Clean AC

[druganjk@gmail.com]

Hi I have a 2018 Miramar 35.3 how do you clean the AC units also can you recharge them. Thanks

[16ACE27]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iQp_UOqjdE

[Travelin' Texans]

Originally Posted by druganjk@gmail.com

Hi I have a 2018 Miramar 35.3 how do you clean the AC units also can you recharge them. Thanks

NO! They are not designed to be recharged!
However if you know someone/have a friend in the HVAC business they might add ports to recharge it.
Typically though if it's low on freon it has a leak somewhere, replacement is the best option.
Just FYI!! In any 35' rv if you only have 1 A/C you'll never cool it down in triple digit temperatures even if it's running at 100% efficiency, running 100% of the time & parked in the shade.

[lwmcguir]

Originally Posted by Travelin' Texans

NO! They are not designed to be recharged!
However if you know someone/have a friend in the HVAC business they might add ports to recharge it.
Typically though if it's low on freon it has a leak somewhere, replacement is the best option.
Just FYI!! In any 35' rv if you only have 1 A/C you'll never cool it down in triple digit temperatures even if it's running at 100% efficiency, running 100% of the time & parked in the shade.

Good advice

We always had two in the 5th wheels also for the 100-degree weather

A lot of the AC units are back in stock now, although some are still back ordered. We have used heat pumps for the past 20 or so years in the RV's

[dkoldman]

So you suppose to clean the ACs every year? oops I missed that email. But it is on my to do list now. I watched the video above and because I have two Coleman AC units I found the below one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTo9xGqSeEI

Little longer but he covered everything in simple language. Mine have gone 3 1/2 years with no cleaning on the rooftop units, the inside filters have been cleaned; despite the fact they never really seem dirty?

Today, I looked at both units on the roof through the shrouds and they don't look dirty either?

Nonetheless; I will order condenser & evaporator cleaners as suggested in the videos and on a cool day before I was the roof, I will do this maintenance. Another timely thread and thanks to OP for putting this in view.

I do have one question.

Since it requires no rinse... where does the dirt collected by the Nu-Calgon Evap Foam No Rinse Evaporator Coil go? Hard to believe it is truly spray and forget?

[Judge]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

So you suppose to clean the ACs every year? oops I missed that email. But it is on my to do list now. I watched the video above and because I have two Coleman AC units I found the below one.

Little longer but he covered everything in simple language. Mine have gone 3 1/2 years with no cleaning on the rooftop units, the inside filters have been cleaned; despite the fact they never really seem dirty?

Today, I looked at both units on the roof through the shrouds and they don't look dirty either?

Nonetheless; I will order condenser & evaporator cleaners as suggested in the videos and on a cool day before I was the roof, I will do this maintenance. Another timely thread and thanks to OP for putting this in view.

I do have one question.

Since it requires no rinse... where does the dirt collected by the Nu-Calgon Evap Foam No Rinse Evaporator Coil go? Hard to believe it is truly spray and forget?

If they look that clean, using a hose and a good stream of water to flush out the fins may be all you need to do.

My coach is stored inside a garage so they also tend to not get too bad from dirt, algae, mold, etc. Using a hose to flush them out wors well for me.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Judge

If they look that clean, using a hose and a good stream of water to flush out the fins may be all you need to do.

My coach is stored inside a garage so they also tend to not get too bad from dirt, algae, mold, etc. Using a hose to flush them out works well for me.

Say no more... I always take the Judge's word seriously because I don't like being in contempt.

So I pull a shroud (2 pictures attached), looked clean to me. ( 2019 3/1 years old and never been cleaned before)




I didn't have the fancy Evap Coil Foam Cleaner - No Rinse or even the cheaper Coil Foam Cleaner. But I improvised; so I got a spray bottle of 409 spray cleaner, a water spray bottle, a large towel, Phillip screwdriver and went to work. There were some small leaves and crap on the outside of condenser near bottom that came out easily with water hose on low pressure. I sprayed the 409 on Evaporator and Condenser coils letting it soak a few minutes. I did put the towel over the opening near evap coil.
I rinsed the evap coil with spray bottle and used water hose with low pressure on condenser. When finished it looked like this.




I put it back together and cleaned up the mess I had made on my roof. I am good to go now. Now that I know what I am doing, I may buy some of the fancy foam cleaner for the main cabin AC just to see how long it has that fresh smell?

[Judge]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

Say no more... I always take the Judge's word seriously because I don't like being in contempt.

So I pull a shroud (2 pictures attached), looked clean to me. ( 2019 3/1 years old and never been cleaned before)

Attachment 38764
Attachment 38763

I didn't have the fancy Evap Coil Foam Cleaner - No Rinse or even the cheaper Coil Foam Cleaner. But I improvised; so I got a spray bottle of 409 spray cleaner, a water spray bottle, a large towel, Phillip screwdriver and went to work. There were some small leaves and crap on the outside of condenser near bottom that came out easily with water hose on low pressure. I sprayed the 409 on Evaporator and Condenser coils letting it soak a few minutes. I did put the towel over the opening near evap coil.
I rinsed the evap coil with spray bottle and used water hose with low pressure on condenser. When finished it looked like this.

Attachment 38762
Attachment 38765

I put it back together and cleaned up the mess I had made on my roof. I am good to go now. Now that I know what I am doing, I may buy some of the fancy foam cleaner for the main cabin AC just to see how long it has that fresh smell?

Attachment 38766

You did well with 409 my friend..... forgot to say I used Spray 9 since that is what I have on the shelf.

I find for DK.... case dismissed!!!!!

[fourthgear]

Being a retired HVAC/R tech . Commercial/Residential , Using a specific Coil cleaner, is used because it does ( or should ) not only clean the coil ,but remove the corrosion/oxidation from the coil Fin's that can slow air flow across the Coil. 409 will degrease the coils , which is good , but not any corrosion/oxidation that naturally occurs on Coils open to the atmosphere .

Specific type Coil Cleaners ( Evaporator / Condenser ) help remove or limit the accumulation of Oxidation on the Aluminum Coils or Fins that the Coils are made of . Both the Evap. & Cond. Coils require different cleaners ,because of their environments they operate in . Rinsing the foaming cleaners off is a good idea , just don't over do the water pressure to rinse them & flatten the cooling Fins , they will never be the same after you flatten them , even after combing them to straighten them , which can become a tedious job .

Cleaning of the Coils should be done at a minimum of once a year , more if used a lot .Using a Vacuum cleaner to sweep the inlet side of the Coils to start off the cleaning is also a good idea , being careful not to damage the Coil Fins . A paint brush or the specific Coil cleaning Brush helps.

The Coil Fins are easily damaged , so easy does it .I cant tell you how many jobs sights I went to that the Fins on the Condenser Coils were flattened out from using too much water pressure to clean them or wrong cleaning methods.

The brush below is used to loosen any baked on or stuck debris from between the Fins. Again, easy does it .

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by fourthgear

Being a retired HVAC/R tech . Commercial/Residential , Using a specific Coil cleaner, is used because it does ( or should ) not only clean the coil ,but remove the corrosion/oxidation from the coil Fin's that can slow air flow across the Coil. 409 will degrease the coils , which is good , but not any corrosion/oxidation that naturally occurs on Coils open to the atmosphere .

Specific type Coil Cleaners ( Evaporator / Condenser ) help remove or limit the accumulation of Oxidation on the Aluminum Coils or Fins that the Coils are made of . Both the Evap. & Cond. Coils require different cleaners ,because of their environments they operate in . Rinsing the foaming cleaners off is a good idea , just don't over do the water pressure to rinse them & flatten the cooling Fins , they will never be the same after you flatten them , even after combing them to straighten them , which can become a tedious job .

Cleaning of the Coils should be done at a minimum of once a year , more if used a lot .Using a Vacuum cleaner to sweep the inlet side of the Coils to start off the cleaning is also a good idea , being careful not to damage the Coil Fins . A paint brush or the specific Coil cleaning Brush helps.

The Coil Fins are easily damaged , so easy does it .I cant tell you how many jobs sights I went to that the Fins on the Condenser Coils were flattened out from using too much water pressure to clean them or wrong cleaning methods.

The brush below is used to loosen any baked on or stuck debris from between the Fins. Again, easy does it .

Can you explain how this Nu Calgon product works or remove dirt and corrosion with no rinse?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Nu-Calgon...8-OZ/783147777

What would you say the cost to do this cleaning on two ACs twice a year as recommended costs?

Did you see any corrosion in my pictures I posted above? If not; how long should I expect to go before I start to see corrosion?

Note: Yesterday was the 1st of any kind of cleaning on my ACs and they are 3 years 8 months old and heavily used.

If I were to guess, I might assume it would cost me about $350 to have both units serviced?; so that would be $700/year and $2,800 for 4 years.? How much would it cost to get new coils every 4 years?

[Judge]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

Can you explain how this Nu Calgon product works or remove dirt and corrosion with no rinse?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Nu-Calgon...8-OZ/783147777

What would you say the cost to do this cleaning on two ACs twice a year as recommended costs?

Did you see any corrosion in my pictures I posted above? If not; how long should I expect to go before I start to see corrosion?

Note: Yesterday was the 1st of any kind of cleaning on my ACs and they are 3 years 8 months old and heavily used.

If I were to guess, I might assume it would cost me about $350 to have both units serviced?; so that would be $700/year and $2,800 for 4 years.? How much would it cost to get new coils every 4 years?

I understand what fourthgear is saying…. and he has some good advice….. but from my perspective my A/C at my home in Florida takes a heavy duty full-time beating where our RV A/C’s don’t…. unless you are a full-timer in Florida, Arizona, Texas, etc.

I stopped paying a few hundred bucks twice a hear to have my Florida A/C serviced because when I saw what they did I was able to easily do it myself.

I also see no signs of corrosion or oxidation on the two A/C units on my coach and it is also three years old…. but I also store it indoors.

My Florida home is less than a mile from the coast and the salty sea air and I don’t see much oxidation on my unit and it is now 6 years old. The service company I used didn’t spray anything on it but water… maybe they were a bad outfit but I clean my unit carefully and it looks good and performs well.

I think the biggest issue for RV A/C is operating in dusty conditions and / or damp conditions where mold and algae growth could be an issue. The fan will suck dirt, etc. into the fins and over time they can clog if nit cleaned occasionally. Once air flow is restricted, then overall A/C performance will drop.

I could not see paying someone a few hundred each year to service my RV A/C units.

[fourthgear]

Does anyone remember what their Coils looked like when brand new ? It would have had no oxidation on it , kinda shinny silver, you can keep a new coil looking & performing like new , is what I was referring too .

If you want an explanation of how a product works , contact the manufacturer . I would guess the foaming action drips off & removes the heavier dirt particles with it ?

Cost of A/C work will go from company to company . As seen on the Videos , it's not a hard job to do , as long as you remember where you are working , very easy to just walk off the Coach if not paying attention .

I'll have to look at what's in my Condenser Coil cleaner & maybe post a photo of the ingredients . I'm out of Evap coil cleaner & tossed the jug away but will see if I can get a photo of it also .

[bry899]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

What would you say the cost to do this cleaning on two ACs twice a year as recommended costs?

If I were to guess, I might assume it would cost me about $350 to have both units serviced?; so that would be $700/year and $2,800 for 4 years.? How much would it cost to get new coils every 4 years?

At $2800 you could install 2 new air conditioners every 4 years.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by fourthgear

Does anyone remember what their Coils looked like when brand new ? It would have had no oxidation on it , kinda shinny silver, you can keep a new coil looking & performing like new , is what I was referring too .

If you want an explanation of how a product works , contact the manufacturer . I would guess the foaming action drips off & removes the heavier dirt particles with it ?

Cost of A/C work will go from company to company . As seen on the Videos , it's not a hard job to do , as long as you remember where you are working , very easy to just walk off the Coach if not paying attention .

I'll have to look at what's in my Condenser Coil cleaner & maybe post a photo of the ingredients . I'm out of Evap coil cleaner & tossed the jug away but will see if I can get a photo of it also .

That was kind of my point. I had zero experience until this thread. I watched the videos recommended and more. Did it for the 1st time myself. It was super easy. I would have bought the stuff recommended, but they did not have any of the Nu Calgon stuff at my local stores and while they had the foam cleaner for Condenser coil; it did not come with that little scrubber brush cap. I then read about some using just a water hose and got creative.

I have researched several sites on how Nu Calgon is able to degrease, clean and remove dirt and oxidation? Seems like at best it would get all of the dirt and some how have microbes that eat or it all goes to the bottom and collect?

With that all being said, if I was doing it again, I would certainly have a can of the Frost King because it is cheap enough and rinse off with low pressure of water hose. But I was hoping to learn something about Nu Calgon, and calling the Mfg may be just what I do. My evap coil was clean, but I am not an expert. The way it almost completely sealed and self contained I don't know how it gets dirty. In fact to me the hardest part of the job was taking on/off that sheet metal cover over evap coil.

From what I learned, I can see me doing this...
1. Clean the Condenser coil once ever 2 years, rinse with water hose
2. Clean the Evap Coil once every 4 years, rinse with water spray bottle and wipe down with small towel

and yes, I would probably have the chemicals and brushes next time.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by bry899

At $2800 you could install 2 new air conditioners every 4 years.

And to think some have warranty cost on top of that cost, because this is considered service. Watching the videos saying to do twice a year really got my attention. It is like those that believe they must change oil every 3,000 miles. Sad part is most folks will never see or question because they never going up on the roof. At most I could see checking the Condenser once a year and if it looks bad do the evap coil. I need to get out my Coleman manual, hard to believe they actually expect you to pull that metal enclosure off the evap coil twice a year?

[Judge]

Originally Posted by fourthgear

Does anyone remember what their Coils looked like when brand new ? It would have had no oxidation on it , kinda shinny silver, you can keep a new coil looking & performing like new , is what I was referring too .

I have a Chemistry Degree so I understand oxidation for the most part.

It's the same as a brand new shiny copper pipe. A little time in the atmosphere and it goes from shiny copper color to dingy brown.

My point is that while the fins may go from shiny to dull, I'm not sure how that will impact the A/C performance via airflow through the fins.... but it may keep it looking newer.

Here's my point.....

Think of your car's radiator. How many people have used chemicals to clean the radiator cooling fins to remove oxidation so their cars don't overheat? How many people have used chemicals to clean the A/C condensor or evaporator in their car so it keeps blowing cold air?

I have a 20 year old Lexus that I just drove round trip from Cape Coral to Key West in 90+ degree temps and high humidity with the A/C blasting ice cold the whole way. The car ran cool inside and out. No radiator or A/C issues and I have never used chemicals to clean the cooling fins of the radiator or the A/C components.

Unless there is truly a corrosion issue where the cooling fins are being damaged or becoming blocked, I'm not sure some oxidation really matters.

Some of these "specialty" chemicals are just "snake oil" in my opinion. Some general purpose cleaner (like a 409 or Spray 9) to remove dirt and grease... some compressed air.... and some water is all that is needed occasionally.

You make an excellent point about too much water pressure or over zealous scrubbing bending the cooling fins and close off the airflow, which will do more harm than good.

[lwmcguir]

With 3 5 ton heat pumps at the house it is important that they are efficient, especially heating

Purple Power cleaner, algacide, and soft water, twice per year

Once from the inside out to remove airborne debris

Tuscany heat pumps get sprayed with foaming coil cleaner as needed

Once to date

Air filter maintenance is important to minimize coil cleaning

[fourthgear]

You can not compare the two systems Coils & how to clean them , with the A/C coils , the only way they can become compromised is on the outside of the Coils , with Radiator coils its more on keeping the inside of the Coils clean , the outside of the radiator Coil is washed every time you dive in the Rain & depending on how fast you drive , its a good pressure washing .I still wash my radiator very time I wash the RV /car/Truck .

I can tell you the performance of your A/C system can drop dramatically when the Coils are dirty & they are very hard to see the deeper part of the Coil that can not be seen , I have seen Coils that look fairly good , but are completely plugged deeper in the Coil . With the Condenser Coil gets really hot & can & does bake on debris into the Coil . Air flow across the A/C Coils is no where near the air being pushed though a Radiator Coil .

The Evaporator coil gets dirty from Lint ,dust, dog /human hair , cooking & when you open the doors to get in or out of the Coach , atmospheric contaminates are introduced in the Coach & recirculated through the Evaporator. Coil .

As stated , keeping them clean will allow your A/C system work at peak performance .

[fourthgear]

The Evaporator Coil has one good thing going for it & that Condensation of water on the cold Coil when the system is running , it helps rinse it off somewhat, thing is when the coil is wet , it does help it collect debris & hold them there .

This is why it makes such a good Dehumidifier . ( which is all a Dehumidifier really is )

[Judge]

As I said…. I clean my home condensor every 9 months with water and a general cleaner. No obvious signs of corrosion, algae, etc. I check the temp delta as well and no change in performace the last 5 years. I change the air filter quarterly.

I use the same procedure for my RV and it cools as its maximum potential as well. I clean the filters every month of use.

All I’m saying is I don’t think the special snake oil is necessary and a good quality general purpose cleaner is just fine. If people want to spring for it, that’s just fine too.

And the A/C in my 20 year old Lexus is still freezing cold and I have done zero maintenance…. other than change the cabin air filter occasionally (every couple years) and clean that area when doing it. But the Japanese also know how to build quality and reliable systems.