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Al’s Plumbing, in Plano, Texas Provides Full-Service Plumbing; Maintenance, Repairs, and Replacements For Every Plumbing Component In Your Home. We sell and install gas and electric water heaters.  Al’s is near your home in; Murphy, TX; Rowlette, TX; and Wylie, Texas.  We service all homes in southern Collin County, TX, and northeastern Dallas County, TX with no additional travel charges.

Call Al’s Today To Discuss Any Concerns Or Problems You Have With Your Home’s Plumbing. 

We will arrange an appointment at your convenience.

TIP: This Multi-Part Article Describes How To Lower Cooling Costs (and many ways also lower heating costs).  The earliest articles provide the Highest Cooling Savings & Benefits (such as HVAC equipment lasting longer & a more comfortable home).

This Is Part 1-B: It Details Cleaning & Maintenance Of The A/C Outdoor Unit.

Click Here To Go To Part:1-A Furnace Filters:  Lower Cooling Costs Part: 1A / Furnace Filters

1-B: Outdoor A/C Unit’s Coil

Check & Clean As Needed Every Spring

The U.S. Dept Of Energy (DOE) Says: “A Dirty Outdoor Unit (condenser) Coil Can Increase Energy Use By Up To +30%.

AND, This also means the a/c outdoor unit is running up to +30% longer — and Wearing Out up to +30% Faster.

This YouTube Video Shows A Completely Clogged Outdoor A/C Coil (on the left) — With The A/C’s Outer Cover Removed.

Image Source: Youtube Embedded Video Link

Shown: Badly Neglected Central A/C Outdoor Unit Coil

The 2nd Top & 3rd Top Reasons A Central A/C Is Underperforming

2nd: Dirty Indoor Cooling Coil.  &  3rd: Dirty Outdoor A/C Unit Coil.

• The Outdoor A/C Unit — Removes Heat From The Refrigerant.

• The OUTDOOR A/C Unit’s Airflow: Around 900 Cubic Feet Of Air Per Minute (CFM) — for each 12,000 BTUs / 1 Ton of cooling capacity).

• A 36,000 BTU / 3 Ton Central A/C Outdoor Unit Moves Around 2,700 CFM.

• A 2,000 Square Feet Home, with 8-foot ceilings, holds 16,000 Cubic Feet Of Air.

• The A/C outdoor unit moves this much air (16,000 CFM) every 6 minutes.

• Outdoor Air Flow Is Unfiltered Air.
• This allows the outdoor unit’s coil to collect a tremendous amount of airborne contaminants.
• Check the Outdoor A/C unit’s coil every spring — and clean as needed.

Source: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) —  https://www.aceee.org/files/proceedings/2002/data/papers/SS02_Panel1_Paper24.pdf

Use The “Dollar Bill Test” —  To Check

If Your Central A/C Outdoor Unit’s Coil Needs Cleaning

The outdoor unit’s coil may look clean — yet be tremendously clogged.   There’s a simple way to check the airflow through the unit — without removing the cover.

TIP: This Video Is Long (as it includes a repair) — So We Provide The Time(s) Where You Need To Watch Just Below This Image. 

DOLLAR BILL TEST FOR CENTRAL A/C OUTDOOR UNIT AIRFLOW — To Determine If The Coil Needs Cleaned.

Watch This Video — Starting At Time: 7:15 / 15:48 — This Is Airflow Before Cleaning The Coil

At Time: 13:00 / 15:48 — This Is Airflow AFTER Cleaning The Coil

To Check Airflow With A Dollar Bill:

Place A Dollar Bill On Top Of The Unit:

1. Place it close to the center of the top.

2. Place it near the outside of the top. 

• If The Dollar Bill Doesn’t Blow Off — The Coil Needs To Be Cleaned.   

                                                                    -OR-

• If The Dollar Bill Doesn’t Flutter Rapidly — The Coil Needs To Be Cleaned.   

Image Source: Shutterstock

Shown: Common Central A/C Outdoor Unit’s Cover

A common design of an Outdoor A/C Unit’s Cover has downward angled openings (as shown just above).

This outside cover design can easily hide a dirty coil. 

Image Source: Shutterstock

Shown: Central A/C Outdoor With Its Outside Cover Removed — Shows A Completely Clogged Coil.

Many Factors Can Affect How Frequently The Coil (in the outdoor A/C unit) Needs To Be Cleaned. 

Here Are Several.

• TIP: An annual spring inspection tells you if the a/c outdoor unit’s coil needs to be cleaned (cleaning details within this multi-part article).
• TIP: We also provide “The Dollar Bill Test” — which tells you if the coil needs cleaned (details later in this section).

• Heat Pumps Run Year-Round.
• Their coil needs to be inspected (and cleaned as needed) in both the Spring & Fall.

• Depending on where you live — the outdoor unit coil may not need cleaning each year.
• In northern climates — the cooling season is much shorter.   This often allows less frequent outdoor unit coil cleaning.
• In southern climates (such as South Florida) — air conditioning often runs year-round.  These coils need to be cleaned annually.

• Homes in windy locations will need more frequent coil cleaning.
• Homes in dusty locations will need more frequent coil cleaning.
• Windy & Dusty locations include homes near highways or busy streets.

• Some (more expensive) A/C Brands have fins attached to the refrigerant tubes inside the outdoor unit (see image just below).
• Spine-Fins create more coil surface-area — which allows the refrigerant to dissipate heat faster.
• TIP: Spine-Fins coils get dirty more quickly.
• TIP: Only a few brands have Spine-Fin coils.  Trane & American Standard HVAC Brands have them — and there may be other brands too.

Image Source: YouTube Embedded Video Link

Shown: A/C Coils With Spine-Fins.

Bent Fins On Outdoor Unit

Image Source: Shutterstock

Shown: Outdoor A/C Unit With A Dirty Coil With Many Bent Fins.

Bent fins dramatically reduce airflow through the outdoor unit.  Some A/C’s outside cover (like the one above) makes it easy for fins to become bent.

TIP: Just below is an inexpensive tool that straightens A/C fins (details just below).

 This Tool Makes It Easy To Straighten Fins

Shown: A/C Coils Straighteners Kit.  At The Time This Article Was Written — This Toil Was Under $10.

Click On Image To; View Product, Read Details or Purchase From Amazon.com.

DIY Outdoor A/C Unit Coil Cleaning Instructions

TIP: During A Spring A/C Tune-Up –Cleaning Coils Is Typically An Extra Charge.

The Ideal Way:

• Shut The A/C Off At The Circuit Breaker.
• Do All Rinsing — from the inside of the coil
• This is the ideal way to clean the coil — because air travels from outside to inside through the coil.
• The outer surface of the coil is the dirtiest — but the coil becomes dirty all the way through.
• TIP: To Rinse Coil From The Inside — A. The top cover must be removed.  B. This also requires the fan (attached to the top cover) to be disconnected.

• Spray a foaming coil-cleaner (like the one shown below) on the inside & outside of the coil.
• Let the cleaner work as directed on the can.
• Rinse the foaming cleaner from the coil.
• TIP: The Foaming Cleaner provides superior results to only rinsing the coil.
• TIP: You can restart the a/c as soon as you’re done cleaning — it doesn’t need to dry.  The unit is water-resistant to protect it from rain.

TIP: If you are uncomfortable about doing this yourself — most companies that sell & repair Central A/Cs will also clean coils (for an extra charge).

An Easier DIY Way:

• Shut The A/C Off At The Circuit Breaker.
• Leave the A/C cover in place.
• Do All Rinsing — from the outside of the coil

• Spray a foaming coil-cleaner (like the one shown just below) on the outside of the coil.
• Let the cleaner work as directed on the can.
• Rinse the foaming cleaner from the coil.
• TIP: The Foaming Cleaner provides superior results to only rinsing the coil — this is especially worthwhile when cleaning the coil from the outside.
• TIP: You can restart the a/c as soon as you’re done cleaning — it doesn’t need to dry.  The unit is water-resistant to protect it from rain.

TIP: It’s Much Better To Clean The Coil From The Outside — Than To Skip Coil Cleaning.

Outdoor A/C Unit — Coil Cleaner

Image Source: Amazon.com

Shown: OUTDOOR (condenser) Unit Foaming Coil Cleaner.

Click On Image To; View Product, Read Details, or Purchase from Amazon.com

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Al’s Plumbing, in Plano, Texas Provides Full-Service Plumbing; Maintenance, Repairs, and Replacements For Every Plumbing Component In Your Home. We sell and install gas and electric water heaters.  Al’s is near your home in; Northeastern Dallas, Texas; Richardson, TX; & Garland, TX.  We service all homes in southern Collin County, TX, and northeastern Dallas County, TX with no additional travel charges.

Call Al’s Today To Discuss Any Concerns Or Problems You Have With Your Home’s Plumbing. 

We will arrange an appointment at your convenience.