Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Residential AC Duct Cleaning? Worth it?

If the condenser coil is dirty it does not transfer heat as well, the condenser does just as the name says it does, it condenses a high temp, high pressure gas into a liquid. The system needs a steady supply of liquid sent through the smaller pipe down to the air handler unit (the A coil and some of them are not shaped that way anymore)when it passes through a metering device (small hole) it boils, like on your stove but at about
-20 degrees. Investing in a higher MERV filter can actually make the problem worse.

There is a lack of airflow somewhere, if the filter has been changed on a regular basis, my guess is on the outside unit, and washing the coil outside would be my first step.

From there I would look inside the home, I would look at cleaning the "A-Coil" or it may be as simple as someone trying to save energy by closing off the registers in most of the house, because they do not use those rooms anyway. These systems need to move a certain amount of air, and if they can't it makes them unhappy.

Skip the duct cleaning for now, and if you decide to have it done it should cost more than 400, done correctly it is a very labor ($$$) intensive job.

How does a dirty condenser coil affect airflow through the duct? I know a dirty condenser will cause high head and the unit to work harder to displace the heat.
But it has nothing to do with airflow through the duct system.

I also disagree about using a higher MERV rated filter. Once the blower wheel and evap coil are cleaned. Seal the return and supply ducts with mastic, not duct tape. Eliminate any leakage in the duct work and make sure no air is bypassing the filter.Then use at least a MERV 8 filter.

Jim

I think he meant a dirty expansion coil. The one that is on the inside of the house and not on the outside unit.

Take it apart and clean it your damn self. Jayzuz H, burn a Saturday and tackle
it. It won't kill you. Fire your wife up there on a piece of cardboard and tell her to cut all the tape loose, you zip out the screws, swab it with a mop and lysol. Zip it back together. She can retape it.

some of you would hire help to wipe your ass if it was listed in Angie's List.

I think the duct cleaning is going to be a waste of money. Better way to spend your money would be to get you HVAC unit checked out. Clean filters, clean coils, good charge, squirrel cage clean and not full of gunk. Also that all of your ductwork is sealed. If you have any flex connections, they are notorious for popping off.

I balance air and hydronic systems, and dirty duct is almost never the problem.

I'm all for it. It's the homeowners who attempt to make their own repairs, that keep me in business.

"Cleaning" ducts is considered a repair??