How to Clean Slime From a Drip Tray in a Vertical A-Coil Air Conditioner

Vertical A-coil air conditioners, like any other residential air conditioning unit, have many moving parts and complex components. These appliances use a cooling liquid in an evaporation cycle. The liquid evaporates in coils and air is forced over the cooled coils. This causes condensation that often turns into a slime. You can clean the slime that has built up on the drip pan without having to hire a HVAC professional.

Screwdriver
Rubber gloves
No-rinse aerosol alkaline evaporator coil cleaner
Stiff-bristled brush
Cloths
Condensate-pan cleaner tablets

Instructions

- 1
  Turn the vertical A-coil air conditioner off.
- 2
  Locate the drip tray under the condenser coils and pull it out. On some models, you'll have to unfasten screws to remove the drip tray.
- 3
  Put on rubber gloves and spray no-rinse aerosol alkaline evaporator coil cleaner on the drip tray. Let the cleaner work to break up the slime as long as recommended by the manufacturer.
- 4
  Scrub the drip tray with a stiff-bristled brush to loosen the slime, then rinse with plain water. Wipe down and dry the drip tray with clean cloths.
- 5
  Place two condensate-pan cleaner tablets in the drip tray and slide the drip tray back into place under the condenser coils.
- 6
  Turn the vertical A-coil air conditioner back on and use as normal.

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