Maintenance – Greenheck Coils User Manual

Page 7

Page 7 of 7

IOM, Rev. 2, November 2007

Maintenance

Coil Cleaning

Coils should be kept clean to maintain maximum performance. For operation at it's highest efficiency, the
coil should be cleaned often during periods of high cooling demand or when dirty conditions prevail.
Power should be disconnected and locked out and motors should be covered to insure that no moisture
penetrates into the windings causing motor failure if applicable.

Remove large debris from the coils and straighten fins before cleaning.

Clean refrigerant coils with cold water and detergent or with one of the commercially available chemical
coil cleaners. Rinse coils thoroughly after cleaning.

CAUTION: Do not clean the coil with hot water or steam. The use of hot water or steam as a
refrigerant coil-cleaning agent will cause high pressure inside the coil tubing and subsequent
damage to the coil.

CAUTION: Do not use acidic chemical coil cleaners. Do not use alkaline chemical coil cleaners
that, after mixing, have a ph value greater than 8.5 without also using an aluminum corrosion
inhibitor in the cleaning solution. Failure to follow these guidelines or the manufacturer’s
instructions for use of cleaning chemicals could result in damage to the unit.

WARNING: SOME CHEMICAL COIL-CLEANING COMPOUNDS ARE CAUSTIC, AS WELL AS TOXIC.
USE THESE SUBSTANCES ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MANUFACTURER’S
INSTRUCTIONS. FAILURE TO DO SO COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY, DEATH OR
EQUIPMENT DAMAGE.

Fin Straightening

Coil fins may have been bent during shipping or servicing, and should be straightened to maintain
maximum heat transfer. Reduction of the effective coil surface will correspondingly reduce coil capacity.
Always check fin appearance after any handling of the coil and after any servicing is done near the coils.

Fin combs are sized according to number of fins per inch of the coil. For relatively small bends that
require only minor repair, other tools may be used to evenly space the fins. Be careful not to damage the
coils.

Steam Coil Applications

A steam trap maintenance program should be implemented to insure that steam traps are operating
correctly and at maximum efficiency. Failure to do so could result in premature failure of the coil and loss
of warranty due to condensate backing up into the coil causing leaks or allowing the coil to freeze during
low ambient conditions if supply air drops below 40° F.

Note: Steam distributing coils may also be called "NON-FREEZE" coils. These coils will freeze if
temperatures drop below the freezing point. Care should be taken to insure that these coils are not
operated at or below freezing temperatures. If there is the possibility that the coils will experience freezing
temperatures, freeze safeties should be installed in the system to prevent damage to the coils. Any coil
that has failed due to freezing temperatures will not be covered under the standard warranty.