I was cleaning the vent and filters on our original rooftop units today. The foam " filter" was dirty on both units, so I rinsed them and dried them. They get " sucked up" and don't stay in place when the fan is running. I don't like the design. Anyway...I looked WAY UP in the chase and noticed that the grid in front of the coils could use a little cleaning. I cannot get my vacuum up in there and do the job with it. Does anyone have an idea of how to access this part of the AC without major surgery?? Thanks. I want newer, quieter ones someday.....like Andy2 has !!!!
I have cleaned both condenser and evaporator coils from up top.
Yup, both condenser and the evaporator (that is what you see when you look up) can only be cleaned from the roof.
Vacuum may work, but if any grease-type deposits (from cooking, etc) you will need an aluminum-friendly product such as Simple Green EXTREME or a commercial evaporator cleaner and a tooth brush (not your own).
Be sure to stuff an old towel in the air return to keep water out of the interior.
There is a guy in Puerto Penasco that cleaned and serviced mine for $50 a unit. There may be a guy in Mazatlan, check around.
For coil cleaning:
Clean roof air conditioner evaporator coil (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=32248.msg287852#msg287852)
For filter getting sucked up we put a 'chicken-wire' type of mesh above the filter that 'sandwiches' the filter between outer plastic grill and new mesh.
We also think we can vacuum the evaporator grill from inside the coach.
To avoid:
Looks like my pic.. Easier from the top and faster for sure.. easy to thoroughly clean from the top.. going from the bottom was not enough room..
Mike, that was what mine looked like early this season. Cottonwood trees and gravel roads, adds up quickly. Thankfully easy to clean from the top. Usually do it a couple times per year. If I was fulltiming still, it would probably be a monthly thing.
Larry
FOT cleaned both of ours while we were there in November. They said it is something most people ignore, but should be done every two years.
How often depends on a number of factors:
More humidity-- more often
More dirt,. dust or pet hair-- more often
More hours of A/C run time-- more often
For most annually is fine.
Get that "wet dog" smell when you first turn on an A/C? You are way past time to clean the evaporator.
I think the biggest contributor to the accumulation on the surface of the evaporator coil is the poor way the filters do their job. As air is pulled through the plastic grill the filter edges lift letting unfiltered air flow by.
We experimented with making a stiffer filter with the paper from the inside of a furnace filter but found the air flow too restrictive.
We still use thin foam filter material (available from Lowe's, etc) but force all air to flow through filter material with a thin flat stiff open 'platform' that keeps the foam filter material from lifting at the edges.
Barry, do you have a brand name for the thin foam filter material. I've never been able to find any thin enough to fit properly. I need to replace the foam for both AC units.
Larry
I cut a piece of that blue rubberized horse hair to fit tight everywhere in the cavity, and made a template out of a plastic placemat that fits the inside of the grill. Then I got a pleated filter with the wire on one side, flattened it out and using the template cut it to fit. I laid the filter material on the top of the grill and snapped the grill in place. The horse hair keeps the filter material from getting sucked into the cavity and the filter material provides the filtering. Every few months I buy one filter big enough to make two the size I need and change them out. The horse hair stays.
Larry, based on the pictures on the side of this Amazon link, this product looks very much like what we used.
The packaging also looks similar, but the name on the package may be different.
Duck Brand Replacement Air Conditioner Foam Filter, 24-Inch x 15-Inch x... (http://amzn.to/2sEKYog)
Duck Brand Replacement Air Conditioner Foam Filter, 24-Inch x 15-Inch x 1/4-Inch, 1285234.
We bought at Lowe's or Home Depot and this Home Depot product may be what we bought:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Frost-King-15-in-x-24-in-x-3-16-in-Air-Conditioner-Foam-Filter-F1524/202318549
Frost King 15 in. x 24 in. x 3/16 in. Air Conditioner Foam Filter