# DIY AC Servicing



## noone (May 4, 2011)

Ok, I am getting ready to service the AC units in our new to us, 15 year old home. They all run cold, so I don't think I need any freon added unless, well, it stops blowing cold air.... Correct me if i'm wrong.

I have just completed servicing the AC in our previous 5 year old home. The AC in our previous home smelled moldy when it first turned on. I **think** I narrowed the smell down to coming from mold on the blower fan.

What I did in the old home:

1. Pulled out the blower fan and carefully wiped down each individual fan blade with bleach water as the fins looked like they had light brown mold on them. I couldn't get the fan off the motor, so I just carefully worked around the motor without introducing water into it.
2. Bought a can of coil cleaner from Home Depot and sprayed that all over the evaporator coil. Then I rinsed it with water.
3. Condenser coil was not dirty. No tress. No action necessary there.

What I want to do in the new home on the 3 15 year old Lennox units:

1. Clean the 3 outside Condenser coils. I was going to pull the fuses/turn off switches first, pull the motor, vacuum out all the leaves out from the inside carefully without disturbing the fins, and then rinse the fins inside and out with a garden hose/nozzle. Do I need any type of coil cleaner for this?

2. Clean the blower wheels from each unit. 

3. Clean the evaporator coils. 

4. Replace the UV lamps

5. Install float switches in the pans on the two units that are in the upstairs section of the house. 

Is there an AC supply house that I can buy coil cleaner from? I see that there is a 'Johnston Supply' company near me. I just don't want to buy that Home Depot crap when I can mix my own. What should I buy in the way of a coil cleaner for inside/outside? Can I buy the UV replacement lamps from an AC supply house? Do they sell float switches, where should I buy those? Any recommendations on AC supply houses?

I am in Jacksonville FL.

I appreciate the advice.


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## Marty S. (Oct 31, 2009)

Best to call the local supply houses and ask if they sell to the general public or not. Around here they only sell to contractors. 
Cleaning wise you plan sounds good.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

Simple green works on both indoor and outdoor coils.


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## noone (May 4, 2011)

Is there such a thing as a blower fan puller? Something that easily separates the blower fan blade from the motor? 

How much is that?

What should I expect to pay for each UV lamp?

Thanks again.


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## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

Ultimate puller is what the Pros use:
http://sensibleproducts.com/ultimatepuller.html

Lamp price depends on the manufacturer. If it is a Lennox product you should get it from a Lennox dealer or Cozyparts.com

Once you have cleaned everything up nicely then call a long term reputable co and have the freon level checked. The operating conditions may change after you clean everything and there is NO way to know for sure it is working properly w/o checking the freon level. Fail to do so and your elec bills will be higher and it won't de-humidify properly.


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## Marty S. (Oct 31, 2009)

Here's the one I use. Paid quite a bit more then that too.
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Blade-Blower-Wheel-Puller/dp/B001CGFQDW


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## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

Marty S. said:


> Here's the one I use. Paid quite a bit more then that too.
> http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Blade-Blower-Wheel-Puller/dp/B001CGFQDW



That is a VERY good price, grab it while you can.:yes:


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## noone (May 4, 2011)

Thanks. Johnstone Supply has the Ultimate Puller priced at 129 in their catalog. I wonder if its that much in the store. I have a store about 1/16 of a mile away from my office. In fact, you can see the store from my office out the window. Never knew it was even there.....


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## Marty S. (Oct 31, 2009)

Bought mine at Johnstones 7 years ago and it was $90 back then.


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## hvactech126 (Nov 11, 2010)

if you are going to do all this, call a contractor first. It may cost you the same amount to have it all cleaned and refrigerant checked as it will just to have the refrigerant charge checked.


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## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

That is a very good price but they want $13 shipping. My Lennox guy here probably sells it for around $70 and that is tradesman price so I would grab it.


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## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

If the blower wheels don't have any mold on them then I would just clean them with a bottle brush and compressed air and a vacuum. If you start pulling the wheel off there is a good chance it may get distorted/unbalanced and you will have noise and vibration later and created your own problem. I just replaced a 10 yr old motor AND wheel on a horizontal G26 to get it to run smoothly. If the wheel gets a bit off balance then vibration occurs.

One of our regular posters (used to be) may be able to help you with the UV bulbs if they are non Lennox or maybe Lennox also:
http://homeairdirect.com/store/


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

Bought mine at R E Michaels some years back, 60 bucks. If I lost or broke it, and had to pay 120 bucks to replace it. I would, its worth every penny and then some if your in the trade.


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## Hubcap626 (Feb 12, 2011)

Don't pull the fans unless there is a problem. There is a very good chance of causing a bigger problem. Just wipe them down and spray some air across them.


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## noone (May 4, 2011)

Thanks for the great tips. I will not pull the fans. 

Can anyone suggest a coil cleaner I can use for both the evaporator and condenser coil from Johnstone's?

I read that Simple Green is corrosive to aluminum.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

From Simplegreen's website.



*Aluminum - Is it safe to use Simple Green® on aluminum?*

When used with caution and according to the instructions, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner has been safely and successfully used to clean aluminum. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, Crystal Simple Green® Cleaner/Degreaser, Simple Green Pressure Washer Concentrates, and Pro Series™ Simple Green® Automotive Cleaner have been used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green® product residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation. Simple Green has also developed break-through water based cleaners that are safe for use on metals, plastics, rubber and high tech alloys. Extreme Simple Green® Aircraft & Precision Cleaner and Simple Green® Pro HD are available on both the industrial and retail markets, respectively. These products were initially developed for the aircraft industry and extensive testing shows that they are safe and effective on a variety of metals and other sensitive surfaces even in the most extreme circumstances. 
Simple Green® Stainless Steel One Step Cleaner & Polish is another option for cleaning polished aluminum. This product is designed for light duty metal cleaning and polishing.


Generally takes less then 5 minutes from the time you spray it on, until you rinse it off.

Most condenser coil cleaners are either acid based, or alkaline based, Simple Green is mild compared to them.


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## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

I would NOT use a coil cleaner on the outdoor condensor coil unless it is a PLAIN uncoated aluminum type. Some brands coat the outdoor coil with a brown coating which the cleaner will remove. Then you have a nice shiny unbrown coil which you may not like the look of. I only use a garden hose and sprayer nozzle. Removing the cond fan and backwashing it is a better idea. Got to be VERY careful how you reinstall it as it is VERY easy to pinch the wires when doing so and/or having the wire too lose and the blade hacks it off.


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## noone (May 4, 2011)

Thanks everyone! 

All I have to do now is buy Simple Green! Only use it on the evaporator coil. Rinse thoroughly. Just water on condenser. Bottle brush and vacuum blower wheels without removing them. Check.


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## noone (May 4, 2011)

Pulled 3 blower fan units. 

They are out and ready to be cleaned (but still attached to the case and motor).

What is the easiest way to clean these? There is 15 years of muck on them and they are black. Since you don't recommend I pull the fan off the motor, can I use a little Simple Green solution and a toothbrush and just go to work? 

Whats the easy way to do this?


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## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

Clean as much as you can off with a bottle brush and vacuum and then use the simple green. Be careful not to disturb or knock off the balancing clip weights on the wheel. They are attached to the fins and may be covered in dirt.


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## beenthere (Oct 11, 2008)

If you can't wrap the motor in plastic, either pull the motor, or don't use any chemicals or water to clean the wheel.


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## NJMarine (Apr 13, 2011)

This is a quote from the Simple Green website:

_*"Is it safe to use Simple Green on aluminum?* 

Simple Green products have been successfully and safely used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: Aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green or Crystal Simple Green can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times of All Purpose Simple Green and Crystal Simple Green with unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green/Crystal Simple Green residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation." _

For example, Fikse continues to recommend only a 50/50 mix of SG/H20 to clean their wheels, including uncoated AL rim sections, followed by a _thorough_ rinse.


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## Hubcap626 (Feb 12, 2011)

I use simple green for all condenser coils I do never had one problem. I use a 6:1 ratio I think with my spray bottle attached the hose. Let it sit for a minute then spray it all off.


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## mrairflow (Oct 25, 2009)

noone said:


> Pulled 3 blower fan units.
> 
> They are out and ready to be cleaned (but still attached to the case and motor).
> 
> ...


air compressor


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## noone (May 4, 2011)

mrairflow said:


> air compressor


An air compressor alone would not have cleaned these. We are talking 15 years of caked on dirt.

So it took me several hours of some serious scrubbing, but I finished cleaning and reinstalling all 3 blower wheels. WOW. Those were very nasty and dirty. Tore up several bottle brushes cleaning those.

I didn't use water or cleaners on the wheels. Just brushed them very very well, then I took compressed air from a pancake compressor and blew each one out as best I could while I vacuumed it with a wet dry vac. Would have been nicer and faster if I had used a large compressor. Oh well, it still came out pretty nice.

Had to order 2 new UV lights at 75 bucks a piece. What a ripoff. Each of the air handlers has a UV stick on the outside of the coil and one on the inside. I think the other 4 bulbs are also dim, but I don't really want to drop an additional 300 bucks on top of the 150 I just spent for silly UV lights.

On to the outside condensers next.


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## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

W/O the proper bulbs you may be scrapping/cleaning mold off the coils etc soon so I would buy them and avoid that hassle.


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