HVAC Preventative Maintenance

Basics

• This page aims to go over the various forms of Preventative Maintenance for HVAC Systems
• Design for Cleaning in terms of overall design of the HVAC system is a HIGHLY relevant matter, but will be addressed on another page

List

Coil Cleaning

• Every so often both the Condenser Coil and the Evaporator Coil should be cleaned
• This is best done by:
  • 1.) LOTO on the Machine
    • If a Soft Starter is not installed, it is also best practice to turn down/off the Thermostat so that the system doesn’t go “from zero to 60” when you reconnect it
  • 2.) Remove Debris as best you can while it is still dry
    • A Vacuum Cleaner (+ Dusting Brush Tool / Crevice Tool ) and/or some sort of Cleaning Brush and/or a Cordless Air Duster will come in handy for this
  • Check Warranry / Manufacturer Warnings First + Proceed with Caution, BUT:
  • 3.) Gently Rinse with Water
    • If sufficient one can stop here, if it looks like further cleaning is needed:
  • 4.) Spray Down with a Gentle Cleaning Solution / Gentle Soap such as “Simple Green” or A Diluted Minimum Viable Soap
  • 5.) Rinse + Inspect
    • If sufficient, one can stop here, if it looks like it still needs further cleaning:
  • 6.) Get HVAC Coil Cleaner either in Aerosol Can form, or as a Liquid Concentrate which can be diluted + put into a Foam Cannon Nozzle
  • 7.) Final Rinse with Water
  • 8.) Gently Dry Off / Wait for it to Air Dry
  • 9.) Reassemble Device
  • 10.) Undo the LOTO then Turn it back on and check that everything is operating as expected

Condensate Drain Preventative Maintenance

• Due to being a wet+damp environment, the Condensate Drain Lines on HVAC Evaporator Coils (As well as Dehumidifiers and to a lesser extent Refrigerators / Freezers etc ) are at risk of Bio-Fouling
• Thus every so often one should dump some Dilute Bleach Solution or a similar substance down the drain, and check that enough was added that it flows to the drain location
  • Having another person with a Radioactive or Cellphone can help with this
• If need be, a Shop Vac can also be used to clear/drain the line
  • A High Volume Inflator or similar device can also be used, although using positive pressure to clear a blockage runs the risks of leaks