Air Conditioner Coil Maintenance

It’s important to schedule regular maintenance on your air conditioner, which includes AC coil maintenance, to ensure your unit is running at the best of its ability. When your air conditioner coils are dirty your entire unit will run less effectively, it will take longer and cost more to get your home to your desired temperature, and eventually, the entire unit may be compromised.

• Decreased AC efficiency: The primary function of your air conditioner is to absorb heat and humidity from your home and release it outside to ultimately cool your home. The AC coils are a crucial component in this process. When the coils are covered in dust, dirt, debris, or anything else, the unwanted particles form an insulating layer around the coils. This blocks the coils from the surrounding air, which makes the cooling process longer and harder for the air conditioner to perform, resulting in your home staying at an undesired, warm temperature for long periods of time.
• Increased cooling costs: No one wants a high energy bill, but if your AC coils are dirty, it’s likely that it will affect your statement. When coils are dirty, it takes longer to complete the heat transfer process, which means your air conditioner needs to run for longer to get your home to your desired temperature. The longer your air conditioner is on, the higher your energy costs.
• Larger system repairs or replacement: Going too long without having your AC coils professionally cleaned and maintained might result in larger problems with the unit and could eventually force you to replace your system entirely. For example, dust and dirt build-up on your evaporator coil means the refrigerant running through the coil won’t be able to warm up as much as it’s supposed to, which causes the water vapor to freeze instead of becoming a liquid. A frosted over AC coil won’t be able to absorb heat correctly, which could eventually cause the entire unit to break. Other issues that can arise from dirty AC coils and lead to larger system malfunctions are the compressor overheating and leaks forming in the coils.

Like we mentioned earlier, two types of coils live in your unit — the evaporator coil and condenser coil. Each coil plays an important role in cooling your home and keeping it at the temperature you desire.

Your AC coils are fragile parts of your air conditioner that can bend or break with very little force. Plus, they can be hard to access (especially the evaporator coil, which is located inside the home). This means, the majority of coil cleaning and maintenance should be left to a licensed HVAC professional to avoid damaging your unit or hurting yourself.

A licensed HVAC professional will clean your AC coils while performing routine maintenance on your air conditioner. A professional should service your air conditioner twice a year, although once a year is sufficient for certain HVAC systems. While a technician is cleaning your coils, they’ll also perform any coil troubleshooting necessary to determine if your AC coils are causing bigger problems for your unit. If you keep a regular air conditioner maintenance schedule and get your coils cleaned on a consistent basis, your air conditioner should function effectively for many years.