PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: This video is obviously intended for a DIY homeowner that wants to rinse the light dirt out of their condenser coil. It is not always necessary to rip your entire unit apart if you just have grass and dust in your condenser. Some people do more damage to the units by taking them apart! If your condenser is really that plugged up, call a professional to clean it out for you.

He clearly forgot to tell us to hold the beer with the other hand.

Great demonstration of what not to do. 1. Leave top of unit intact, so you cannot spray the water through the coil reverse fo air flow. 2. Leave unit running. 3. Make sure to spray the hose directly into the coil, so the most amount of crap possible gets permanently wedged between the fins. 4. Make sure you don't spray downward, or clear the drainage tracks/holes in the bottom of the unit. 5. Cash check before the customer has time to consider what a hack you are. Nailed it.

Another reason to remove the fan is to have access to all the muck at the bottom of the unit, and to clean the drain holes.

WRONG!!!!!! WRONG!!!!!! WRONG!!!!! 25 Years in the field. That would work okay for a single row coil. Most coils are doubled up. Good luck getting the dirt out of them when this dunce pushes the debris between them. DON"T FOLLOW THIS HACK!

I think removing the top depends on if you’re under four oak trees or not. I pull out 6 inches of crap out of the base of my air conditioner every season. Removing the lid is a must.

You should absolutely cut power , remove the top and clean your system from the inside out. Washing the outside of the coil can remove some of the debris but it also pushes debris deeper into the coil and further clogs the coil.

I am not an HVAC professional, I'm a landlord with 70 rental units - 70 - a/c units. (I have a real pro HVAC guy who has been doing work for me for 15 years. And, he has taught me a lot.) So, here it is. Before working on your condenser, always turn off the electricity to the condenser. Rinsing out the coils with just water does work. However, you need to take into consideration that the coils have fins that are made of very thin aluminum, and they are fairly delicate. So, like the video says, spray perpendicular to the coils. If you spray the coils at angles, it is very easy to bend the fins. Which will result in a bigger problem. Bent fins inhibit the flow of air even worse. (You can spray the coils. Just take your time and be careful.) Also, if you decide to use "coil cleaning chemicals," make sure you follow the instructions. Coil cleaners are some pretty harsh chemicals and, if used improperly, can damage your coils. Also, coil cleanering chemicals are bad news on a human body or any other living creature, so be careful. Personally, I tend to just use water. But, if I use any cleaner, I use a household cleaner, like DAWN, mixed with water... (put it in a pump up spray bottle, saturate the coils with the Dawn/water mixture, let it sit a few minutes, then spray the coils with plain water) something that is safe to use on aluminum. I do not recommend brushing the coil fins to clean them, especially if you're inexperienced. (If you do brush the coil fins, brush in the same direction the fins are lined up, DO NOT BRUSH ACROSS FINS. THEY WILL BEND, AND YOU WILL DAMAGE YOUR COILS.)

Did he say the worst way to clean your condenser.😂

44 years as an HVAC technician. This video should be banned. Do NOT follow this demonstration. PERIOD! There are other safe and proper videos that follow the correct way. I'm not trying to bash this guy...just telling you what 44 year's experience knows.

People like this keep us in business 😂

I agree for a diy homeowner not taking it apart is best. They will likely damage more than they fix.. BUT. You turn the unit off 1 for safety 2 because the fan will assist in pulling the dirt further into coil.. next you don't spray perpendicular you spray at the steepest angle possible pointing down to try get the dirt to roll off the coil not be forced into it. I don't know much but I've owned a HVAC company for 15 years.

Seems like that would just push the debris further into the coils. That much pressure would ruin the tinsel wrap over some coils.

Seriously, this works fine if you're a homeowner. I'll say if you have cottonwood trees or similar plant debris you may need to angle the hose downward to "peel" the scum off of the coils.

I highly recommend disconnecting power before any cleaning attempt. Yes they are rated for rain, but a hose can easily push water into your electrical compartment and cause damage or injury.

Never leave the fan on while doing that!!

Brought to you by a service company your gonna pay in a bit when your unit isn’t working anymore.

I just had Pro AC Company out yesterday to prep my 6 y/o system for summer. Services included removing fan grill, spray coil cleaner inside my outdoor unit, hose it clean from inside out. Looks nearly new.

Yup keep on going buddy, people like you keep us REAL HVAC TECHS in business. Not sure from where you LEARNED that specially the part you said " NO SOAP AT ALL" LOL

This may work…MAYBE…if you do it every 3 months. But if you live in a dusty or high pollen area…if your condenser is in a garden or near trees….or if you haven’t done any cleaning in years, PULL THE DISCONNECT to cut power. Do NOT get disconnect box wet…power is still going to the box…pulling the switch just cut it from your condenser.take off the top…carefully so as not to stretch th wire bundle. Find a condenser coil spray cleaner…you can get at Home Depot. Spray the cleaner to cover the entire fin ps from the inside out. Wait ten minutes. THEN spray the coil w the hose, from inside, out. If coil is particularly furry, remove what you can by hand before the above

Mine seemed to be getting REALLY warm so I shot through it for Cooling Purposes. It let out a wonderful cool breeze & I'm high as shit. I haven't checked how everything is inside the house but I hear my wife yelling so she must be really impressed. Thanks guy!

Totally disagree. Remove the top and clean from the inside out! You don't want to flush all the dirt to the inside, and be laying in there all nasty.

As a truck driver w a giant radiator/condenser and former brazer for Lennox (the air/heat giants) for huge condensers on units for clients like wal mart i must say this does work but its better to spray from inside out to get all the debris from just smashing into the tiny spaces between the fins and in time shortening the life of the unit. Much more work😩 but this method will help until you can afford, or have time, to do it more thoroughly. Stay cool people💯🫡

This will definitely work on a single condenser coil. With a double condenser coil, you run the risk of pushing the dirt and debris against the inside coil making the problem worse. A can of condenser coil cleaner will help break down the debris and make cleaning more effective. It’s almost always better to let an experienced professional service your A/C, to save you from yourself. Always turn the power off beforehand, water and electricity doesn’t mix and the electrical components are not completely sealed off.

I live in Canada, every year the AC in the spring gets covered in poplar fluff, just spraying from the outside only would drive it in deeper into the fins. So takin of the fan part is a must, its like the little old lady standing in her garden on a hot summer day, with the hose in hand watering her grass,

I used some vinegar, a little Dawn, sprayed with pump sprayer, waited 15 min, then hosed it off. Worked like a charm.

Old bucklenuster here, I use my airline siphon attachment & blow a diluted mixture of simple green thru the condenser inside out, then blow dry.

I hope he was trolling cause this is hilarious 😂

I take the fan top off to clean the leaves out of the bottom. Then wash the condenser fins out. Unit is 20 years old now.

I use Jack Daniels to clean mine with, then i chase it with beer and a Camel.

Excellent advice for people who are wanting a quicker way to bend as many fins as possible

The only thing wrong here is the guy didn't unplug the unit. Such a simple step that can save both you AND your unit.

Yes you can do it that way especially if your condenser is not too dirty. A regular washing is perfectly fine cleaning it that way. Now if its pretty dirty........youre only pushing in the dirty...basically packing it into the fins and coils. Because that is the direction of the air flow. You want to go against the flow to push it out. Then after its clean, you can now clean it as shown in this video. But make sure you wash it regularly.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: No no no no no no no. Don't do this. You're just pushing the dirt deeper into the coil! No no no no no no no no no no no

Bull shit. Don't force the dirt deeper in side those coils. It will clog. Take the top off. Spray from the inside to the outside.

The fins be like ouch!

You do not want to use any water with that much pressure, it could damage the unit. I like to take the outside grate off too and sweep all the dirt and dog hair down and out then hit it with a light water stream just to finish cleaning everything that I loosened with the small hand broom. Just be careful when maintaining your own appliances, it most definitely can be done and has been done for as long as people have had them! 👍

I’ll do admit that’s one way to clean the condenser but I wouldn’t recommend.

I’m an HVAC tech and first with a dirty condenser like that you don’t want to pressure wash the cotton into your coil but who am I to follow this man’s advice. Just saying always if your DIY person really do your research before doing.

I do the same, only I use a little bit of Dawn mixed with water and spray the coil down before hosing it off.

Air conditioners do not create cold! They remove heat! So the warm air you feel blowing out of there is air from your house!!

After killing the power, you can wash most condensers like this, but not all of them. An example would be a double coil condenser or one that has gotten oil or grease on it, as in a restaurant setting.

Public Service Announcement: Take advice from licensed & Insured Professionals. There are NO HACKS when it comes to your safety and the costly repairs that follow when doing thing the wrong way.

Always pull the fuses at the box first! The fan needs service, too. There are two oil ports on the fan,one for upper and one for lower bushings. A round rubber plug is usually there ,remove the plug and give each port 3 to 4 drops of lightweight oil and reinsert the plugs. While your fan is off you can clean the drain pan of debris. Spray the coils lightly to rinse any dirt and dust off. Reassemble and put the fuses back in the box.

My degree is in electrical engineering. I figured I can remove the top and clean it myself, no problem. Took the top off...could not align the screw holes in one place when reassembling it. "Just go get a longer screw!" I thought. Next thing I hear is "psssssss..." as I pierced through a hidden freon line. Lucky for me, my brother is an HVAC tech. His employer charged me just cost for the freon. He came over, welded the hole closed. So sorry, ozone hole. My bad.

I did that for 2 years. Finally took the casing completely off. The top is pretty clogged. The bottom collected all kinds of debris that washed down and couldn't get out. This quick n dirty way works if you don't care. Taking it off is best, but is a pita to put back together

Man, this guy is applying for the Darwin awards!

Love it when I get to one of these calls and the customer says they clean it, and it looks clean, but it’s plugged. Pro tip. Clean from the inside, take a sample by catching some of the water in a cup. Even when you think it’s clean, dirt and debris is still coming out. Proper clean from inside takes some time. Quick rinse is not gonna cut it. If your hvac guy is doing a cleaning and spraying from the outside, directly in, send em on.

I been doing this for years. Glad you have so many HVAC professionals in the comments. Bigger problem is how many ppl actually change their filter out on a regular basis.

Tik Tok techs are the worst thing to happen ti Air conditioning since the phase out of r-22. Saw a video of a hack tech either venting or pretending to vent the other day, hope thatbdude gets reported to the EPA for a lesson.

Not the best way, you just push the dirt into the coils, especially if you have cotton wood trees in the area! I have seen air conditioning coils that have been cleaned from outside in, some were clogged so badly that we had to replace them, also we had some idiots it my work who thought it would be a good idea to use the high pressure washer! It took us 2 men a whole day to try and undo the damage, Of course this was a large 4 stage industrial chiller, with 2 large coils probably about 6 by 10 feet! "Yes", they tried to cut cost and hired some temporary workers to do the pm!

If that coil has a bit of rot, the way you’re spraying it will remove the fins from the coil. Use the “shower” setting on the sprayer instead. It’ll take a bit longer but it won’t bend over or remove the thin aluminum fins from the coil.

Yeah clean it with the unit running 👍🏼

Bro stop giving advice..

You’re supposed to clean them from the ionside out. I had about 5 lbs of dirt inside mine

Now for those of us that know a little something about AC and home repairs and Home Remodeling and construction then we may have enough common sense to know that yes taking the top of the fan unit off unplugging the breaker from the outside and cut the power to the unit and then carefully reaching your hand down in there like the one gentleman said and spring From the Inside Out holding your hose straight at the fence with low pressure so that you don't bend those little aluminum veins which could be more of a clog later on down the road if you don't watch what you're doing

I love the distain on "DIY Homeowner". Phase exchange systems are pretty basic. I'm not an HVAC tech, because it's beneath me. This isn't that complicated.

What are you doing??? Come on man…. Kill the power and get some new-bright.

People don't follow this advice this is nuts

Disconnect 220v. Remove fan. Spray from inside out. Clean tray.

Hmm what happenes when we have a heavy rain fall and our AC stays running ? We don't all go outside and kill the power. Mines been running in the rain and hail even when we had a snow storm and it still runs strong. U can actually take a foam gun like to wash cars use regular dawn soap and baking soda mix it properly soak the out side of the coils. Let it sit for a min and rinse with the water hose. It will never damage your condenser. I do mine at least once a week and my AC gets ice cold and I usually have it set at 76. During the day

Do not do this

Recommend having unit off especially if it’s a multi stage unit

I do this once a week. As soon as i finish cutting grass. My hvac guy showed me the same as you. I also have the full system cleaned/ serviced every spring and the technicians always say my unit is clean.

Spraying coil fins with solvent (usually it's pink color and safe for grass) do the job best . After a few minutes just rinse it with water . The fins and copper coil pipe will shine like new.

Can you show us how to water our lawn next or an even more difficult job like spraying the dirt off the sidewalk. This video changed my life. 😂😂😂

This is a video on exactly what not to do. Always and I mean always turn the power off. Never use a high pressure hose like this guy is. Great way to damage the fins. Whoever taught him this was ignorant.

Thanks mister I’m gonna try that cause there’s a bunch of dust on that outside Heat pump and the five yr warranty just went out!!

I never take the fan top off. I still spray it from the top out because all the dust and shit that catches on the outside. I don’t want to blow onto the inside once I get it real good to where there’s not shit stuck on the outside, then I will spray from the outside in.

Someone’s asking for an instant death sentence by leaving that fan powered on. Shut it off at the emergency kill switch. Do it right!

Shut off the fan AT THE BREAKER BOX, then get a helper, unscrew the fan top and have your helper hold up the top that usually has the fan attached. Remove by hand or with a shop vac any debris at the bottom. Then IF NEEDED, from the inside, apply a basic degreaser like Simple Green liberally all over the grills and let soak in on the dirt for 5-10 mins. Then spray from the inside to the outside and do this until all the cleaner is washed away. Reassemble and then get a piece of screen cut out in a square shape that overlaps the top of the unit by about 6 inches on all sides and attach with thin bungee cords from each corner to the bottom of the unit to prevent debris from ever getting back down in the unit again.

Those open carriers units yes easy to clean with just a hose, Now the common trane, Amana/goodman and even some Lennox units have flashing covering the coil quite well and a hose just won’t do trust me, some can easy take flashing off and others require taking fan top off to be able to remove flashing and full access to coil. Also they do make non chemical cleaners such as viper that clean very well compacted or dirty units better then just water alone

I must been doing it all wrong by turning the thermostat off and spray from inside out from the top with low water pressure

FYI if the air is warm this means you have good heat transfer.

Please don’t do what this guy did!!! Turn the power off and remove the fan top it’s the ONLY way to wash it!!!!

A better reason to not take the top off is because if the fan comes on things can get disasterous really quick. Not everyone remembers or knows how to disconnect the power.

Fan top: shut off power box and unscrew 5 to 8 screws max, turn it over and place it on top unit. You can scoot it over and reach each side of the coil at a time. If coil is plugged from debris being sucked into the outer side of the coil then your pushing debris into the coil and it settles around the compressor; spraying from the inside out is more effective, and you can also clean out leaves and debris that has fallen inside the unit.

i always shut my unit off when i do it

When the pros came to my trailer they did this exact method to my window unit

Common sense would tell you that depending how clogged the fins are that you should clean the coils from the INSIDE out because of the direction of the airflow caused by the fan also with the fan out of the way you retrieve any debris and clean the drains on the bottom of the unit to prevent any premature rust on the bottom pan

I don't know much, but I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be the other way around..... You don't want the garbage going inside, you want to shoot it out!

No. The fan is drawing air *through* the condenser coil. Debris, grass clippings, cottonwood, leaves, hair, etc., get pulled in between the aluminum fins. The proper method is cleaning from the inside. The supply house specifically sells a wand that fits through the fan grill and sprays a fan pattern from the inside. All you have to do is shut off power first.

If you have a lot cottonwood in you area don't do this. It just pushes the cottonwood spores farther into the condenser. Im not a HVAC tech, just a home owner that has seen a thing or too. I am Diesel and heavy Equipment tech that has to deal with cottonwood. I would say 50 percent of my over heating issues on Equipment are caused by plugged up heat exchangers.

38 years in HVAC, people DONT do this!

Make sure you don’t have much water pressure when doing this. Don’t ask me how I know. 😬

Should be spraying from inside out, may require to remove some screws but it will keep debris out of the unit so when it's dried it's not just sucked back into the condensor coil.

I've gotta inspect my A/C unit now. Thanks for the reminder!

Not meaning to detract from the advice, but I have about four VERY LARGE Oak trees that dump about 500 pounds of leaves in the area of the condenser, in the Fall and Spring. So, for me...Yes...I DO have to take the top off.

You spray cool/ cold water on your coil while its running with hot vapor/liquid. that will cause a temperature drop between condenser/ evaporator. Depend on what metering device you had inside and how good it's still operate, you might end up with ice on suction line. Taking your fan off to clean is okay, just be careful with how its wiring. it actually recommend that you spray from inside out with low pressure water.

You can hose it from the outside, but you should hold the nozzle 45 degrees from horizontal to drive cottonwood fluff and grass down and off the coils, not through them, and when you spray in, you do push some of the dirt into the bottom of the unit, which can accelerate rust.

Turn the power off!! Water and electricity do not mix!!

So ya take the hose and just blast the dirt deep into the coil, make sure to leave the unit running too. Lol. Close but no cigar.

We need to take the cover off to replace the capacitor. When the fan stops running , you're getting a trickle of cold air in the vents.

personally I thought this was very funny. The leaky hose line got me.

I'm noticing in the comments that about 90% of the people are saying this is the wrong way to do it... this video is kind of reminding me of Clickbait...

Point 1. Warm air from the condenser fan is generally a good thing. A ac absorbs heat inside and rejects it outside. Cold air inside and hot air outside. Point 2. Spraying water from the inside out is best. It gets all the dirt you can't see out. If cotton wood is your main problem, spraying top to bottom at a downward angle will get a homeowner by for a while

I use a foam cannon, rinse, and I do cut the power and take the top off so I can clean out all the trash in the bottom of the unit's floor.

" This instructional video is called.....JOB SECURITY. "

Dude, when the unit is in Cooling Mode you are supposed to feel warm air coming out of the condenser fan exhaust ! The compression and expansion cycle is removing heat from the building and exhausting that heat from the condenser coil. In fact once you clean the condenser coil fins the exhaust should then feel warmer because you just improved the efficiency of the condenser unit.

if your doing it and it starts to sound like a helicopter your doing it right. they do make a kit that will do that. little spray when fan runs.