Frequently Asked Questions
Commercial HVAC Coil Cleaning — Denver & the Front Range
Answers to what building owners and facility managers ask most, from energy savings and cleaning frequency to process, ROI, and what sets CCER apart.
The Basics of HVAC Coil Cleaning
What is commercial HVAC coil cleaning?
Commercial HVAC coil cleaning is the professional removal of dirt, grease, hydrocarbon buildup, corrosion, bacteria, and other contaminants from the heat transfer coils inside commercial heating and cooling systems.
Clean coils allow efficient heat exchange, which reduces energy consumption, restores cooling capacity, and extends equipment life. Dirty coils force your system to work harder, consuming more energy while delivering less comfort.
At CCER, we use a low-pressure, site-specific chemical process with 100% water recapture, not high-pressure washing, which damages fins and doesn't penetrate deep enough to remove the buildup that matters most.
What types of commercial buildings need coil cleaning?
Any commercial building with an HVAC system benefits from regular coil cleaning. CCER serves office buildings, schools and universities, hospitals and medical facilities, apartment and multi-family buildings, stadiums and event venues, manufacturing plants, data centers, and government buildings.
If your building has an air handler, rooftop unit (RTU), or cooling tower, coil cleaning is almost certainly relevant — and likely overdue.
What is the difference between HVAC coil cleaning and duct cleaning?
Duct cleaning removes debris from the air distribution ductwork — the channels that carry conditioned air through your building. HVAC coil cleaning targets the heat transfer surfaces inside the air handling units, rooftop units, and cooling towers — the components where actual heating and cooling occurs. These are fundamentally different tasks.
Colorado Springs Utilities identifies coil cleaning as the #1 maintenance task with an energy benefit across all HVAC systems.
CCER specializes exclusively in commercial coil and heat exchanger cleaning — not duct cleaning. Our focus means deeper expertise and better results on the surfaces that drive your energy bill.
How does dirty coil buildup affect indoor air quality?
Dirty HVAC coils are a breeding ground for bacteria, mold, fungi, and other microbial growth. As air circulates through the system, these contaminants are distributed throughout your building — reducing indoor environmental quality and potentially affecting occupant health.
Buildings with neglected coils often experience increased dust circulation, musty odors, and conditions that aggravate respiratory issues. Regular coil cleaning removes these biological contaminants and restores clean airflow throughout the building.
Energy & ROI
How much energy can commercial HVAC coil cleaning save?
Buildings with dirty coils can use up to 37% more energy than buildings with clean coils. A dirty system's cooling capacity can be reduced by as much as 30%.
After cleaning, most CCER clients see HVAC energy savings of 15–20%. One client — the University of Wyoming — reduced heat use by 79%, chilled water use by 70%, and electrical use by 13% following a full air handler cleaning, taking overall energy consumption from 240 kBTU/sqft/yr down to 115 kBTU/sqft/yr.
In another documented case, CCER calculated that a major commercial client would save 2,054,464 kWh — equivalent to $143,813 in energy costs over one year from a single cleaning.
What is the ROI of commercial HVAC coil cleaning?
CCER's service pays for itself. For every $1 spent on cleaning, clients recover approximately $4.36 in energy savings and that doesn't include reductions in maintenance costs or deferred equipment replacement.
The full ROI equation includes energy savings, fewer "hot calls" and emergency service visits, extended equipment life, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions - a sustainability benefit with real compliance value for LEED-certified and ESG-reporting buildings.
After an initial CCER cleaning, most systems don't require further cleaning for 1-2 years.
What happens if HVAC coils are never cleaned?
Neglected coils lead to a predictable — and expensive — chain of events:
Phase 1: Energy consumption rises as buildup insulates the coils and heat transfer efficiency drops. You're paying more for the same output.
Phase 2: Cooling capacity falls by up to 30%, generating occupant complaints and increasing "hot calls" — service visits that don't solve the root problem.
Phase 3: Increased operating pressure and temperature break down compressor lubricant, causing accelerated mechanical wear.
Phase 4: Compressor or major component failure. Replacement can cost tens of thousands of dollars and leaves your building without cooling for days or weeks.
The cost of deferred coil cleaning almost always exceeds the cost of the cleaning itself often by a factor of 10 or more when equipment replacement is involved.
Does coil cleaning help defer capital equipment replacement?
Yes — this is often the most underappreciated financial benefit of coil cleaning for commercial building owners.
Dirty coils increase operating pressure and temperatures, accelerating wear on compressors, motors, fans, and other mechanical components. By reducing this strain through regular cleaning, building owners routinely extend the operational life of equipment by years — deferring replacement of compressors, full AHU assemblies, or entire HVAC systems.
For large commercial buildings where a single AHU replacement might cost $150,000–$500,000, extending equipment life by even two years represents a return that dwarfs the cost of cleaning many times over.
Our Process
Why shouldn't you use a garden hose or high-pressure washer on HVAC coils?
This is one of the most common and costly mistakes in commercial HVAC maintenance.
High-pressure washing bends and damages the delicate aluminum fins on coils, permanently reducing airflow and heat transfer efficiency. The damage is irreversible without fin repair or coil replacement.
Water alone — even with a garden hose — only cleans the first inch of the coil surface. The bulk of the buildup — hydrocarbon deposits, grease, corrosion, and biological growth — sits deeper in the coil and is not water-soluble. These materials insulate the coil just as effectively as visible dirt.
CCER uses medium-pressure, low-water-volume application of site-specific chemical solutions that penetrate deep into the coil, dissolve and remove hydrocarbon and oxide buildup, and are then fully recaptured — with zero discharge to storm drains.
Does CCER use environmentally safe cleaning chemicals?
Yes. CCER uses site-specific chemical solutions selected for each job based on the type and severity of buildup. Every project uses 100% water recapture nothing is discharged to storm drains. Rinse water is discharged only to sanitary drains or hauled offsite.
CCER's technicians are trained in all aspects of chemical use, recapture, and disposal. Beyond safe disposal, restoring HVAC efficiency eliminates thousands of tons of unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions annually,
a sustainability impact that matters for ESG-reporting organizations and LEED-certified buildings.
How long does commercial HVAC coil cleaning take?
Duration depends on the size and number of HVAC units, the level of buildup, and site accessibility:
- Single RTU (rooftop unit): typically 2–4 hours
- Large air handler unit (AHU): may require a full day or multiple visits
- Cooling tower: typically 4–8 hours for a standard commercial tower
CCER works efficiently to minimize disruption and can schedule cleaning during off-peak hours or weekends.
What is a free energy-saving assessment, and what does it involve?
CCER's free energy-saving assessment takes approximately 15 minutes and involves a visual inspection of your HVAC coils to evaluate buildup level, assess the potential for energy and cost savings, and provide a cleaning cost estimate. There is no obligation.
Following the assessment, you receive a clear picture of your building's current HVAC efficiency, the expected energy savings from cleaning, and the estimated return on investment.
To schedule: call (720) 224-3306 or visit hvaccoilclean.com/free-assessment.
Our Services
What is included in CCER's HVAC coil cleaning service?
CCER provides three core commercial cleaning services:
1. HVAC Evaporator / AHU Coil Cleaning (Air Side) Medium-pressure, low-volume application of site-specific cleaning chemistry with 100% water capture. Benefits include fan energy savings, improved heat transfer, fewer "hot calls," and improved indoor air quality. Typical frequency: every 3–4 years.
2. RTU Coil Cleaning (Evaporator & Condenser) 100% water recapture with chemical cleaning; rinse water discharged to a sanitary drain or hauled offsite — zero storm drain discharge. Benefits include energy savings, restored cooling capacity, and reduced compressor failures. Typical frequency: 1–2 times per year.
3. Cooling Tower Cleaning Both manual cleaning (power washers and shovels) and chemical acid cleaning, with each site evaluated for the most efficient approach. Benefits include restored heat rejection efficiency, prevention of scale and biological growth, and Legionella risk mitigation. Typical frequency: annually minimum.
Scheduled maintenance programs are available for all services.
What is cooling tower cleaning and why is it important?
Cooling towers expel heat from large commercial HVAC systems to the outside environment. Over time, mineral scale, algae, biological growth, and debris accumulate inside the tower and its fill media — reducing heat rejection efficiency and increasing energy consumption.
Beyond energy efficiency, neglected cooling towers can become a source of Legionella bacteria — the cause of Legionnaires' disease. Regular cleaning is both an energy management practice and a health and liability issue for building owners.
CCER offers both manual cleaning and chemical acid cleaning methods, selected based on each site's specific conditions. Most cooling towers should be cleaned at minimum annually; high-use systems benefit from semi-annual cleaning.
Frequency & Timing
How often should commercial HVAC coils be cleaned?
General guidelines by system type:
- Evaporator coils / AHUs (air side): Every 3–4 years for most commercial environments. Heavy-use or high-contamination environments may need more frequent cleaning.
- RTU condenser and evaporator coils: 1–2 times per year. Rooftop units are exposed to outdoor air, pollen, cottonwood, and grease exhaust — they accumulate buildup significantly faster than interior AHUs.
- Cooling towers: Annually at minimum; semi-annually for heavily used systems.
CCER recommends starting a coil-cleaning program when coils are new or freshly cleaned, and maintaining a scheduled frequency from that baseline. Waiting until coils are visibly dirty means you've already been paying the energy penalty for months or years.
When is the best time of year to schedule coil cleaning?
For most commercial buildings in Denver and the Front Range, there are two optimal windows:
Spring (March–May): Ideal for RTU and cooling tower cleaning before peak cooling season. Clean coils entering summer means maximum efficiency during the highest-demand months — when energy savings are largest.
Fall (September–November): Good timing for AHU and heating coil cleaning before heating season. Also aligns with end-of-year budget cycles for building owners looking to deploy deferred maintenance funds before year-end.
CCER accepts assessments and jobs year-round. Winter and early spring are often the fastest scheduling windows.
About CCER
How is CCER different from other HVAC companies in Denver?
Most HVAC companies that offer coil cleaning do so as a secondary service — they primarily install, repair, or maintain HVAC systems, and cleaning is an add-on. CCER is exclusively focused on commercial coil and heat exchanger cleaning.
That focus means deeper expertise, purpose-built equipment, and a cleaning process that delivers verified energy savings, not just a cleaned coil. Unlike companies that use high-pressure washing or water alone, CCER uses site-specific chemical solutions with full water recapture.
Who is Common Cents Energy Recovery, and where are you located?
Common Cents Energy Recovery (CCER) is a Denver-based commercial HVAC coil cleaning company founded by Brad Johnson. Brad discovered the energy-saving impact of proper coil cleaning while working in environmental services consulting and started CCER to bring that expertise to building owners who needed it most.
CCER's clients include major commercial buildings, universities, airports including Denver International Airport, and stadiums across Denver and the Front Range.
Address: 1100 East 73rd Avenue, Unit K, Denver, CO 80229 Phone: (720) 224-3306 Email: bjohnson@exchangerenergy.com Website: hvaccoilclean.com
Where does CCER provide commercial HVAC coil cleaning services?
CCER serves commercial buildings throughout Denver and the Colorado Front Range, including Aurora, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Greeley, Pueblo, Lakewood, Longmont, Englewood, Thornton, Westminster, Arvada, Brighton, Loveland, and Boulder. CCER has also served clients in Wyoming.
To confirm whether your location is within CCER's service area, call (720) 224-3306.
Ready to find out what clean coils could save your building? Schedule your free 15-minute energy assessment — no obligation. Call (720) 224-3306 or visit hvaccoilclean.com/free-assessment.