‘I use jet all the time and I’ve never damaged a single coil’: Expert says you should spray down your air conditioner annually. Here’s how to do it right

A home maintenance expert gave a detailed primer on how to clean an air conditioning unit with a garden hose, but a few elements of his step-by-step gave some observers pause.

The advice came from Kyle (@forecast_is_for_kyle), a Minnesota-based TikTok creator specializing in a personality-driven brand of home maintenance content. This particular video, dating back to June 29, drew more than 431,600 views in a little less than three months on the platform.

In it, he takes viewers through the steps to properly clean out an outdoor air conditioning condenser unit.

First, he advises taking the "fuse" out of the fuse box located on the outside of the house to cut power to the unit. Then, he notes, "Close the box up so you don't spritz moisture all up in here. Take them screws out; they a quarter-inch. Take them all out—almost all of them. Look at it. I put them in little RX container."

He shows a repurposed pill bottle with screws in it for safekeeping.

Then, he says he's "taking the shirt off," referring to the side panel on the condenser unit. He then calls the exposed coils—which have a healthy layer of dirt and detritus on them—the "hairy chest."

"All that debris is making your air conditioner work hella hard, homie," he says. "You need to give it a break."

He then gives the tip of gently spraying water, with a standard garden hose and multi-setting nozzle attachment, from inside the unit to clean the accumulated dirt from the coils.

"Don't put that muthaf*cker on jet," he counsels. "You'll damage the Charlie coils."

He then reveals the cleaned-off unit, noting that he has some dented coils but that it otherwise looks good.

Before ending the video, he points to screws on top of the unit and says, "Don't take these screws out. They hold the fan shroud in there."

@forecast_is_for_kyle Air Conditioner Maintenance #airconditioner #cleaning #maintenance #howto #tips ♬ original sound - The_Forecast_Calls_For_Kyle

How does his advice stack up?

A video from big box home improvement chain Lowe's provides similar advice on spraying down a condenser unit once a year for optimal performance.

It does, however, suggest using coil cleaner to assist in the job. For optimal cleaning, you're supposed to spray coil cleaner on the coils, wait for 10 minutes after it foams up against the surface, and then spray it down. (The video cautions against using a pressure washer for fear of damaging the coils.)

The video also suggests using a fin tool if coils are slightly damaged but notes that if coils are significantly bent, it might be necessary to call in a professional.

What commenters thought

One commenter saw Kyle's advice too late.

"You're the only one who said what not to unscrew," that person said before lamenting, "I learned the hard way."

Kyle responded, "So did I! That’s how it made the video."

Another took issue with Kyle calling the piece that disconnects the AC unit a "fuse." The Family Handyman site notes, "Fuses for protecting HVAC equipment are typically cylindrical cartridges that snap into fuse holders inside the manual disconnect box."

Kyle responded to the correction by noting that "fuse" is a "layman's term," but felt inspired to make a follow-up video in which he pointedly and repeatedly refers to it as a fuse.

"I use jet all the time and I've never damaged a single coil," boasted one viewer.

Another took issue with the video, saying, "The average home owner should just spray it down with a hose, do not use pressure sprayer. When you take stuff [apart], you risk messing it up."

Kyle quipped, "I’m not the average home owner."

The Daily Dot has reached out to Kyle via TikTok direct message.

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