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Originally Posted by moshei

It takes a technician about an hour to clean the condenser. This is money well spent..

few weeks back i was doing a wif repair when some guy with a pressure washer came on the roof & knocked out 3 rtus evaps & cond coils along with 5 refer condensing units in about 20 minutes flat. ... I couldn't believe how well he did clean them. He works for some big filter changing company .. His boss must love him

I use the nucalgon coil gun with nubrite and split the coils as needed. RINSE THOROUGHLY. Nu brite is a great product when used properly. I've seen a ton of coils severely damaged from improper use. I'm talking coils that are so bad that if you look at them cross eyed they'll start flaking apart.

Timebuilder, your absolutely correct. When used properly chemical cleaners work wonderfully and can remove more dirt and other debris than water alone. 50% of the time ill run into coils that have to been cleaned in a professional manner, taking the time to split the coils as they should be, using a cal-gon gun style sprayer, and thoroughly rinsing all of the chemical off of the coil. The other 50% of the time ill see condensers that have fins covered in a white residue. A classic sign of shotty job. Another good sign of a worthless effort can be seen on those condensers where 90% of the fins are folded over because the hacks responsible for the cleaning use high enough water pressure to subdue an angry mob of protestors. But I am fully with you timebuilder... chemicals do a great job as long as the tech doing the cleaning does a professional job. Thanks for catching me on that one, I want to make sure I'm being clear in my explanations... much appreciated!

Originally Posted by 1000535Fitter

avoid chemical cleaners as much as possible. They damage the coils in the long run, and more often then not they are never fully rinsed off.

That's only true when you get idiots to do the job.

When a pro does it, chemicals have zero downside.

avoid chemical cleaners as much as possible. They damage the coils in the long run, and more often then not they are never fully rinsed off.

Originally Posted by HVAC Mechanic

I remember the days working at target
they would give you so much hours to do the maintenance
then they cut back paperwork and hours
then no maintenance at all
then we lost the contract those were the gravy days

They are using the Local Store maintenance guy to do Filters and clean Coils (mistake). They give them a Pressure washer and a box of filters and no Training. I cant tell you how many fin Combs we go thru. Paperless is the new thing and they still will change a Rusted screw if you mention it. Real good people to work with though..

I remember the days working at target
they would give you so much hours to do the maintenance
then they cut back paperwork and hours
then no maintenance at all
then we lost the contract those were the gravy days

This is a new Directive from one of the Nations largest Retailers we do work for. I wont say the name ****Bulls eye***

The most significant change to this PM is the involvement of a third-party vendor. This partnership comes due to the requirement to recover all condenser wash water. All scheduling for your affected stores will be set up and confirmed by third-party vendor.

I think it is THEIR REQUIREMENT and not the EPA

Makes you wonder where the pressure came from!

Originally Posted by hvac wiz 79

what's a tree hugger? I've heard of tree jumpers not hugger

It started with the Eco Terrorist group "Earth First." They used to hug trees for media avails, and then they would come back and drive spikes into the trees in order to injure lumberjacks and ruin their tools.

There's an auto manufacturing plant I know of that will not allow anything to enter the storm drains except rain water. They will not even allow city water in them! I mean I asked and they won't even allow a garden hose to run directly into a drain! Absolute idiocy! They have multiple air-cooled chillers of about 200-400 tons, some on the ground in grassy areas, and some on roof tops. And numerous condensing units. I don't know how they, or their contractors, clean these coils. Or if they ever get cleaned. I have friends who do work there. I don't ask, to maintain "culpable deniability". (Or don't ask, don't tell).

Tree hugger = environmentalist wacko

what's a tree hugger? I've heard of tree jumpers not hugger

Originally Posted by timebuilder

We were not given an official explanation.

My GUESS (based on another conversation with "unnamed sources near the Pentagon..") is that someone (another company in another region of the country) left coil cleaner on the coils and it burnt off the fins at one of their locations, so their irresponsible reaction is ban the use of the cleaner.

The EPA is mandating the conversion to new refrigerants... which is leading to new coil designs... that can't take coil cleaning...and so we go skipping along to Gomorrah....

Actually it was probably some tree hugger in California that saw foam running down the back alley to the Drain. Called the EPA police because a South Pacific Red Tailed minnow was seen floating belly up in the retention pond. Its Just a matter of time and we will need to have a Hazmat crew alongside you to contain any residuals and Contaminated water during a Coil cleaning. CONTAINMENT & Documented Disposal will be the norm..

Amen about the micro channel comment referring to engineers looking at paper and not reality
don't know why aluminum is being used is it cost or formiciary ( ant tunnel) corrosion
Trane went Aluminumbecause of it
i think its gonna make the poor poorer what are the poor copper thieves gonna do now?

99 percent of the stuff I work on now is under a maintenance contract and coils get cleaned at least 3 times a year. I can understand why you would have to use coil cleaner on poorly maintained equipment, but luckily for the most part I do not need too.

Originally Posted by timebuilder

No, I believe it is a new all-aluminum coil being rolled out now.

I figure with copper prices rising, everyone will want to go this route to cut initial build costs.

Okay thanks. I guess I will run into a lot of unfamiliar stuff when I get started back. Wish sometimes they would just leave stuff alone!

Originally Posted by Tech it out

Havn't really worked on much 410a if that's what you are referring to new refrigerant. Is that ANY 410a coil?

No, I believe it is a new all-aluminum coil being rolled out now.

I figure with copper prices rising, everyone will want to go this route to cut initial build costs.

Havn't really worked on much 410a if that's what you are referring to new refrigerant. Is that ANY 410a coil?

Originally Posted by Tech it out

Why don't they want to let you use it? Are we talking tree huggers here?

We were not given an official explanation.

My GUESS (based on another conversation with "unnamed sources near the Pentagon..") is that someone (another company in another region of the country) left coil cleaner on the coils and it burnt off the fins at one of their locations, so their irresponsible reaction is ban the use of the cleaner.

The EPA is mandating the conversion to new refrigerants... which is leading to new coil designs... that can't take coil cleaning...and so we go skipping along to Gomorrah....

Originally Posted by hvac wiz 79

who gets a second man for cleaning coils ?? wish i did but this regime i work under doesnt seem to give a rats a$$ about giving anyone help . . well a couple guys do but thats another story .... im talking 12-14 unit rtus with hundreds of feet of hose lol .. evap coils to be cleaned also in that scope ..... but they send 2 guys to change an enthalpy sensor & actuator motor . . . .

Pressure washer, without hose, wand or power cord: 75 lbs.

An additional 200 lbs of hose.

100 lbs of chemcials

Multiple RTU's.

ALL day.

Yep. If you are not quoting two guys, the job is only getting half done.