Keeping your air conditioner functioning well is a matter of careful attention and thorough, regular maintenance. One particular maintenance need is to keep the heat transfer coils clean and free from dust and debris that can accumulate on them over time. While a little bit of dust is perfectly normal and your air conditioner can still work with it being there, it’s still a good idea to make sure the dust is cleaned off every six months to a year. Let’s take a closer look at why this is important as well as how to clean your coils.
Why Coils Need to Be Cleaned
Your air conditioner has many different parts, but perhaps none has as important of a role in keeping your home cool as your coils. Coils that are dirty and dusty become less effective at transferring heat, which means they can’t draw the heat away from your home and replace it with cool, conditioned air as effectively. As a result, your system needs to run longer in order to cool your home, which wastes energy and places a lot of additional wear and tear on your system, both of which can lead to a lot of wasted money.
Dirty coils also lead to all sorts of issues with your system, including increasing your risk of your air conditioner freezing during heavy usage hours in the middle of summer, funny smells, mold growth, and much more. With all of this potentially being an issue, it’s no wonder that Orlando air conditioning professionals strongly recommend cleaning your coils fairly regularly. This is particularly true for older, more worn air conditioning systems, which tend to collect dirt and dust faster than newer units, prompting a need for more frequent cleanings.
How to Clean Your Coils
Your system actually has two different sets of coils: your evaporator coils, which are located in your indoor unit, and your condenser coils in the outdoor unit. Keeping them clean actually doesn’t have to be that difficult, and can be done with simple tools, a little knowledge, and a couple hours of work.
For your evaporator coils (indoor) make sure the electricity to your unit is shut off completely then open the front panel on your system. Locate the coils and use a wire brush to scrub the dirt and dust off of them until they’re clean and free from the layers of dark, muck-filled debris on them. This may be a fairly tedious process, so have some patience as doing a thorough job with it can really pay off later.
For your condenser coils outside, you actually have an even better option: a garden hose. Once again, make sure the energy to your outdoor unit has been completely shut off, and then remove the top from your coil housing using the right wrenches and set it aside. Then take a garden hose and spray down the inside of your unit to remove much of the dirt and dust from your coils straight away. Use a brush to scrub off any stubborn spots that refuse to give way. Once your coils have been cleaned, replace the lid, ensure your fan is spinning freely, replace the top, tighten it down adequately, and then turn the electricity back on. Your air conditioner should start running smoothly and more efficiently again almost immediately.
Condenser coil cleaning is a service that’s usually included in a maintenance tune-up that our highly-trained and certified technicians can provide you with. Schedule your appointment today by calling Del-Air Heating and Air Conditioning at 888-831-2665!
