Aircon cleaning self made, what "gun" are they using, and is there a way to reduce the power of a pressure washer ?

[HarrySeaman]

20 hours ago, kennw said:

I think the reference is about how to pressure clean the horozontal fan, this is what really builds up especially in Bangkok's dirty air.

That doesn't seem to be a problem with my AC units here in Pattaya but if it was I would have them cleaned.

 

On the other hand, BKK air is very dirty.  When I lived in BKK I used to have to spray water from a garden hose on the outdoor condenser coils and fins about every two to three months to get rid of the ton of <deleted> from the air that stuck to them in order to keep the AC working efficiently.

[Bob12345]

19 hours ago, SunsetT said:

Are you guys talking about blasting the unit on the wall with water? That must make hell of a mess!

It wont if you use some tarp to catch all the water, which you can buy from the site @CH1961 mentioned. The water coming out will be black though.

I get my ACs cleaned 2-4 times a year, depending on how well they cool down and if they start leaking (exit pipe clogged). About 500 baht for a normal AC and 600-700 for a central AC. 

 

Maybe the biggest problem of doing it yourself is that you need to turn off the AC to clean it, meaning the room will get hot fast and you are standing on a ladder working above your head. Its not the most comfortable situation to be in and the AC cleaning people often come down soaked with sweat.

[thweshfoyo]

so you just need to change the nozzle ?

 

[Thaifish]

Just had 4 a/c units cleaned inside and out by my air con man. They had a miniature water blaster and purpose made bag with snout that fed the waste water into a bucket. Spotlessly clean after they had finished. I would change my a/c service guy if your not happy with the job or tell them you want a guarantee they will not to make a mess while cleaning. Its amazing how much <deleted> gets past the first screen filters. I would much rather pay someone to do the job than me doing it.

[Litlos]

Something to be very careful about here. Normal detergent is alkaline, alkaline eats aluminium which the fins are made of. So first get some acidic detergent, possibly disguised as coil cleaner for air conditioners. Lightly spray a bit of water from a garden hose onto the fins to wet then, note not drench. The spray the detergent on, wait about 15 minutes or whatever the label says then rinse with tap water. Job done and there should be lots of gunk coming out.  Probably best not to do this to the indoor unit though.

 

Cheers

[johng]

The hamster wheel/fan  is often difficult to remove ( at least mine is)  I tried cleaning in situ using a toothbrush,scrubbing brush ,pump up garden sprayer ,soap,bleach, taking it out and  cleaning it in the bathroom with loads of faffing around to  remove and replace it.  Eventually I bought a  water catchment chute  put a plastic bag over the main control board ,plastic sheet over all the electronic equipment under the aircon and blasted with the pressure washer.. it takes longer to setup and waterproof everything than the actual cleaning does.

 

before

 

after

 

 

condenser coil crud,   evaporator coil was just as bad 

9 months since last cleaning Pattaya area.

[cliveshep]

I bought one each of these spray guns for a normal garden hose connection, price 99 baht for the longer one and 95 baht for the shorter one that can be manoeuvred inside the outside condenser because that should be washed from inside to out. Turn off the power first of course before washing the condenser.

 

We bought the bag with the tail to dangle out the window and a couple of aerosol cans of foam cleaner - we wash two units every 3 months and after over 2 years are still on the first can! A plastic file folder holds our cleaning record for the 6 units we have although until her family move in the 4 other bedroom units only get occasional use and are not yet needing cleaning. Everything came from Lazada. https://www.lazada.co.th/products/-i1570140983-s4246192650.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.1.52214d96u2Iw3b&search=1

 

We have a pump for our water around the house that gives decent pressure anyway and these guns have a really good jet from the bum-spray hose.

 

We made up a fitting to go on the bathroom bum spray hose that has a hose-connector end and bought some soft clear polythene tube to use instead of a hose because it can be easily drained and coiled and stored. To use turn off bum spray, unscrew end and screw on hose connector adapter and plug in hose and gun, turn on and ready to go.

 

These guns are more than powerful enough to get rid of Bangkok filth and later when we'll be washing all 6 units every 3 months we'll save a fortune. Taking out the filters and removing the outer casing is not hard, only need a Phillips screwdriver and a pair of steps, the bag is turned over the end of the unit covering the electrics which of course are turned off.

 

Once we saw the pro's do it we saw what we had to do, now even my wife can do it. You certainly do not need a jet washer and the pro's only have a low power one because domestic water pressure is often just a feeble trickle. Most ex-pats will probably long ago have lost patience with that level of performance and installed a tank and a pump anyway.

[bbko]

If all of this DIY cleaning is due to one cleaning company leaving behind a mess, I'd say it's time to find a new cleaning company. Here in Pattaya I get my AC's cleaned and topped up, 400 baht, no mess, no worries.