As the main cooling components in your cooling system, your A/C coils must be in top condition for your air conditioner to perform effectively and efficiently. With the heavy load the Lorain area’s hot, humid summers place on your system, keeping your coils in shape requires conscientious air conditioner maintenance.
What Your Coils Do
The evaporator coil is an A-shaped set of aluminum coils inside your indoor unit. The cold refrigerant that passes through this coil allows it to absorb heat and remove humidity from the air. The condenser coil, located in your outdoor unit, releases the heat absorbed from your home into the outdoor air.
Why Clean Coils Matter
Over time, the evaporator coil picks up dust, pollen, pet hair and other airborne debris. Even a thin layer of debris insulates the coil enough to interfere with its ability to absorb heat, decreasing its efficiency. This debris also places potentially damaging pressure on the compressor.
The dirt, twigs, grass clippings, dry leaves and other debris that accumulate on the outdoor unit interfere with airflow. That makes it harder for the unit to release hot air efficiently.
Severely dirty coils can cut your air conditioner’s efficiency by as much as 30 percent. Dirty A/C coils cause problems such as:
- Unusually high energy bills
- Insufficient cooling
- Poor dehumidification
- Frequent frost buildup on the coils
Keeping Your Coils Clean
Every three or four months during the cooling season, check the indoor coil for dust. Remove any dust or dirt you find with a soft-bristle brush. For thicker layers of buildup, foaming coil cleaner spray is an option. To prevent damage to the coil, a heavy layer of stuck-on debris or corrosion should be addressed by a professional.
To maintain the outdoor unit, periodically remove debris from the aluminum fins with a stiff brush and, at least once each cooling season, hose down the fins from the inside of the unit outward.
For help getting the A/C coils clean or maintaining any other part of your cooling or heating system, please contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning anywhere around Lorain, Elyria or Oberlin.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about A/C coils and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Christian-Delbert/Shutterstock”
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area