On a hot summer day, one of the best feelings in the world will be walking into an air-conditioned room, and one of the ways to ensure your home stays cool would be to ensure that your air conditioner condenser is routinely being maintained.
One of the parts of an air conditioner condenser that you have to take care of would be the air conditioner coil. The air conditioner system coils are typically split into two main components, the first one called the condenser coils which is typically positioned outside of the house and encased in a large metal structure which resembles a box, and the second component which is called the evaporator coils that are located inside the HVAC system within your home.
One way to maintain your coils is to use ac coil cleaners to wash them. The best ac coil cleaner out there will be specially formulated and designed to remove any dirt and grime for your ac evaporator coil or condenser coil in order to ensure and maintain the lifespan of your ac. As such, we will be reviewing which is the best ac coil cleaner that you can get currently on the market.
Details of The Types of AC Coils
As mentioned previously, there are two types of ac coils, the Evaporator Coil and the Condenser Coil. At first glance, both of these coils may look the same, but their function and location within your HVAC system are very different.
The Evaporator Coil or otherwise known as the cooling coil is given the job of cooling indoor air through the removal of heat from the room. This coil is positioned on the air intake of the fan and this means that the coil will be able to cool indoor air as the air passes through the coil.
The Condenser Coil is found on the outside of the ac unit and its purpose is the opposite of the evaporator coils which is to release heat to the outside of the building. This coil is us ually located on the back of any window a c.
Both of these types of AC coils are mostly made up of a copper tube and are surrounded by aluminium fins which act as an effective heat transfer. Whenever these coils get too dirty, the effectiveness of their heat transfer will be greatly reduced, which in turn lowers the cooling performance of your a c.
In a nutshell, dirty coils mean that your AC will have to work harder and results in a higher electricity bill. The worst-case scenario would be if your AC has dirty coils, your AC would end up not performing as well and will have a hard time dehumidifying and cooling your home.
How To Clean AC Coils?
The routine that you go through when you clean ac coils would be to check and clean your a c coils as needed. This is because a c coils are susceptible to dirt and grime pileup and regular coil cleaning will be needed, especially the condenser coils as they are located and exposed to the elements outside. Here are a few steps you should take that are easy to apply to clean ac coils.
Step 1: Power off your a c
The first step before using your air conditioner coil cleaner will be turning off the power to your a c . This is done so that the a c unit is completely disconnected from any electrical energy and ensures you will not be electrocuted when you are cleaning your a c coils. It would be best to wait for a few minutes after you disconnect the electricity so that any stored electricity will be released from the a c unit’s electrical components located inside the air conditioning unit before it can be safe to use.
Step 2: Access the AC Coil
The next step for ac coil cleaning would be to access the coils themselves. How easy it is to access your coils would depend on the make and model of your AC unit as some units require the removal of screws and panels before the coil is exposed.
Step 3: Clean AC Coil with air conditioner coil cleaner
The following step will be to clean your coil, and you can do this in a few ways which include blowing any dirt or grime using a vacuum cleaner or can of compressed air, hosing them down with water or – the step we most recommend, using an ac coil cleaning solution.
The most direct approach to cleaning your coils would be using a vacuum or compressed air and is most recommended for cleaning off small dust buildups. Just make sure that you are blowing compressed air into your coils, make sure to aim in a way that the dust will be shooting out of the coil and not into the coil as you do not want to have more dust going deeper into the coil.
For dirtier coils with some grime build that compressed air might not be enough, you might want to spray the coil down with water to clean off dirt and grime. If this does not work, consider any ac coil cleaning solution that works best to clean off grime build up that is stubborn.
Whichever option you are considering for cleaning your coils, you should always prepare the surrounding area for whichever method you choose. For example, if you are considering to hose down your outdoor ac coils, make sure the surroundings are not a safety hazard when they get wet.
For any cleaning of indoor coils that require a spray of water, it is advisable to set up a plastic tarp to catch any water runoff that you can get from cleaning the AC unit.
For indoor coil cleaning, sometimes it might not be convenient enough to use a water hose or an AC coil cleaning solution. You should also take care when cleaning indoor coils as they are usually only exposed to an indoor environment.
As such, you could consider using a coil cleaner that is foam-based and the best ac coil cleaner that uses foam usually do not require much rinsing off with water so all you need to do would to just be to spray the foam on the dirt or grime buildup and then run the AC unit. This is because the condensation from the indoor coil will act as a rinsing solution to clean the foam off.
Step 4: Reassemble the AC Unit
After you have done cleaning your coils in your ac unit, you should put everything back together. If you have decided to use water or a cleaning solution, you should make sure that the coil is free of water, dirt, dust and is clean and dry before reassembling the unit.
You should also wipe the coil with a cloth to remove any loose material such as hairs and other impurities that could not be removed during the cleaning process.
Step 5: Power on the AC Unit
After you have successfully reassembled your ac unit by placing back all the panelling and screws, the final step would be to turn on the power to your ac and make sure it is still running correctly.
If you find that the air coming out of the unit smells differently than before, you will not need to worry as it could be due to the air picking up the smells of the coil instead of the dust that it once layered on, or it could be the smell of the cleaning liquid used.
Best Air Conditioner Condenser Coil Cleaners In 2021
1 Nu-Calgon 4168-08 Evap Pow’r No Rinse Coil Cleaner
The Nu Calgon coil cleaner is green-coloured and slightly alkaline based and safe for application on metals which makes it an appropriate choice as an ac coil cleaner for your evaporator coils. This is because this Nu Calgon ac coil cleaner will not harm your indoor HVAC coils due to leaving it on during the no-rinse application.
This coil cleaner contains a biodegradable formula that emulsifies any stubborn grime and deposits in order to make sure your coils in the system are always looking bright and working smoothly for the betterment of the ac unit.
This is because the build-up of dirt and grime on your evaporator coil will result in your HVAC system working harder in order to compensate for the insulating effect the dirt and grime would have on your ac coils.
This Nu Calgon product is authorized as an evaporator coil cleaner in the USA and is designed for less waste. All you need is a spray bottle mixed with some water to dilute the cleaner with a ratio of 3:1 water at minimum. This ratio can however be adjusted a little depending on the amount of dirt and grime present on your condenser coils
The only downside is that it might sting a little if the solution is not diluted enough and if it finds itself on your eyes or skin, so it is recommended to have some form of protection while applying even if you are using a spray bottle as depending on the wind direction, it could easily get into your eyes if they are not protected.
Pros
- Best no-rinse ac coil cleaner
- Alkaline-based
- Easy to use and apply
- Cheap
- Not corrosive enough to damage AC parts
Cons
- Recommended to use eye protection and mask while applying
2 Lundmark Coil Cleen, Air Conditioning Fin & Coil Cleaner, 32-Ounce, 3226F32-6
The Lundmark Coil Clean would be the best spray ac coil cleaner you could get due to the easy and quick application and also easy to clean-up properties this ac coil cleaner brings.
The Lundmark Coil Clean spray, once used would be able to help improve and promote efficient airflow through the fins of your ac unit and also help prolong the lifespan of the A/C fan motor by maximising the value of your dollars spent used to perform routine maintenance for cooling in your home or office.
You would be pleased to know that this coil cleaner is also manufactured with safety for the environment in mind as it will not hurt the surrounding landscape.
All you need to do is to spray on the area of the condenser coils you want to be cleaned and then wait a few minutes before rinsing it off with water. Make sure to rinse it off properly as the product might have an unpleasant smell that you do not want lingering on your ac coils.
Pros
- Best spray coil condenser cleaner
- Easily rinsed off
- Easy to use
- Affordable
Cons
- Might have an unpleasant smell if not rinsed properly
- Not suitable for evaporator coil cleaning
3 Nu-Calgon 4171-75 Evap Foam No Rinse Evaporator Coil Cleaner, 18 oz.
This foaming coil cleaner is one of the best ac coil cleaners out there as it will immediately start foaming once the ac coil cleaner spray has come into contact with any dirt and grime. This heavy-duty ac coil cleaner is easy to apply and what makes this coil cleaner non-hazardous and easy to use is its sprayer characteristic.
Once the foam has evaporated, this means the coil cleaner has done its job. This foam spray coil cleaner also emits a pleasing lemon scent that works well with any ac unit and what this means is that you will be able to get a fresh lemon smell whenever you enter your home.
One thing to note is that while the price is reasonable, compared to other products on this list which require some dilution with water, it might not last as long due to the comparatively lower volume to other ac coil cleaners. Additionally, although the product description claims that the foam is self-removing and no rinsing is necessary, it will not hurt to rinse off the foam to ensure it is 100% clean.
Pros
- Non-corrosive
- Affordable price
- Easy application
- Best ac coil cleaner properties with foam
- No rinsing required due to foam properties
Cons
- Not suitable at removing larger impurities such as hairs and fur.
4 Frost King ACF19 Foam Coil Cleaner, 19Oz, 19 Ounce
The Frost King ACF19 foam Coil Cleaner is one of the best ac coil cleaners that are foam based on par with the Nu Calgon Evap foam that is extremely effective at removing any stubborn grime and dirt from your ac coils. The spray can be easily applied with the help of the can and you will not need to worry about any rinsing since the detergent properties are non-corrosive for coils.
Similar to the other foam-based ac coil cleaner on this list, it is also scented and will help to remove any bad scents that you need to clean off of ac coils that have been left unattended for longer periods.
Although it is advertised that this ac coil cleaner will not require you to scrub or brush the ac coils after application, it is still recommended to do so in order to make your life even easier.
Overall, the Frost King ACF19 foam Coil Cleaner is extremely affordable and also does an excellent job of removing any hairs or ac coils clogged with dirt and grime and is definitely recommended if you require an ac coil cleaner that is quick and affordable.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Affordable
- No Rinsing required
- Removes odors and even pet hairs
Cons
- More spraying required for thicker concentrations of grime and dirt
5 CRC Foaming Coil Cleaner, 18 Wt Oz
A great feature of this product would be that it is non-corrosive and is a detergent that contains no harmful properties that could potentially harm the ozone layer. As such, this makes the CRC Foaming ac coil cleaner a great green product and user friendly for anyone at home. Other applications that can be used would be on any metal blades and ac coils for a thorough and quick clean.
Pros
- Easy to apply
- Removes odors easily
- No rinse spray
- Reasonably priced
- Non corrosive and no harmful chemicals in spray
Cons
- Inconsistent foaming
This coil cleaner is a detergent available in an aerosol can and is similarly not rinse required and can be applied very easily to clean any dirt and grime off of ac coils. This product is also one of the best ac coil cleaners that can remove any bad odours that you need to deal with on your air conditioner coil and will be able to clean all coils of your ac unit without the need for scrubbing or brushing.
6 Nu-Calgon 4291-08 Nu-Brite
The Nu Brite is a top of the line liquid condenser coil cleaner which is strong enough to penetrate corrosive deposits on your condenser coin and lift any oily grime for coils due to the properties containing surfactants in them.
Since the product is alkaline-based to clean your condenser coil, it is highly recommended that the Nu Brite is used only outdoors since it is especially effective at removing any build-up of grime and dirt that is caked in your HVAC ac unit.
The Nu Brite cleaner is authorised by the USDA for use in federally-inspected poultry and meat facilities which is a great indicator of its safety and cleaning abilities.
For use, it is recommended to mix the coil cleaners liquid at a ratio of $;1 which ensures a plastic-saving and long-lasting product. The detergent contains a foaming action which allows it to cut through dirt and grease easily while still being able to brighten coils as if they were new. Other than being one of the best ac coil cleaners that you could get, it is also suitable for use of cleaning radiators.
Pros
- Alkaline-based that is suitable for deep cleaning
- Extremely effective at removing dirt and grime
Cons
- Caustic – so protection is required
- Not used for the evaporator coil
- Do not use on coils that have paint or powder coating
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What do you use to clean air conditioner coils with?
If you do not wish to use a commercial cleaner, you could always opt for a mix of mild detergent and water to clean coils.
Q: Which is the best ac coil cleaner?
The Nu Brite coil cleaning liquid on this list would be the best for cleaning extreme impurities off your coils while Lundmark Coil Clean is the cleaner that is easy to apply out of all a c coil cleaners.