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disconnecting power to clean AC coils - why necessary?

elfie
elfie Member Posts: 266
a compressor and its coils sit outside with all the bad weather including rain storms and snow, etc (the unit would appear to be quite waterproof)



so why is it recommended to disconnect fuse when you use a hose to clean the coils (ie. while recognizing that none of the pieces shielding the compressor and fan are not necessary to remove)?



seems unnecessary

Comments

  • Gordy
    Gordy Member Posts: 9,546
    Be Safe

    Yes its weatherproof, but then not many people hang on to a condensor unit in the middle of a rain storm. Plus cleaning will probably throw water into undesirable places a rain would not reach. Its just a safe step to follow.
  • Techman
    Techman Member Posts: 2,144
    edited April 2014
    Water & electricity

    Washing the condenser coil is a innie to outie and outie to innie & back to the innie and back to the outie so the cond fan motor assembly has to be removed inorder to get down inside the cond unit. While "open" the cond fan motor assembly  has to be checked as well as the cond fan blade. Now if someone in the house turns the AC on while you are doing the routine ,you will be in for a big surprise. Also the three wirers going into the comp body ( C,S,R termimals) are supposed to be checked for corrosion . Now even if the outdoor disconnect is OFF and someone turns the T'stat on , all of the low voltage wirers in the cond unit will be "hot" and another surprise. Plus the "control panel" has to be opened up and EVERY wire connection tested.So, washing the cond coil is only part of the job.
  • Gordy
    Gordy Member Posts: 9,546
    In other words

    Lock out tag out.