How to clean a Trane Air Conditioner

TRANE SPINE FIN COIL CLEANING

It's very important to clean your a/c system every year in both residential & commercial buildings. Annual cleaning will add 5-7 years to there life typically. Which just that savings will cover the cost of having it done. Plus the likely hood of the unit breaking down on the hottest day of the summer is much less if you annually have it inspected.

Trane is unique in there outdoor coil design. The use a technology called Spine Fin which is an all aluminum coil. Carrier did this many years ago but have now switched back to the standard copper coil and aluminum plate fins. Spine fin is a proven technology that has a lot of advantages over copper/aluminum plate fin coils. Spine fin has less fittings having less chance of leaks, retains efficiency longer, and allows your compressor to run cooler saving you money each year of it's life.

But some people complain and think spine fin coils are impossible to clean. It is actually easier to clean spine fin coils. The part that needs to be clean is the leading edge because that is where heat is extracted from the coil. What people think is hard is when you have a lot of cotton wood that gets into the coil. Below is a method to clean cottonwood quickly, but you must take care while doing it. My companies technicians have used this method for years and it is great. Trane does approve to using this method also.

1. Remove power to compressor terminals
2. Go to thermostat and give call for cooling
3. The outdoor fan motor should be running now but not the compressor.
4. Take a torch. Must be lazy orange flame, don't use hot brazing flame. You can also use propane or map gas turbo torch.
   
5. Run the flame along the coil allowing the fan to pull the flame through the coil. This will burn the cottonwood. Note: smoke will come out of top of a/c, and yes it will smell a little depending how dirty it is as the cottonwood burns.
6. Last shut power off to outdoor unit and hose it off with garden hose. For best results I strongly recommend using a condenser coil cleaner to spray on first like Calgon Nu-brite. This will help pull the dirt from the inside of the coil. Don't ever use a pressure washer as you will damage the coil. Wash the coil from the top and work your way down.
   

When doing this you can leave the outside hail guards on the Trane unit. If the unit is really bad you may have to remove the panels. I have seen units that look like a wool jacket is wrapped around them they are so dirty. For more information you can go to www.ComfortMatters.com.