TIL my AC unit was clogged by a cottonwood seed nest

I live in the North Valley and last Tuesday my AC just stopped blowing cold air. Temp hit 95 inside. Called a local guy out and he pulled a massive chunk of cottonwood fluff and seeds out of the condenser coil. Said it's super common around here this time of year. Cost me $150 for the service call. Now I'm hosing off the outside unit every spring. Anyone else in ABQ deal with this?

2 comments

2 Comments

lily_stone7614d ago

I pulled a massive chunk of cottonwood fluff and seeds out of the condenser coil" - that sounds like a lot but I'm not totally buying it's that huge a deal. I mean yeah cottonwood fluff gets everywhere but it's not like it's gonna instantly kill your AC. You probably just had a dirty coil from not cleaning it ever. I've lived here 12 years and never hosed my unit off and it's fine. Maybe your guy was just trying to justify his $150 fee. Mine runs fine through May and June every year without any special treatment.

rivera.jake14d ago

Honestly, you said "never hosed it off and it's fine," but that's kind of the point @lily_stone76. A little neglect adds up slow over a decade, not a single season. You might just be lucky with your setup or your local fluff levels.