The information herein is supplied courtesy of Hydro-Balance Corporation and is for information purposes only. It is not intended to contain all necessary information to safely use Coil Cleaning materials. Its intent is to offer useful tips to supplement the knowledge of trained professional air-conditioning technicians.
- Use the proper cleaner for the job
- Always read and follow label directions.
- Use recommended safety equipment.
- Never mix different brands of coil cleaner – either in the bottle or on the job.
- Never use acid-type cleaners indoors.
- Carry coil cleaner in plastic pan on service truck.
- When outdoors, always spray downwind and use a coarse spray to avoid misting.
- When cleaning roof top units always use enough water to rinse cleaning material completely off roof.
- Do not leave coil cleaner or empty bottles unattended at job site.
- Treat coil cleaning products with care, they are industrial products designed for professional use. Misuse can cause personal injury, equipment deterioration and environmental damage.
It is important when discussing cleaning coils to differentiate between evaporator coils and air-cooled condensers. When you consider the equipment to be cleaned, its function and probable location, and the cleaner used on each, you can readily see we are facing two completely different cleaning problems.
It is unfortunate, but many contractors seem to feel “coil cleaner is coil cleaner”. This situation has been caused by the misconception that all coil cleaners are virtually the same and by the total lack of industry standards for coil cleaners. Many coil cleaning products sold today are produced by companies whose business consists of producing cleaners for just about any purpose from washing buses to cleaning coils. Unfortunately, many of these producers are unaware of the mechanical function of an air-conditioning system, and consequently, it is not uncommon to find a product on the market that, even if used exactly according to label directions, may cause serious problems. Obviously, this causes quite a quandary for the counter salesperson and the contractor.
To help clarify the situation, let’s take a look at different types of coil cleaners, the job they are expected to accomplish and commonly used ingredients found in various types of cleaners.