Cleaning very dirty AC condensor coils?

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First you need to widen the 3 inch hole where you can get in there a do something. If you go down to an A/C parts house, buy the best evaporator coil cleaner you can find. Don't get the high foam stuff. You want low foam. Then get a good shop vac and a pump up sprayer.
First spray a heavy coat of 50/50 of the coil cleaner and water on the dirty side of the coil and let it sit for about ten minutes. Then take the shop vac and suck off as much and you can. Repeat this until it all breaks down and you can see the fins good. You can use a lesser and lesser mixture of the solution as you go. Then put fresh water in the sprayer and rinse it well several times until the smell and residue are gone. Use the shop vac to remove all the excess water as you go. Try not to use a brush as much as possible, this only pushes it deeper into the coil.
If this doesn't remove the dirt, you will have to pump down the system and remove the coil and soak it in a cleaning solution and flush it thoroughly with a water hose. This is the preferred method in order to remove all the grease. But a lot of times they just replace it if it comes to this.
The key here is the shop vac. It will suck out what a brush cant get to. With the right nozzle it will remove it all.

Best Answer?????????????????????????????????????????...Show more

I'm gonna go with Marko on this one. The owners negligence is the only thing that caused this problem. Its time to pay the piper. You are simply going to have to explain to them that there is really only one way to do the job right. The coil has to be taken out and sprayed with the high power alkaline stuff, first (mixed 75/25 in favor of solution) then 50/50 & rinsed very well. I'd get the squirrel cage fan out and take it all down and do it too.....use just a brush or a rag soaked with mineral spirits on the motor case, being kinda careful to not let any get into the motor, the drying with a clean/dry rag.

Seal up the 3" hole and start dismantling the thing. If they protest or say they don't want to spend the money, well,... there are some jobs you just have to walk away from.... this one has to be done right or not at all.
Find a way to get that filter back in correctly and explain to them that without a filter this will happen again and again,..... and will cost $$$ every time.......Show more

Sir, the only way that will really work is to have a tech sent out, probably two, and remove that ecoil and clean it. About 450-550 bucks. good lord, a kitchen coil with no filter for years. Sorry....Show more

Marko's answer is correct. There's no easy fix or miracle cure to this problem. Do it once, do it right!...Show more