How Often Do You Need To Clean Your AC Coils?
HOW OFTEN DO YOU NEED TO CLEAN YOUR AC COILS?
AC coils are essential components of any air conditioning system, assisting in the heat exchange process that delivers cool air to your home and keeps you and your family comfortable.
There are two types of coil in an AC system: an evaporator coil that absorbs heat from the air inside your home and a condenser coil outside the home that helps release the heat.
How often you need to clean your AC coils depends on the age of your AC system, how often you use it and the area you live in — but every six months is a good general guideline for most homes.
In Florida, ninety percent of homes use a central air-conditioning system. This means that if something breaks down, it can affect the whole home, with no escape from the heat. So, during the middle of summer, you might want to clean the AC coils even more frequently for extra peace of mind as your AC works overtime.
Either way, keeping the AC coils clean is essential to the healthy functioning of any AC unit and it pays to know a little more about these key components…
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How often do you need to clean your AC coils?
Generally speaking, homeowners should ensure that AC coils are cleaned every 6-12 months as part of a comprehensive AC tune-up. This does, however, depend on the age of your AC system, the environment you live in and how much you use your AC.
With older units that are highly used and exposed to excessive amounts of dirt, dust or moisture, more regular cleans every 3-6 months (at least) will be necessary.
For Florida homeowners, who use their AC daily amid high temperatures for most of the year, the AC coils often work overtime to deliver cool air. This places a heavy load on the system so cleaning your AC coils every 3-6 months can help prevent problems and the need for AC repairs.
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How often should evaporator coils be cleaned?
Remember, the evaporator coils remove heat from the air while the condenser coils release this heat outside. They work together to “exchange heat” and cool the air inside the home. This makes them vital components of any AC system.
Both the evaporator coils and condenser coils are usually cleaned at the same time as part of a comprehensive tune-up. So, ideally, you should clean your evaporator coils every 6-12 months or, in sub-tropical areas or with older systems, every 3-6 months is advisable.
Why is cleaning AC coils so important?
Keeping your AC coils clean will mean:
- A more comfortable home: as part of a regular tune-up, clean AC coils ensure your system keeps cooling your home efficiently and effectively.
- Greater peace of mind that your AC system won’t break down in the middle of summer.
- Less strain on the system, which means less wear and tear, potentially extending the life of your AC system.
- Reduced repair costs: regular maintenance reduces the likelihood of problems that require expensive fixes.
- Lower bills as your system maintains efficiency and is not overworked.
The U.S. Department of Energy has this to say:
“An air conditioner’s filters, coils, and fins require regular maintenance for the unit to function effectively and efficiently throughout its years of service.”
The role of AC coils in air conditioners
Many components must work together to cool your home and keep your family comfortable. If something malfunctions, the whole AC system can be affected, reducing the cooling effect, increasing energy usage and impacting comfort levels.
AC coils that are coated in dust or debris cannot evaporate and move the hot air out of a home effectively. The AC system as a whole will need to work harder to compensate.
Dirty coils are essentially “insulated” from the air, which makes the transfer of heat from the inside to the outside of your home less efficient, which can result in a home that’s too warm and/or increased energy use (i.e., inflated monthly bills).
Frozen evaporator coils or problems with other parts of the AC system may also result, such as an overheated compressor. These problems can accumulate and shorten the overall lifespan of your AC system.
To understand why AC coils should be cleaned at least once a year (preferably 2-3 times), let’s briefly remind ourselves how the coils combine with other components in a healthy AC system.
Insert infographic here. Can we do a version of the below for One Way Air – but use the label “evaporator coils” rather than “cooling coils”…thanks. You can leave out the labels for the temperature sensing bulb, fan axel and expansion valve to keep things very simple,
The AC coils are typically made of copper or aluminum, which have excellent heat transfer properties and durability.
The evaporator coil is usually located on the inside of your air handler (along with the blower motor, air filter and the electrical components) while the condenser coil is outside the home inside the condensing unit.
The evaporator coil is full of evaporated refrigerant. The air conditioner’s compressor pumps this to the metering device as a liquid — and into the evaporator. Warm air is pushed through the coil from the blower fan and moves over the refrigerant-laden AC coil where the evaporator absorbs the heat and cools it. Moisture in the air is condensed into water on the coils (cooling the air). The water then empties into the AC unit’s drain pan and the cool air is circulated back into the room.
The heat absorbed by the evaporator coil is transferred to the outside of the home and released. The refrigerant, in a hot gaseous state, flows through the condenser coil and is expelled to the outside environment. That’s why the outside units in air conditioning systems are hot when working.
During this heat transfer process, the gaseous refrigerant condenses back into a liquid form, which is then pumped back to the evaporator coil to complete the cycle (which then begins again).
Are AC coils cleaned during a regular AC tune-up?
Cleaning AC coils is most convenient (and cost-effective) when part of a comprehensive AC tune-up.
AC tune-ups usually include a full inspection of the AC system by an HVAC professional. This will cover all necessary routine maintenance and cleaning, while anything that needs further attention will be flagged and any potential larger problems identified.
It’s a good idea to book an AC maintenance visit at least twice per year in Florida and some HVAC companies make this easy and affordable with residential maintenance agreements.
If you’re in the SWFL area, you can book a maintenance visit or discuss a residential service agreement with licensed HVAC professionals at One Way Air at 239-233-4356.
How do you clean AC coils?
AC coil fins are quite delicate and can be easily bent out of shape and damaged. They need to be cleaned thoroughly but carefully to maintain optimal AC performance, prevent wear and tear on system components and keep energy bills down.
HVAC professionals clear away any surface debris by hand or with a special fin brush and then apply a commercial cleaner. Then they rinse the coil in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Is AC coil cleaning a DIY job?
Because of the delicate nature of AC coil fins and the need for special brushes and cleaners, it is inadvisable to clean AC coils as a DIY job. Call a professional, who will not only clean the coils but also check the entire system during a routine maintenance visit.
If the outdoor condensing unit is extremely dirty, it won’t hurt to rinse it off with a hose (just switch the AC power off first) to get rid of any major debris. The evaporator coil, on the other hand, is generally much harder to access/clean and usually requires a professional’s skill and experience.
How can you prevent dirty AC coils?
Prevention is better than cure for most AC problems.
Cleaning or changing the air filter in your AC regularly (once a month) will help prevent many problems, including dirty evaporator coils. If the air filter becomes clogged, dirt and dust can start to settle on the evaporator coils instead of the air filter. Dirty air filters can restrict airflow as well as reduce the efficiency of the air conditioning coils.
To prevent the condenser coils from getting dirty, it’s best to maintain a vegetation-free area of at least two feet around the unit so that no unwanted debris makes its way to the coils. Inspect the fins regularly to ensure that no debris has gathered between them.
Covering the outdoor condenser unit of a central air conditioner will protect it from attracting debris. If your unit is near the lawn, make sure that the clippings don’t get blown into the coils after you cut the grass.
If you schedule regular maintenance checkups, you won’t have to worry too much about dirty AC coils because your HVAC professional will inspect and keep them clean during routine visits.
How do you know if your AC coils need cleaning?
If you’re noticing problems with your AC, there are some basic AC troubleshooting steps you can take to investigate.
Problems with dirty AC coils may manifest themselves in the following ways:
- A thick layer of dirt or dust visible on the coils
- The AC is not blowing enough cool air to adequately keep your home cool
- Rising electricity bills (unexplained)
- Frozen AC coils
If you live in Florida, the heat and humidity (coupled with strong winds at times) can be a challenge for AC systems, which need to work hard to cool homes effectively. During times when you use your air conditioning the most (in midsummer), be especially alert for dirt accumulating and affecting your system — environmental factors play a role in how often you need to clean AC coils.
If your AC system is very old, you should also be more observant of potential problems with dirty AC coils and other common air conditioning problems. As well as impacting the monthly electricity bill, older units usually require more frequent maintenance (every 3-4 months) than newer, high-efficiency units.
Book regular maintenance to keep your AC purring…
Most homeowners don’t know where the coils are in air conditioning systems, much less when they were last cleaned.
So, you now know more than most homeowners about AC coils. Clean coils are essential for any AC system but you won’t have to worry too much about this if you schedule regular maintenance with reliable HVAC contractors.
One AC tune-up toward the end of spring and again in the fall will help to keep AC coils clean, maintain efficiency and prevent other issues with cooling your home.
If you’re in Fort Myers or the surrounding areas of SWFL, schedule a tune-up or discuss a maintenance contract with the licensed, experienced and friendly professionals at One Way Air at 239-233-4356.
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