click here to return to 'heater maintenance and troubleshooting' For the most part the average homeowner IS NOT able to repair their own air conditioner unit. Many of the repairs will involve removing the freon and that requires special equipment and you must be licensed to handle the freon. But a homeowner can keep the condenser and evaporator coils clean which will help the unit run longer and more efficiently. For the purposes if this article, we are referring to a split system meaning that the condenser is located outside and the evaporator (A-coil) is located in the furnace. When cleaning the coils, use a foaming coil cleaner for the outside condenser, and a low-foaming cleaning for the inside a-coil. For the homeowner, purchasing a coil cleaner (available here) in an aerosal can is quite convenient and simple to use. Otherwise a person could purchase coil cleaner in gallon jugs at a local hvac or plumbing supply house. In this article we will explain using both type of cleaners.

Step 1 - Shut off power to condenser and check to be sure it is off. Step 2 - Mix some high-foaming coil cleaner with water (per instructions) and pour into a sprayer and saturate the coils of the condenser. Spray the coils from the outside only. Step 3 - Let the coil cleaner soak for 10-15 minutes while you remove the top part of the condensing unit with the fan attached. On some units you may have to remove the whole top. Cover with plastic bags anything electrical that may get wet. Step 4 - After 15 minutes, saturate the coils again from the outside. Step 5 - Let coil cleaner soak for 5 more minutes. Step 6 - With a garden hose inside the condenser, spray the coils so the water spurts to the outside. Never spray the coils from the outside as the water may pack the gunk tighter into the coils rather than pushing it out. Step 7 - Repeat until your rinse water runs clear through the coils. With aerosol sprays, how you clean the condenser coil depends upon the instructions on the can.

Some cans are high-pressured, which means you lift off the fan and spray from the inside out. Foaming low-pressure aerosol's should be sprayed on the outside of the coil. Keep in mind that if the protective case around the outside of the coil inhibits spraying the coil, then spray the coil from the inside. what to do with old window ac unitsMany sprays require no rinsing, just spray and walk away. what is the cost of a central ac unitPersonally, I would do the cleaning twice. window ac at lowest priceFirst time I would spray and let it evaporate without rinsing (following the instructions on the can.) Then I'd spray a second time, and rinse a few minutes later (see above for rinsing instructions). Aerosol spray cleaners are available HERE.

On the inside of your home in the furnace is the evaporator -- also known as the 'air-conditioning coil' or 'A-coil' because it's shaped normally like an 'A.' The A-coil must be kept clean as air from the blower must be able to freely flow through it during both the heating and cooling season. To clean your A-coil, follow these instructions: Step 1 - Carefully remove the panel to expose the A-coil. Don't damage any a/c or gas lines that may be nearby. Step 2 - Vacuum the dust from the coils (below). Stubborn dirt can be loosened with a toilet brush. The flat-style toilet bowl brush works best because it fits better along the bottom. Work carefully as the fins on the A-coil will bend easily. Step 3 - Spray low-foaming A-coil cleaner on the coils (below). Do this step only if it's warm out and you can run the air conditioner for 30 minutes or more. Before spraying, put on gloves, goggles and a mask. Open all windows as the fumes may be strong. Mix the A-coil cleaner according to the instructions and pour into a garden sprayer.

Spray the coils until saturated. Step 4 - Put the cover back on and turn on the a/c as soon as possible. Let the a/c run for at least 20-30 minutes as the condensation must flush the cleaner from the coil. Do not flush the A-coils with water. If the coil cleaner isn't removed right away, it may damage the coils. It may take several cycles to totally rinse the cleaner from the coils. After the first long cycle, normal cycles are fine. A note about coil cleaners. Some cleaners are designed only for the condenser coils, some are designed for the evaporator coils, and some are designed for both. The cleaners should be non-acid. Again, use high foaming for the outside condenser, and low or non-foaming for the inside a-coil. Also, if the smell of the cleaner bothers you, mix a 50/50 solution of water and bleach and spray it on the coils as well. The bleach will eliminate most, if not all of the smell of the coil cleaner. Also pouring a 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of the 50-50 solution in the drain pan will also help the smell, but is for the drainline and keeps it clean of bacteria, germs and odors.

It also helps prevent clogs. For the homeowner, there's nothing simpler than using a foaming aerosol spray to clean your a-coil. In a nutshell, you spray and walk away. Then again, if your a-coil is really caked with dirt, you might first want to vacuum and such as previously described. Don't overspray as you don't want to create more foam than your drip pan can handle without spilling over. As the foam cleans, it does quickly break down. Unlike some mixed cleaners, most aerosols have a pleasant smell and won't harm the coil. Aerosol cleaners are available HERE. click here -- HVAC PARTS -- click here If you have a more specific question or need further help, please post your question to our forum.Mobile Home Trailer Aluminum Wiring Any Questions? Circuit Breaker Panel Box Ceiling Repairs Combo Switch Duct Work Energy Saving Floor Repair Home Safety Light Switch Wiring Maintenance Schedule 3 Way Switch Wiring Diagram Exterior Siding Muriatic Acid Pigtail Wiring Receptacle Outlet Resource Guide Get the Mobile Home Parts you need NOW!

Mobile Home Duct Work Crossover Duct Single Wide Double Wide Heating Air Conditioning System Duct Work Repair Diagrams and Pictures Mobile Home Duct Work and Double Wide Crossover Duct Manufactured homes use an integral HVAC duct work for the heating and cooling system. The problem I see with most mobile homes duct work is where the boot from the trough comes through the floor, especially if any flooring or floor repairs have been done around the duct work. Quite often there is a gap between the mobile home duct work boot and the floor causing an duct work air leak. This can usually be sealed with a good quality duct tape or silicon caulking, however mastic is the ideal way to do it. Be sure that there is not any damage to the trough that usually runs the entire length of the mobile home, in the case of double wide mobile homes there are two troughs interconnected by a crossover. The double wide mobile homes crossover duct is usually a 14" or 16" flexible insulated duct.

Flex duct is rated in "R" values for the insulating properties they possess. You can easily check for trough leaks by going underneath while the air conditioner is on and if you can find a location to stick your hand up through the belly wrap or belly board. If between the insulation and the floor you feel air flowing or cold air you may have a mobile home duct work leak that will require further investigation or the calling of a expert. I completely removed the trough and installed the boots used in standard homes with flexible duct attached to a main trunk line from the heating and A/C unit as it is done in standard homes. Works great and is much more efficient. Some local codes now will only allow the black flexible and not the silver flex duct to be used on mobile homes, check your local codes. Look at these schematic diagrams and pictures below. Double wide mobile home duct work with crossover layout diagram Register Duct Mastic Seal Flex duct connection on crossover duct work

Duct work air leak locations Mobile Home Duct work Insulation I get lots of questions about how to insulate the duct work on a mobile home or manufactured homes. Condensation in duct work on mobile homes is usually caused by poor insulation.  I have yet to see a factory individually insulate the duct work. Think about this, let's say you have a glass of ice tea you will notice that water condensation builds up on the outside of the glass and drips onto your table. However if you place the glass in a cup koozie it stops sweating. The same idea applies to your duct work. Below I have included a picture of the ideal way to insulate the main duct work trough. The picture shows an ideal situation where you have access completely around the duct work. This is not always the case. You can however wrap all of the duct work that you can and then staple the insulation to the floor or joists in a cradling fashion. Then insulate underneath the mobile home as suggested on the mobile home insulation page.

Mobile Home Duct Work Insulation Diagram Keeping your homes duct work clean can mean a huge improvement on your health. Most of the mobile homes I have worked on have had some serious issues with this problem. If you have an older home or have purchased a used manufactured home you may have a problem with contaminants in the duct system. There are many services that provide duct work cleaning. If you have a lot of moisture in the duct or notice any debris in there you might want to consider getting it professionally cleaned. I have installed a ultraviolet light in the return duct on my heating ac system that kills many airborne pollutants as they are drawn through the heating an air conditioning system and it seems to have helped. Look at the Mobile Home Indoor Air Quality page for more info about pollutants in homes. Be sure to keep the filters changed. Check the condensing tower to be sure that it is not clogged. Check for air leaks in the a/c heating compartment around the corners and metal framing/access doors.

Incoming air should only be allowed into the compartment through the filter via the return grill. If air is squeezing in around any cracks repair them with caulking. Make sure that the blades on the squirrel cage fan have no buildup on them. This will cut down on the efficiency of the fan. Proper A/C-Heating Maintenance will keep your homes air conditioning unit running longer and help keep your power bill low. Take a look at the Electric Furnace page for more about heating systems. Frequently Asked Duct Work Questions Q. How do I find a water leak in the duct work or why is there so much water in my A/C ducts? A. If you have water in your duct work there are 4 possible reasons. Since water lines are not run through any duct work there could be either 1. a water leak on a water line running on top of or near enough to the duct work to allow spraying water into the duct.  2. A water leak inside the home has run into the duct work through a register vent or 3. but this is the most probable cause, since the ducts are usually very poorly insulated condensation builds up in them a will result in quite a puddle making it look like there is a water leak if the air conditioner has been running for any length of time and 4.