aircon clean set

[Thian]

Where can i buy a small pistol to clean my aircons? I also need a plastic wash bag for that, designed for easy aircon cleaning.

I have a Karcher high pressure washer but the gun is far too long, i need a very short one with Karcher connection.

[lostinisaan]

What about a little rubber boat and here's a website that might be of interest: http://www.ereplacementparts.com/karcher-pressure-washer-parts-c-33388_33389.html

Here's an older TVF thread, worth to read.:http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/725140-high-pressure-water-cleaners-zinsano-or-karcher/

Edited April 16, 2016 by lostinisaan

[JAS21]

If you use your Karcher you are more than likely to damage (bend) the fins. The pressure is far too high.

Buy yourself a pressure washer with adjustable pressure a VIP Blue is very suiteable for the job.

You can buy the 'proper' bag direct from Daikin. It's about 1000thb. They have two sizes

Edited April 16, 2016 by JAS21

[Thian]

If you use your Karcher you are more than likely to damage (bend) the fins. The pressure is far too high.

Buy yourself a pressure washer with adjustable pressure a VIP Blue is very suiteable for the job.

You can buy the 'proper' bag direct from Daikin. It's about 1000thb. They have two sizes

Great i want that real Daikin bag.

I have the smallest karcher which gives 110 bar but also the real aircon cleanmachine from Karcher uses a small pistol, i want to have something like that. Or maybe i need the whole machine like in the picture, might be cheaper anyway..

[teatree]

Get a spray can full of soapy water and a toothbrush for cleaning.

Get one of those blue tarpaulinsfrom a supermarket and hang it over the aircon to divert the water.

[Pib]

I made my catchment bag by buying X-meters of plastic sheet at a hardware store and sealing/reforming it into a bag format with some staples and cloth tape...a few very minor bag leaks (a few drops) at the seal seams with my quick sealing method...but my DIYer catchment bag is a lot cheaper than buying an A/C catchment bag and works just fine...been using it a couple of years now. Yea, basically I just made myself a big ziplock bag (without the ziplock) big enough for A/C cleaning for under a Bt100.

And instead of using my high pressure sprayer with wan/nozzle designed to clean sidewalks and walls, I take the controllable (spray pattern and on/off) wan/nozzle off my portable insecticide sprayer and hook it directly to my lawn water hose which has a water pressure of 40psi. This wan/nozzle is small and shaped just right for A/C cleaning, getting into tight places, etc.

I first install the catchment bag, then spray on some foam cleaner in a can you can buy most anywhere (Lotus, HomePro, Makro, etc)...let it soak in for around 10 minutes. Then I use my home-made sprayer to spray down/clean the inside unit fins/coils, cage fan, drain pan, etc...as mentioned this is occurring at approx 40psi. This amount of pressure works just fine unless maybe your fins are super gunked-up...you really don't need hundreds of PSI to do a good cleaning job, but having one of those portable, lower PSI sprayers is nice and a must have for anyone who makes a living cleaning A/Cs.

Just an important to thorough clean the unit's "cage fan" which can get gunked-up even in the cleanest of homes as that cage fan is a key component in ensuring smooth and even air flow thru the cooling fins and out into your room. Yeap, you can have the cleanest cooling fins in the world but if the cage fan is really dirty and not pulling good air flow throw the fins out into your room the A/C will not cool well.

And actually, unless you inside unit fins are "really dirty" just spraying-on some A/C cleaner foam and using a water spray bottle to rinse off the foam/force it a little more into the fins works well to clean the fins...just be sure to do it once or twice a year...don't let the fins get really gunked-up because you only clean your inside unit when it stops cooling well as that when you need higher pressure (like a pressure sprayer) to force gunk out of the fins. And like mentioned, a higher pressure is really needed to clean/knock the gunk off the cage fan.

Actually, my A/C cleaning schedule for any A/C I use a lot is just use the foam cleaner in a can with spray bottle if the fins and cage fan don't look too dirty; if they need a more thorough cleaning I pull out the my home-made catchment bag and water hose special sprayer wan/nozzle which I do about once a year on each A/C I use a lot Everyone will need a different cleaning schedule based on how, where, how often they use their A/C. Cleaning an A/C every six months is great, but may not really be needed for some folks.

When using the catchment bag & water hose setup I'm able to do all of this cleaning by simply removing the A/C filters and opening the output air louvers...no need to partially disassemble the A/C like remove the whole front cover, louvers, etc. But actually, "usually" it not too hard to remove a the A/C from cover and output louvers if you know what you are doing but you always run the risk of breaking some little piece of plastic every time your remove the cover/louvrs. Occasionally I do remove the A/C entire cover and output louvers...kinda depends on my mood and how dirty the A/C looks.

[johng]

If you use a pressure washer as well as not bending the fins you have to be very careful not to squirt water into anything "electrical" like the condenser fan ( on the outside unit)

and the main control panel on the inside unit ( yes I know from bitter experience wasn't careful enough )

most of the cleaning teams have a high power "blower" to dry off the electrics after the pressure washing is done.

Those cage fans are really difficult to get completely clean in situ ( without a high pressure washer ) I once took mine out and cleaned the inside and outside surfaces in the bathroom with assorted instruments it took forever and then had to re-asemble the whole indoor unit again which wasn't very enjoyable.

Remember to check the condensation drain pipe for blockages or you can end up with water dripping down your wall in the middle of the night and ruining anything situated bellow the aircon

[Thian]

Thanks for all the tips!

I have never seen aircon foam being used but i just let the cleaners do their job while my wife guards them.

In our bedroom the aircon needs cleaning every 4 months. I'm tired of the cleaners so i better do it myself instead of waiting for them (many hours).

[wpcoe]

I moved into a new rental townhouse in December and the bedroom aircon never got the room cool even with the compressor running continuously. I thought the unit was simply undersized. This past week I finally had a highly recommended guy ("Too" in Hua Hin) come over to clean it. The evaporator coils weren't all that dirty -- the water was a weak grey color coming out. However, when he cleaned the cage fan, the water was jet black. I don't think it had been cleaned in quite a while, if ever.

Now, the air con gets the room chilly within 25 minutes. At nighttime now, with the temp set for 26*, the compressor cuts in and out. Also, the airflow on low fan setting is about the same as it was on high setting before, and much quieter.

IMHO, cleaning the cage fan made a HUGE difference.

[Berty100]

What people not do to save 400 Baht.

For sure i wouldn't invest several thousands of Thai Baht, then spend hours in labor in hot humid climate, for something that can be done by any experienced aircon installer for peanuts.

[johng]

Its not really about the money...sometimes its difficult to find a reliable,reputable,honest,competent trades person, by doing it yourself you can gain knowledge and experience have a very sweaty workout and save the peanuts for the monkeys if/when you cock it up

[Thian]

Its not really about the money...sometimes its difficult to find a reliable,reputable,honest,competent trades person, by doing it yourself you can gain knowledge and experience have a very sweaty workout and save the peanuts for the monkeys if/when you cock it up

Exactly, i'm totally done with all thai personell and their manners.

All the lost time waiting for them, answering phonecalls, changing our daily schedules...i will do it myself!

Also the termite prevention i will do myself from now on. I'm not happy with guys wearing balaclava's in my garden/house. How hard can it be to mix chemical with water and spray it in hoses who are under the house!

[casualbiker]

I made my catchment bag by buying X-meters of plastic sheet at a hardware store and sealing/reforming it into a bag format with some staples and cloth tape...a few very minor bag leaks (a few drops) at the seal seams with my quick sealing method...but my DIYer catchment bag is a lot cheaper than buying an A/C catchment bag and works just fine...been using it a couple of years now. Yea, basically I just made myself a big ziplock bag (without the ziplock) big enough for A/C cleaning for under a Bt100.

And instead of using my high pressure sprayer with wan/nozzle designed to clean sidewalks and walls, I take the controllable (spray pattern and on/off) wan/nozzle off my portable insecticide sprayer and hook it directly to my lawn water hose which has a water pressure of 40psi. This wan/nozzle is small and shaped just right for A/C cleaning, getting into tight places, etc.

I first install the catchment bag, then spray on some foam cleaner in a can you can buy most anywhere (Lotus, HomePro, Makro, etc)...let it soak in for around 10 minutes. Then I use my home-made sprayer to spray down/clean the inside unit fins/coils, cage fan, drain pan, etc...as mentioned this is occurring at approx 40psi. This amount of pressure works just fine unless maybe your fins are super gunked-up...you really don't need hundreds of PSI to do a good cleaning job, but having one of those portable, lower PSI sprayers is nice and a must have for anyone who makes a living cleaning A/Cs.

Just an important to thorough clean the unit's "cage fan" which can get gunked-up even in the cleanest of homes as that cage fan is a key component in ensuring smooth and even air flow thru the cooling fins and out into your room. Yeap, you can have the cleanest cooling fins in the world but if the cage fan is really dirty and not pulling good air flow throw the fins out into your room the A/C will not cool well.

And actually, unless you inside unit fins are "really dirty" just spraying-on some A/C cleaner foam and using a water spray bottle to rinse off the foam/force it a little more into the fins works well to clean the fins...just be sure to do it once or twice a year...don't let the fins get really gunked-up because you only clean your inside unit when it stops cooling well as that when you need higher pressure (like a pressure sprayer) to force gunk out of the fins. And like mentioned, a higher pressure is really needed to clean/knock the gunk off the cage fan.

Actually, my A/C cleaning schedule for any A/C I use a lot is just use the foam cleaner in a can with spray bottle if the fins and cage fan don't look too dirty; if they need a more thorough cleaning I pull out the my home-made catchment bag and water hose special sprayer wan/nozzle which I do about once a year on each A/C I use a lot Everyone will need a different cleaning schedule based on how, where, how often they use their A/C. Cleaning an A/C every six months is great, but may not really be needed for some folks.

When using the catchment bag & water hose setup I'm able to do all of this cleaning by simply removing the A/C filters and opening the output air louvers...no need to partially disassemble the A/C like remove the whole front cover, louvers, etc. But actually, "usually" it not too hard to remove a the A/C from cover and output louvers if you know what you are doing but you always run the risk of breaking some little piece of plastic every time your remove the cover/louvrs. Occasionally I do remove the A/C entire cover and output louvers...kinda depends on my mood and how dirty the A/C looks.

What's a "cage frame"? Any pictures?

[Crossy]

Just an important to thorough clean the unit's "cage fan" which can get gunked-up even in the cleanest of homes as that cage fan is a key component in ensuring smooth and even air flow thru the cooling fins and out into your room. Yeap, you can have the cleanest cooling fins in the world but if the cage fan is really dirty and not pulling good air flow throw the fins out into your room the A/C will not cool well.

What's a "cage frame"? Any pictures?

It's a squirrel cage fan (my bold in Pib's quote).

It's in the indoor unit and looks like this :-

[casualbiker]

^^^^ thanks.. Yup. They cleaned that last time they did mine. I will pay attention to future cleans.

[Pib]

Definitely keep the cage fan clean as the air flow per minute of a small diameter cage fan such as in wall mounted A/Cs can be greatly reduced when dirty. The cupped shape and small spacing between the hundreds of little blades comprising a cage fan is easily blocked/aerodynamically altered which greatly reduces air flow. Now a ceiling/floor/desk fan could be dirty as heck with little impact on its air flow capability due to the huge spacing and shape of the blades.

Edit: a dirty cage fan can also make the A/C noisier due to disrupted air flow, vibration, etc. It can even make the A/C fan sound like it's varying in speed every few seconds...or cause a whining sound...or other weird sounds due to disrupted/non-smooth air flow.

Edited April 20, 2016 by Pib

[BEVUP]

Hello all

Just had 2 aircons cleaned & would just like to add my observation of the process

Q 1. Do they need to remove the entire compressor covers or why do they install aircons where this in un achievable

One on top floor & the other on bottom floor

The head units seemed straight forward but as far as i could see only washed up & down & not left to right also which i thought might clean the wheel better

So now to the compressor units Top floor outside near top balcony (very close to), man sprayed into fan holding it with screwdriver & only removed lid

Bottom floor compressor on path at back of house, man did as above but did not take lid of or any other cover off & when wife asked why covers are not removed the man said because the power is still on or the inverter unit does not like water (something along those lines), & he did throw the fuse for the top aircon

[Thian]

Hello all

Just had 2 aircons cleaned & would just like to add my observation of the process

Q 1. Do they need to remove the entire compressor covers or why do they install aircons where this in un achievable

One on top floor & the other on bottom floor

The head units seemed straight forward but as far as i could see only washed up & down & not left to right also which i thought might clean the wheel better

So now to the compressor units Top floor outside near top balcony (very close to), man sprayed into fan holding it with screwdriver & only removed lid

Bottom floor compressor on path at back of house, man did as above but did not take lid of or any other cover off & when wife asked why covers are not removed the man said because the power is still on or the inverter unit does not like water (something along those lines), & he did throw the fuse for the top aircon

They just do something, i 've seen them cleaning the compressor with and without it's covers.

Also they should check the level of gas and fill it if necessary.

[KittenKong]

Its not really about the money...sometimes its difficult to find a reliable,reputable,honest,competent trades person, by doing it yourself you can gain knowledge and experience ....

Yes. I have found it very difficult to find an air-con engineer who reliably and consistently does a good cleaning job. Mostly they seem to do a good job half the time and a lousy job the rest of the time, with no obvious reason for this. This applies to big electrical chain stores and to small one-man-band shops.

Tempted as I am to buy a water spray and step-ladders and a plastic sheet in order to DIY-it, for the 400B it does cost me to get the engineers in I find it preferable to pay them but to hover over them for the entire duration, watching everything they do, and telling them to do things again or better if they dont seem to be doing it properly. I'm sure that they hate me for doing this, but it does mean that the job gets done correctly and so far I have found no other way of guaranteeing this.

[johng]

On 4/21/2016 at 6:09 PM, BEVUP said:

when wife asked why covers are not removed the man said because the power is still on or the inverter unit does not like water (something along those lines),

He didn't want to remove the cover because he was either lazy or the compressor unit had been (badly) installed  in a tight space and so impossible to remove the cover...I'd go with lazy though !!

[FLHR]

On 7/24/2018 at 10:01 AM, johng said:

He didn't want to remove the cover because he was either lazy or the compressor unit had been (badly) installed  in a tight space and so impossible to remove the cover...I'd go with lazy though !!

It's seriously near impossible to find contractors or sub-contractors who will take pride in their respective jobs. Who will act professionally & show courtesy to clients and their property. Who will actually think outside the box to better, and expand their business.

[kannot]

On 4/18/2016 at 12:16 PM, Berty100 said:

What people not do to save 400 Baht.

For sure i wouldn't invest several thousands of Thai Baht, then spend hours in labor in hot humid climate, for something that can be done by any experienced aircon installer for peanuts.

Then afterwards  all you have to do is  fix  the damage  caused by them whacking ladders on the walls  doors  ceilings and clean up all the dirty handmarks etc etc............no thanks