________________ __

"Ignoramus16661" wrote in message
...
Our A/C guy mentioned that it would be helpful f they cleaned the
outside AC unit (compressor/condensor).

It is, since after they do that, they recheck superheat readings and can
tell if the units working as it should.


My questionis, is it necessary (I assume so),

When was the last time you did it? Never? Then, yes...its needed.


and second, can I do it
myself with a big wet or dry vacuum or something.


Nope...and yup...and still yet..nope.

You can do a quicky. Use a 50-50 soulution of Purple Stuff, or Simple Green
non diluted (Simple Green is about worthless for anything..concentrated or
not)
Pull power to the unit at the service disconnect, and using a sprayer, cost
the coil. IF you have a stacked coil, you can stop and let your AC guy do
it. You wont do much but pack dirt. Let it sit for about 5 min, and hose it
out, prefer that you di it from the backside of the coil, and clean the
coil. You wont remove any organic material thats packed in, and no legit
supply house will sell you the good stuff that breaks it down due to
liability issues..(its acid, and if put on wrong, will eat the hell out of
your coil in about 5 minutes....)
AFter you do this, you might want to check your head pressures to make sure
they dropped and then check your superheat, and make sure you didnt
drastically change it. If you did, then you created another issue that your
tech needs to handle.
For the price, I would let the tech do it. You SHOULD get more than just a
coil cleaning...you should get a superheat check, blower motor oil and
clean, fan blade inspection, contactor inspection, possibly new schrader
cores...depends on how bad the unit it.



Thanks

i

"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...


Ignoramus612 wrote:

In article , George E. Cawthon
wrote:


Ignoramus16661 wrote:

Our A/C guy mentioned that it would be helpful f they cleaned the
outside AC unit (compressor/condensor).

My questionis, is it necessary (I assume so), and second, can I do it
myself with a big wet or dry vacuum or something.

Thanks

i

What the tech would do is remove the outside covering
(likely to be as few as 4 to 8 screws), then he would squirt
some stuff on the coils, then rinse it off. This isn't
space science. The difference between the results of the
tech and the results of you spraying with a garden hose will
be minor. And you will be ahead if you spray it once each
month or two compared with the tech spraying it once a
year. You don't really need to remove the outside
covering/grill and you really don't need to spray any
detergent on the coils, but if you do it better be mild so
that it doesn't eat the aluminum (Dawn would be good). All
you need to do is spray the coils through the covering with
a garden hose. The electrical part is pretty much sealed so
spraying with a hose isn't going to hurt it especially if
you direct the spray mainly at the coils..

thanks. Would the pressure from garden hose be damaging to the little
fins?

i

Depends. Some fins are pretty light weight and if you turn
the garden hose nozzle to a concentrated stream with 70 psi
or so, yes it could damage the fins. Just adjust the nozzle
from a concetrated spray to one that is several inches wide
at a distance of 2 feet.

With the right cleaners, he does not even need that..
oh well....

Hi George, hope you are having a nice day

On 05-Sep-03 At About 00:17:34, George E. Cawthon wrote to All
Subject: Cleaning compressor/condenser/outside unit

GEC From: "George E. Cawthon"


GEC Yes, but a quick squirt with a garden hose every few weeks would be
GEC simple and much more efficient in keeping the unit clean than using
GEC special chemicals once every few years.

I suppose you don't use soap when you clean your car either?

-= HvacTech2 =-


... "Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time." - s.w.

___ TagDude 0.92á+[DM]
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++
spam protection measure, Please remove the 33 to send e-mail

CBHvac wrote:

"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...


Ignoramus612 wrote:

In article , George E. Cawthon
wrote:


Ignoramus16661 wrote:

Our A/C guy mentioned that it would be helpful f they cleaned the
outside AC unit (compressor/condensor).

My questionis, is it necessary (I assume so), and second, can I do it
myself with a big wet or dry vacuum or something.

Thanks

i

What the tech would do is remove the outside covering
(likely to be as few as 4 to 8 screws), then he would squirt
some stuff on the coils, then rinse it off. This isn't
space science. The difference between the results of the
tech and the results of you spraying with a garden hose will
be minor. And you will be ahead if you spray it once each
month or two compared with the tech spraying it once a
year. You don't really need to remove the outside
covering/grill and you really don't need to spray any
detergent on the coils, but if you do it better be mild so
that it doesn't eat the aluminum (Dawn would be good). All
you need to do is spray the coils through the covering with
a garden hose. The electrical part is pretty much sealed so
spraying with a hose isn't going to hurt it especially if
you direct the spray mainly at the coils..

thanks. Would the pressure from garden hose be damaging to the little
fins?

i

Depends. Some fins are pretty light weight and if you turn
the garden hose nozzle to a concentrated stream with 70 psi
or so, yes it could damage the fins. Just adjust the nozzle
from a concetrated spray to one that is several inches wide
at a distance of 2 feet.

With the right cleaners, he does not even need that..
oh well....

Yes, but a quick squirt with a garden hose every few weeks
would be simple and much more efficient in keeping the unit
clean than using special chemicals once every few years.

What the tech would do is remove the outside covering
(likely to be as few as 4 to 8 screws), then he would squirt
some stuff on the coils, then rinse it off. This isn't
space science. The difference between the results of the
tech and the results of you spraying with a garden hose will
be minor.

I think most times a *professional* cleaning every couple of years would be
considerably more thorough (and beneficial) than spraying the condenser with
a garden hose even daily (if that did anything at all to help).

JMO

Dan O.
-
Appliance411.com
http://ng.Appliance411.com/?ref411=air+conditioner

=Ð~~~~~~