The long Yuma cooling season can take a toll on your air conditioner. Annual preventive maintenance is good insurance against common air conditioning problems, and will increase your system’s efficiency to lower the energy costs associated with cooling your home. When you schedule your tuneup, ask your technician about cleaning the A/C coils to further increase your system’s efficiency and your comfort.
What are A/C coils?
Your air conditioner has two coils that work together to cool your home. The evaporator coil is in the indoor unit and absorbs heat from your home’s air. The condenser coil is in the outdoor unit and releases the heat into the outside air. When dirt and grime build up on your coils, the absorption and transfer of heat is inhibited and your system won’t cool as effectively as it should.
How are coils cleaned?
Your qualified HVAC technician will use one of three methods to clean your coils.
- Dusty coils are blown clean with low-pressure compressed air.
- Lightly soiled coils are scrubbed with detergent and water.
- Heavily soiled coils are cleaned with a foaming chemical coil cleaner that sits on the coils for a period of time before being rinsed off. It may take more than one application to clean your coils if they’re particularly grimy.
Cleaning the condensate pan
Beneath your evaporator coil is a pan that catches condensation resulting from air blowing across the cold coil. As part of your coil cleaning, the condensate pan will be cleaned to prevent obstructions from forming in the PVC drain pipe, which may result in overflow and shut down your system.
How can I keep the A/C coils clean?
The best defense against dirty coils is keeping your system clean. Vacuum regularly around your indoor unit and spray down your outdoor unit with a hose each month to remove dirt, dust and grime that can enter the system and adhere to the coils.
Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company is dedicated to the year-round comfort of Yuma area residents. For more expert advice about coil cleaning and the importance of clean A/C coils, please feel free to contact us.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about cleaning A/C coils and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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