air compressor

[plarian]

I have a fujitsu minisplit AC. The fan in the indoor unit gets all gunked up. Stuff gets through the filters and into the fan. Probably of canine origin :)

So I'm thinking of buying an air compressor, to do this and other things like inflating bike tires and cleaning my laptop.

What size air compressor would be best, what PSI? I don't mind if it's a bit slow since I would only need it occasionally. The stuff on the fan is kind of sticky. I cleaned it off once with a can of compressed air, that worked OK. I'd like to get something portable.

thanks
Laura

[jpsmith1cm]

Depending on the nature of the build-up, it may require some chemicals to clean off.

Regular filter replacement is very important.

Without being 'handy' I'd be hesitant to give you advice on cleaning the unit as you can do a lot of damage in a very short period of time. If you bend a bunch of fins over or start corrosion with a chemical, you really impact the efficiency and lifespan of your unit.

A professional cleaning, even once a year, is cheap insurance against these problems and they might be able to give you some advice on reducing the build-up on the coil which, I doubt, is canine in origin since you describe it as 'sticky'

[plarian]

Sure, I get it maintained by the people who installed it. But cleanings in between their visits are also needed. A surprising amount of fuzz gets through the filters (which yes, I do clean).
My question is more about the MAX size air compressor to get for cleaning fans. I can always regulate the air pressure down.
The people who installed it suggested using cans of compressed air to clean it, like you would use on a computer.
But an air compressor would be useful for other things like inflating tires, so I'm thinking of buying one of those.
By sticky, I mean fuzz that sticks to the fan blades somehow. It's not gooey or solid.
Laura

[jpsmith1cm]

I would agree with your service co.

Canned air and/or a soft brush. Maybe a small shop-vac.

I've seen things go bad using compressed air or gasses to clean coils.