That old timer who said to stop using spin brushes on sealed units was totally right

I was working on a 5 year old LG fridge last month and the compressor was running hot as heck. Some guy at a parts counter told me spin brushes ruin the internal lining on sealed systems but I thought he was being dramatic. Well I kept using them on this job and sure enough I punched a tiny hole in the suction line trying to clean out some debris. Cost me an extra 3 hours and a replacement line set. Anyone else stop using those brushes after a bad experience?

2 comments

2 Comments

simonl861mo agoMost Upvoted

My buddy owns a small HVAC shop and he swore by those things until he punctured a receiver tank on a commercial freezer. Had to comp the whole job out of pocket.

lilychen1mo ago

See it different myself, @simonl86. I've been using spin brushes on sealed systems for over 15 years and never had a leak from one. The problem isn't the brush itself, it's rushing the job. If you go too fast or use too much pressure, sure you can damage something. But if you take your time and let the brush do the work, it's actually safer than scraping with a wire or using chemicals that can eat through the lining. Your buddy probably got unlucky with a tight spot or a weak tank, but that doesn't make the tool bad. Lots of commercial guys I know still use them daily with no issues. Just got to be careful and know your equipment.