Packaged rooftop units do the heavy lifting for most commercial buildings, and they sit exposed to everything the sky throws at them. We clean the whole unit on the curb, restore economizer control and coil capacity, and document it.
A rooftop unit (RTU) is a complete HVAC system in one weatherproof cabinet — outside-air and return dampers, filters, an evaporator (DX) coil, a condenser coil, a supply blower and a condensate pan, all sitting on the roof. Because it breathes rooftop air all day, it pulls in pollen, dust, exhaust, roofing grit, and storm and wildfire debris faster than any indoor unit.
That exposure shows up as stuck economizer dampers that stop free cooling, a matted evaporator coil that starves airflow, and a condenser coil packed with cottonwood and grit that drives head pressure and energy use up. Left alone, an RTU quietly loses capacity and starts tripping on hot afternoons — usually the ones when the building is full.
IAQ Restoration cleans commercial RTUs in place, to the NADCA ACR Standard — restoring the dampers, coils, blower and drainage that let the unit hit its design numbers again, with before/after documentation for your files.
Sun, rain, pollen, exhaust, roof grit, storm debris and wildfire smoke all land on the same unit that conditions your air — which is why RTUs need cleaning on a shorter cycle than protected indoor equipment.
Every functional section of the rooftop unit, from the outside-air hood to the drain — inspected, cleaned and documented on the roof.
We free and clean OA/return dampers, linkages and actuators so the economizer delivers the free cooling it was specified to.
The indoor coil is wet-washed face and depth to clear the matted layer that starves airflow and freezes coils.
Cottonwood, pollen and roof grit are removed from the outdoor coil to drop head pressure and cut compressor energy.
The blower wheel and motor compartment are cleaned to recover the CFM a dust-loaded wheel quietly gives up.
We clean filter tracks and seal bypass so rooftop grit stops sliding past the media into the ductwork.
The pan and drain are cleaned, flushed and slope-verified, so summer condensate leaves the roof instead of the ceiling.
Clean condenser and evaporator coils drop head pressure and run time — the fastest efficiency win on the roof.
Cleared coils and blower recover the tonnage and airflow the unit loses to fouling, so it holds setpoint on peak days.
Free cooling only happens if the dampers move. Cleaning restores the control that cuts mechanical cooling hours.
High head pressure and frozen coils are what kill compressors. Cleaning removes the cause before it becomes a service call.
A documented, on-the-roof process that follows the NADCA ACR Standard from lockout to closeout.
We coordinate roof access and lifts, lock out the unit, and stage containment and collection on the curb.
Dampers, coils, blower and pan are inspected and photographed, with coil condition recorded before work begins.
Condenser and evaporator coils are wet-washed; dampers, actuators and the outside-air hood are cleaned and freed.
The blower, filter section and condensate pan and drain are cleaned, flushed and verified for airflow and drainage.
EPA-registered antimicrobial is applied where mold or biofilm is present in the pan or on wetted surfaces.
Cleanliness is confirmed to the ACR Standard and handed over as a photo-documented closeout package.
From one RTU on a strip center to a hundred across a retail portfolio, we clean them to one standard and one report format.
We record coil condition and airflow so the result is a documented performance restoration, not just a wash-down.
Every roof gets a photo-documented, ACR-verified closeout — ready for ownership, property management and audit files.
On the roof, out of sight — until the symptoms reach the space below.
A clean rooftop unit feeding fouled downstream equipment won’t hold performance. Explore the connected components — or the commercial air duct cleaning pillar.
Because RTUs sit exposed on the roof, they foul faster than indoor equipment. NADCA and ASHRAE guidance is inspection-based — assess at least annually — and most rooftop units benefit from coil and unit cleaning every one to two years, sooner in high-pollen, coastal, industrial or wildfire-smoke areas, or after roof work or storms.
We clean rooftop units in place on the curb. Coils are wet-washed, dampers and blowers are cleaned through the access panels, and the condensate system is flushed — no removal required for a standard cleaning.
Usually, yes. A fouled condenser coil raises head pressure and a matted evaporator coil restricts airflow, both of which force longer run times. Restoring clean coils typically reduces compressor energy and prevents peak-day capacity loss.
Yes. IAQ Restoration standardizes scope, pricing and reporting across an entire portfolio, with NADCA-certified crews mobilizing nationwide. Call 800-883-6040 to scope your fleet.
NADCA-certified RTU cleaning, verified to the ACR Standard and documented for every unit on the roof. Send us your site list or book a roof walk — we’ll scope it free.
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