Evaporator coil cleaning cost?

[Supermatch]

Anyone have a ballpark on what it should cost to have an evaporator coil cleaned in-place in a 3 foot crawlspace? Even though we've had the crawlspace encapsulated, the evaporator coils haven't been cleaned since well before we had that work done, so we get a strong mildew odor every time the downstairs AC cycles off and on. Debating if I just pay someone to do it, or if I attempt it myself. Unit is an 8 year old Heil.

 

[Pogue]

Encapsulated crawlspace?! The techs would probably pay you for that luxury.

 

[Supermatch]

Encapsulated crawlspace?! The techs would probably pay you for that luxury.

LOL. We had to. We're downhill from our nextdoor neighbor, and mold was becoming a problem, as was interior moisture since we have to keep the house so cool for our oldest dog.

 

[noway2]

so we get a strong mildew odor every time the downstairs AC cycles off and on.

I would also make sure your drain line is working properly. It may be plugged to where it drains, but slowly, leaving extra water contributing to the mildew smell.

 

[GymB]

Also possible that when the crawl was encapsulated the unit was made slightly off level.

 

[Supermatch]

Also possible that when the crawl was encapsulated the unit was made slightly off level.

They went pretty much around the unit and didn’t move the unit itself. We’ve had the mildew smell for years. Went away once with a cleaning when it was super strong, but came back months later pre-encapsulation, so I didn’t spend the money having someone out to clean it again. I’m hoping it’ll last longer now that the moisture in there is controlled.

 

[Timfoilhat]

Have you considered just dumping like 5 cans of lysol spray through the air return closest to the coil? I'd open up the windows of the house and get the people and pets out for an hour then just spray away. Maybe wear a respirator. Same way we do it for a car AC and that seems to work.
edit to add...I'm just guessing at this.

 

[Supermatch]

Have you considered just dumping like 5 cans of lysol spray through the air return closest to the coil? I'd open up the windows of the house and get the people and pets out for an hour then just spray away. Maybe wear a respirator. Same way we do it for a car AC and that seems to work.
edit to add...I'm just guessing at this.

I figured there’s probably so much dust and crap on the coils that this probably wouldn’t be effective. With three dogs, I’m having to change air filters every 3 weeks or so and by then they’re usually caked.

 

[GymB]

Who is out hvac SME, maybe @BlackGun
I think you have a problem and cleaning just hides it for a short while.

 

[Supermatch]

Who is out hvac SME, maybe @BlackGun
I think you have a problem and cleaning just hides it for a short while.

I think we addressed the underlying cause of the issue (high crawlspace moisture), we just haven't had the AC serviced/cleaned since that happened.

 

[Chriselalto]

You can certainly do it yourself. They make coil cleaner in spray cans that foam up and are non-corrosive and self rinsing. An HVAC supply house like Johnstone or R.E. Micheal will have it and should sell it to the general public. Home depot and Lowes don't normally carry the good stuff.

If you have a caked layer of debris, manual removal is necessary.

Grab a can or 3. A 1/4 & 5/16 socket for the drill. Remove cover plates, spray with unit off. Let dwell.

You can take a spray bottle of water with you to rinse it off even more. While you are rinsing the coil, dump water in the evap pan and see if it's all draining out properly. If not, then your unit isn't positioned correctly.

They make tablets you place in the drain pan of the evaporator to help with mildew buildup and to help with keeping your drain line clear. They can last about 4-6 months.


Ballpark price? Probably 1 to 1.5 hour of service. ~$100-$175.

 

[Supermatch]

You can certainly do it yourself. They make coil cleaner in spray cans that foam up and are non-corrosive and self rinsing. An HVAC supply house like Johnstone or R.E. Micheal will have it and should sell it to the general public. Home depot and Lowes don't normally carry the good stuff.

If you have a caked layer of debris, manual removal is necessary.

Grab a can or 3. A 1/4 & 5/16 socket for the drill. Remove cover plates, spray with unit off. Let dwell.

You can take a spray bottle of water with you to rinse it off even more. While you are rinsing the coil, dump water in the evap pan and see if it's all draining out properly. If not, then your unit isn't positioned correctly.

They make tablets you place in the drain pan of the evaporator to help with mildew buildup and to help with keeping your drain line clear. They can last about 4-6 months.


Ballpark price? Probably 1 to 1.5 hour of service. ~$100-$175.

Thanks!