Cleaning the coils of your air conditioner is among the best ways to improve cooling efficiency and save on electricity. When the coils of an air conditioning unit are dirty (i.e. when dirt has accumulated on the coils). The coils will become very hot while trying to cool down your house i.e. the coils will not be able to cool down your house satisfactorily. A dirty coil forces your air conditioner to use more power because the coils cannot fully cool the space. Over time, this extra strain reduces cooling performance and can even damage the air conditioner. Best Way to Clean Air Conditioner Coils.
A dirty coil in the air conditioning system causes your air conditioning equipment to work much harder than necessary to produce the required cooling. And will likely cause some level of damage to your air conditioning unit. Regularly cleaning the coils on an air conditioning unit will reduce the need for the unit to work at maximum levels, thus increasing the efficiency and lifespan of the unit.
Types of air conditioner coils
There are two coils in an air conditioner:
- Evaporator Coil (inside the indoor unit)
- Condenser coil (Outside Unit)
Both the coils should be clean for effective cooling to occur. This coil, which is the evaporator, receives the heat from the indoor air, while the condenser coil gives out the heat outside.
The evaporator coil, which is responsible for absorbing indoor air’s heat; and the condenser coil, which expels absorbed indoor air, ultimately causing air cooling for an extended period. In order for your air conditioner to function properly, both coils must be kept free of debris. If you allow dirt to build up on the condenser side of your hvac unit. It will significantly decrease how well the hvac system cools your house.
Does cleaning ac coils really help
Over time, the evaporator coils and condenser coils of an air conditioner can become contaminated with dirt, grease, mildew, dust, and other debris. If these coils become dirty. They will not efficiently transfer heat, making it impossible for your air conditioner to cool your home without using additional energy and lowering its cooling ability. Because of this, the compressor will run longer than normal, leading to increased energy consumption. And a reduction in cooling ability. Keeping your coils clean will allow for proper airflow, help your air conditioner to run more efficiently, and reduce the cost of repairs to your air conditioning system.
How to clean air conditioner coils?
Make sure that you have disconnected power to your HVAC system before you begin cleaning the coils. This will prevent you from getting shocked and damage the unit while cleaning it. Cleaning an air conditioning system while it is running can cause injury.
To clean the unit(s), you should first remove the indoor unit’s front cover to access the evaporator coils, then remove any debris (i.e., dirt, leaves, and dust) collected around the outdoor condenser unit. Then, use a soft brush or vacuum to remove any loose dust from the coils.
After you have remove the dirt, use a coil cleaner (approved by the manufacturer) to coat all coil surfaces, making sure to coat them evenly. The cleaner will help loosen accumulated dirt and grease between the fins. It is also important to follow the manufacturer’s recommended dwell time for the cleaner to work effectively. Finally, give the outside coils a gentle rinse with low-pressure water.
Once you have cleaned the coils, be sure they are fully dry; then re-install the panels and turn them back on to the unit. Once the A/C unit has been started up, ensure that there is a proper airflow, as well as adequate cooling. You should notice increased airflow and improved cooling.
For residential air conditioning units, cleaning the coils once a year usually provides enough maintenance. In dusty areas or hot climates, you should clean the coils more often. If the coils are dirty or difficult to access, a qualified refrigeration technician should handle the cleaning.
Coil cleaners for air conditioners
Cleaning your air conditioning coils is something that must be done periodically to maintain optimum performance. Coils are tubes through which refrigerants pass; as they absorb and transfer heat in the air-conditioned space, they also collect dirt, dust, grease, and other contaminants. Over time, coils lose some of their ability to cool air. Using the correct type of cleaner removes contaminants from the coils and restores their ability to maintain cooler temperatures.
When your AC coils are dirty, they prevent the proper transfer of heat, causing your AC will require greater effort to cool the area that surrounds it and increasing your electric energy bills. In addition, dirty coils threaten to shorten the life of your AC by adding extra stress on the compressor. Coil cleaners will help remove the dirt and contaminants that cause dirty coils so that they can transfer heat out of your home efficiently.
Condenser coil cleaner
A condenser coil cleaner will help to remove accumulated dirt, dust, grease, and debris from the outdoor portion of your air conditioner. A clean condenser coil is important because it enables the air conditioning unit to effectively cool by allowing heat to be dissipated through the condenser coil. Regularly cleaning your air conditioning unit will help maintain its efficiency and lengthen its lifespan.
Outside, your air conditioner’s outdoor unit has exposed condenser coils that have to contend with a variety of environmental contaminants, including dust, sand, leaves, and environmental pollution. As dirt builds up on the condenser coil surface, it decreases airflow through the coil, thereby creating high levels of heat inside the condenser coil, resulting in greater difficulty for the compressor to operate, using more electricity, and decreasing the lifespan of your air conditioning unit. Using a condenser coil cleaner will restore airflow and cooling capacity to normal levels for the air conditioning unit.
Types of Condenser Coil Cleaners
There are two different main styles of products for cleaning condensers today: either a foam or a liquid. Products utilizing foam require that the foam produced actually expand from within the fins of the evaporator coil to help remove dirt and residue that had been built-up over time deep in the evaporator fins.Liquid cleaners have a thinner consistency, so you typically use them for routine maintenance or lightly soiled coils. You can use these cleaners on both aluminum and copper coils when following the instructions.
1. Foaming coil cleaners
Foaming coil cleaning products have become increasingly popular as they offer excellent coverage over a large area due to their ability to expand during application. They also provide excellent penetration into both the coil and the gap between fins and therefore break up and lift off contaminates, such as dust and grease, from surfaces. The foaming capability of these coil cleaners also allows for the loosening of stubborn debris, thus facilitating easy removal through rinsing or wiping.
2. Liquid Coil Cleaners
You can buy liquid coil cleaning products as a pre-mixed solution or as a concentrate that you mix with water before use. Most liquid cleaners are thinner than foam, and you can spray them directly onto the coil surface from a distance. Some liquid cleaners do not require rinsing; they let the AC system remove dirt as air passes through the evaporator coil during normal operation.
