Air conditioner coils are the heart of an air conditioning system. Air is pulled into these coils, where it cools and is then circulated throughout your house via a central duct system. Although air conditioner coils do not have a simple design, there are four components to every coil: the evaporator, the heat exchanger, the condenser, and the fan. The purpose of each of these components will be explained in detail below.
What is Aircon Coils?
Air conditioner coils are essential to cooling your home. These components are vital for conducting heat transfer between your home and the outside air.
There are two types of coils in an AC system: evaporator and condenser coils. Both are made of copper or aluminum tubing with aluminum fins around them.
1. Evaporator Coils
The evaporator coil is the part of the system that actually cools the air that is blown through your house. Mount the filter rack in the plenum or main duct junction above the furnace. All warm air from your home is sucked up into the evaporator coil through return air ducts and then passed over the coil. The air is cooled as it passes over the coil and then distributed throughout your house through supply ducts.
2. Condenser Coils
The condenser coil works with the compressor to remove heat and humidity from the collected air before sending it back into your home. It is usually located outside on a concrete slab next to your house. The condenser fan draws in outside air across its fins to cool off the refrigerant inside so it can go back into your home as cool air rather than hot gas.
The advantages of regular aircon coil cleaning:
Reduced energy consumption of the air conditioner. A clean coil transfers heat more efficiently, and enables the air conditioner to cool your home at a lower temperature. This reduces your energy consumption by as much as 40 percent.
Reduced maintenance and repair costs, when you clean the aircon coil . By keeping the indoor coil clean, you can extend its lifespan by several years. If a coil is neglected, it will eventually need to be replaced, which is an expensive repair.
Improved indoor air quality. Dirty coils are breeding grounds for dust mites, allergens and molds that get circulated in the home along with the cooled air. Regular cleaning prevents mold growth and improves overall indoor air quality.
In order to maintain the efficiency of your air conditioner and ensure that it lasts a long time, the coils should be cleaned on a regular basis. However, if you see your monthly energy bills going up, but you aren’t using the system any more than usual, it may be due to dirty coils.
The following are some tips on how to clean AC coils:
First of all, turn off the power supply and unplug the unit. Then remove the front panel or grille so that you can access the evaporator coil. To make sure that you don’t damage anything, take pictures of all the connections before disconnecting them so that you can reuse them later.
It is also important that you wear protective gear including safety glasses and gloves so that you do not get hurt by any sharp edges or hot components in the unit.
Using a garden hose and nozzle with a spray pattern set to “shower” spray down both sides of each coil from above. Doing this will wash away any dust or debris that has accumulated on your AC coils. As an alternative, you can also use compressed air to blow dirt out of the coils.
Conclusion
In order to clean AC coils, it is best if they are cleaned by a qualified technician. This is because not only is the work hazardous, but improper cleaning will not yield the expected results, and may even be damaging in the long run. Ask your AC service provider for cleaning help.