Ways to Prevent Your AC Coils from Getting Dirty

Throughout the hot summer months, you rely on air conditioning to keep you cool and comfortable in your home. For the unit to do its job as efficiently and effectively as possible, it needs to be kept clean and well maintained. The coils on the air conditioner, in particular, must be kept clear of dust and dirt if it’s going to be reliable and efficient. Read on to learn more about how to keep your AC coils from getting dirty in Fair Oaks, CA.

There are two different coils inside your AC unit: the condenser coil and the evaporator coil. The condenser coil is in the outside unit, and is tasked with releasing the heat that comes out of your home and expelling it outside. The evaporator coil is located in the air handler unit indoors, and is in charge of absorbing the heat and humidity that then gets pushed outside. Refrigerant runs through both of these coils as part of the cooling process.

When those coils get coated in grime and debris, that means there’s some extra insulation that exists between the air blowing over the coils and the refrigerant flowing inside. You don’t want this extra insulation—it results in the heat transfer process being less effective, which defeats the entire purpose of air conditioning. When heat transfer is negatively impacted, you have to expend much more energy to get your home cool. This means the unit runs longer, hotter and with more pressure, which not only means it sucks up more energy, but also that it will see faster wear and tear in its main components.

The most common negative effects of dirty AC coils include:

• Inability to keep your home cool, because the air conditioning unit won’t operate efficiently.
• Significantly higher utility bills each month because of reduced efficiency.
• Greater wear and tear on the system, resulting in unnecessary repairs and shortened lifespan.

Cleaning the system

It doesn’t take a whole lot of dirt and debris for there to be a negative impact on the system—even just a fraction of an inch can result in a major drop in efficiency.

The system can get dirty in a number of ways. If the unit is outside, then it becomes easy for it to be exposed to dirt, foliage and other debris, like leaves or mulch. This can build up in the condenser coil and cause some major issues. Indoors, you can get a buildup of dust and pet hair in the system, particularly if you’re already having issues with a dirty air filter.

The question, then, becomes what you need to do to get the coils cleaned. The frequency with which you clean the coils in your air conditioner will depend on how fast they tend to get dirty. Some need to be cleaned several times a year, while others you can get away with doing just once a year at the beginning of the cooling season. In any case, we recommend you leave the task to a professional.

For more information about how to keep AC coils from getting dirty and why AC coils need to be cleaned in Fair Oaks, CA, contact the team at Cassel Air Conditioning and Heating Service today.

Categorised in: Air Conditioner Maintenance

This post was written by Writer