Video · AC Maintenance and Coil Cleaning
AC Coil Cleaning, Start to Finish: Leaves, Foam and a Rinse
A real AC coil cleaning starts by clearing the debris trapped inside the unit's base, then foams the coil and rinses it. The foam lifts grime from deep in the fins, where a quick hose spray can't reach.
Job footageSwiftPro
- Topic
- AC Maintenance and Coil Cleaning
- Length
- 0:29
- Posted
- August 10, 2026
- Shot by
- The SwiftPro crew, Northern Virginia
What you’re seeing in this video
Turn the sound up for this one. It opens on the base of an outdoor AC unit beside a brick house, with dead leaves and mulch packed down inside, below the coil. The fan grille on top has to come off to get at a pile like that.
A tech in black with red gloves sprays foaming coil cleaner over the fins and lets it work, then rinses everything off with a garden hose until the water runs clear.
Why it matters in your house
- Leaves inside the base hold water against the bottom of the coil and the base pan. That can rust the pan, block its drain holes and choke airflow right where the coil starts.
- Use a cleaner made for AC coils, not household degreaser or bleach. The wrong chemical can eat the thin aluminum fins and the copper tubes they're bonded to.
- Keep mulch and plantings back from the unit. Mulch piled against the cabinet washes in through the side slots, which is how a base fills up like this one.
How often should AC coils be cleaned?
Once a year for most homes, usually in spring before heavy use. Units near trees, cottonwoods, a dryer vent exhaust or a busy road may need it more often. Between cleanings, rinse loose debris off gently with a hose, power off first. A full foam cleaning with the top off is best left to a tech.
Want it done at your place? See AC Maintenance and Coil Cleaning at SwiftPro or call (703) 997-9757.
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