Cleaner A/C Coils Equal a Longer Life, Better Performance for Your System

Cleaner A/C Coils Equal a Longer Life, Better Performance for Your System

Aug 15, 2013
outside-of-home

Orlando’s cooling season is long and hot, and your air conditioner works nonstop to keep your home comfortable. To increase your system’s efficiency, lower your cooling costs and help prevent common air conditioning problems later in the summer, schedule a preventive tune-up by a qualified HVAC technician. While you’re at it, ask about having your coils cleaned.

Two coils
Your A/C coils work together to remove the heat from your home.

  • The evaporator coil indoors absorbs heat from your home’s air.
  • The condenser coil outdoors sends the heat outside.

Dirty coils hamper heat exchange, lowering your system’s cooling power and making it work overtime to keep you cool, which raises your energy costs and results in undue wear on your system. A thorough coil cleaning ensures the optimum exchange of heat for optimum comfort this summer.

Coil cleaning
Your technician will clean your coils one of three ways, depending on the amount of dirt and grime that has built up on them:

  • Dusty coils will be cleaned with low-pressure compressed air.
  • Dirty coils will be scrubbed with a solution of detergent and water.
  • Grimy coils will be treated with a foaming solution that is sprayed on and left to work for a period of time before being rinsed off.

Your coil cleaning service call will include cleaning the condensate pan, which lies beneath the evaporator coil and catches condensation. The moisture in the pan promotes the growth of mold and other biological contaminants. Cleaning the pan helps ensure good indoor air quality and helps prevent clogs that can cause the pan to overflow and shut down your system.

Preventing dirty coils
Once your coils are clean, you can help them stay that way with two simple monthly tasks:

  • Vacuum the space around your indoor unit to prevent dirt and dust from building up on your coils.
  • Spray down your outdoor condensing unit with a hose to remove dirt and debris from the fins.

For more expert advice about cleaning and maintaining your A/C coils, please feel free to contact us at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions, proudly serving Orlando residents since 1969.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas 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.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock