The method of using AC coil cleaner to get scum, algae, barnacles, and debris off pontoon tubes to restore them to their former glory is often discussed in pontoon forums, with differing opinions often being shared.

I decided to do as much research into the subject as possible to come up with not just the answer on “how to clean pontoons with AC coil cleaner”, but to also find out if it’s safe to use with any pros and cons to doing so; for example, does it work, and will it harm or damage your pontoon tubes?

Does AC Coil Cleaner Work?

Yes, it does.

It works very well as a pontoon cleaner, and it’s very, very cheap. 

But… and there are some very BIG BUTS, would I do it?

No, I wouldn’t.

I will come onto those reasons later down this guide, but first how do you clean pontoons with AC coil cleaner?

How to Clean Pontoons with AC Coil Cleaner

You need to be very careful with it as it is VERY STRONG. Some AC coil cleaners can be very corrosive to aluminum, which is the main reason I am not going to recommend you use it.

But if you do want to try it, here’s a very rough guide on how to do so.

  1. Test it on an inconspicuous area first to test it works.
  2. If happy with the result, spray it on evenly up and down the pontoons.
  3. Then using a brush to spread it around all over the pontoon tubes.
  4. After a minute or two, use a pressure washer to clean the cleaner all off.

When spraying the AC coil cleaner make sure that you are down wind, as you don’t want anywhere near you. When using the pressure washer, be careful not to get any splashback on you as it could burn. You should definitely wear protective goggles at the very least.

If you do not do it correctly it will show every run mark from the acid.

With just one coat it should make a massive difference on the first pass. Even with pontoons that have been sat in water for 5 years, this will work really well. After the first application you could get them 90% clean. You can always go over them again if you still have problem black spots or grime.

coil cleaner pontoon results

You could get results like this when using AC coil cleaner, but are the risks worth it?

And finally, if you do decide to use AC cleaner to clean your pontoon boat, once you start you are committed to finishing. That’s because if you do decide to stop and don’t like the results you are seeing, you’re going to get two very different finishes showing.

So, if you do decide to go down this route, test the AC coil cleaner out on an inconspicuous area of your pontoons first to see what results you get, before moving onto the other visible parts of your tubes.

Will AC Coil Cleaner Damage a Pontoon Boat?

There are different strengths of AC coil cleaner, so not knowing which you are going to use it’s hard to say if you will get a lot of damage, but it wouldn’t be a risk I would be prepared to take.

As an example, condenser coil cleaner is the really powerful stuff that I certainly avoid. The evaporator coil cleaners aren’t nearly as strong, but even so, it’s still not for me.

The reason is because the majority of AC coil cleaners you can buy are very, very harmful acids that can etch and scratch into aluminum.

Will Ruin Anodized Elements on Your Pontoon

So, despite being an effective pontoon cleaner, AC coil cleaner will ruin anodized parts on a boat. It will etch them and create a speckled white effect.

But what anodized parts are there on pontoons boats you might ask?

Some pontoon railings are anodized, and AC coil cleaner will also wreck trim pieces which are anodized.

Also, you know when the aluminum tubes go dark?

This is corrosion, and the dark color is aluminum oxide. It’s not harmful to the metals, but it doesn’t look great, and not many boat owners like their pontoons to look like this.

If you then use an acid cleaner, such as AC coil cleaner on the pontoons what you are doing is removing that layer, only for it to corrode again.

Can Damage Your Galvanized Trailer

If like many boat owners, you clean your pontoon when it’s out of the water, and sat on a trailer, then AC coil cleaner could give you even more problems than just harm to the boat.

It will also damage your galvanized trailer too, so you would need to be very careful, spraying and applying as directly and as on target as you possibly can.

Can Take Paint Off Your Motor

During my research I spoke to a guy who had used the spray and pressure washer method. He has promised never to use AC coil cleaner on his pontoon boat again, as the acid hit the outboard motor.

It ended taking the paint off of his black Mercury, costing him even more money, and giving him a further headache, he wasn’t anticipating when first trying this method out.

You can see an exact quote from him further down the page in the comments section.

Is There a Better Way?

Plenty actually, and whilst they might not be as immediately effective, and could take more work, the risk of damage and harm is far less, so the positives outweigh the negatives to using AC coil cleaner in my opinion.

A method that I have used time and time again is using “The Works” toilet cleaner. You can read more about this method by clicking my guide to cleaning pontoons with toilet cleaner.

Another cleaning method that came up frequently when I discussed using AC coil cleaner with other pontooners was to use Star Brite aluminum brightener.

It costs around 20 bucks for a gallon and even has a picture of a pontoon boat on the front of the bottle. Lots of people have recommended it.

It’s certainly a safer method, and at $20 dollars is a no-brainer really given the risks you could encounter with acid.

Firstly, you should pressure wash down the pontoons, then go get the Star Brite from the Amazon website and spray it one with a cheap garden sprayer. Depending on how bad the scum is, you might want to scrub them too.

Once that’s done, use a pressure washer to clean it off. The pressure washer that I use is called a Sun Joe on Amazon. It’s cheaper than a Karcher and works just as well.

What Other Pontooners Say

As part of my research into cleaning pontoon tubes with AC coil cleaner, I also asked around on some pontoon boat Facebook groups I am in, and here’s a selection of the best comments I received back.

“I used the pink AC coil cleaner on mine. It works amazing. It will leave the aluminum kind of white afterwards, but it will be super clean with not much effort. I poured it in a pump sprayer and then sprayed it on the toons. Let it sit for a minute or two then just rinsed it off with the hose.”

“AC coil cleaner works but it will really mess up anything anodized on your pontoon boat. If your boat is an old wreck, then go for it. It works and it’s cheap. If not don’t put AC coil cleaner anywhere near it. Toon bright works good for me.”

“We own a 1994 Bandit pontoon that has been in water since new then set dry for about 3 weeks. The problem I am having is removing the hard grime and decay on the pontoon tubes. I have tried straight acid and AC coil cleaner, but still with no results. It took the water line off, but the bottom still feels like grade one sandpaper.”

“I used Nu-Calgon coil cleaner and it destroyed the trim on my Bennington pontoon boat. I had to pull it all off and buy replacements parts, de-anodize it and polish it.”

“I am an AC tech so have used it a lot. Don’t power wash with, but instead use a sponge with caustic-proof gloves on. Then rinse with a lot of water using a hose without a nozzle or a nozzle with flood setting. You don’t want the spray to hit anything else, it took the paint off of my motor.”

“I would maybe use AC coil cleaner on an older pontoon boat, as it can do a great job cleaning, but no better than using a specialized aluminum brightener that does not destroy the anodized parts.”

Conclusion 

I hope my research has answered your question about how to clean pontoons with AC coil cleaner, and also cleared up any other questions you might have regarding problems, harm, and possible damage.

It’s not a method that I would use, based on all of the comments and real-world feedback I have received from the pontooning world.

Whilst it will work, and it does genuinely do a very good job, the problems it can create actually outweigh the positives.

Considering that there are other products on the market that you can use that will do a reasonable job too, with no nasty side effects, it might not be worth the risk.