Why and How Should You Clean an Evaporator Coil?

The evaporator coil holds the chilled refrigerant inside of your HVAC system and is responsible for cooling the air in your Holiday Lakes, Texas, home. A dirty evaporator coil affects the efficiency of the system, shooting up the energy cost and reducing the equipment’s lifespan. Depending upon the level of dust accumulated on the coil, you can clean it using a soft brush, compressed air, commercial cleaners, or mild detergents.

Why Should You Clean the Evaporator Coil?

An evaporator coil captures the heat from the air and passes it into the condenser coil for transfer to the external environment. As the air circulating over the evaporator coil gets cooler, the moisture in the air condenses on the coil. Due to this, the evaporator coil is usually damp and prone to attracting the dust from the air flowing across it.

The layers of dirt and condensation gathered on the evaporator coil insulate it and reduce its heat absorption capacity. The dirt may also contain various chemicals and VOCs, which may combine with the moisture and produce acids. The acids can corrode the evaporator coil and cause refrigerant leakage, which in turn could cause your AC to freeze.

Regularly cleaning the evaporator coil increases the operational efficiency, slows down the wear and tear process, and prevents system malfunctions.

How to Clean the Evaporator Coil

Based on how much dirt your evaporator coil gathers, It may need to be cleaned annually, every three months, or even monthly. To begin cleaning, the switch to the HVAC system is turned off at the main breaker, and the access panel is opened. There are a few ways to clean the coil. Usually a brush will wipe off minor accumulations of dust.

For accumulations that are harder to remove, a commercial cleaner or a mild detergent, mixed in warm water can be used. We don’t recommend that homeowners clean their coil. It should be left to a technician trained in heating and cooling systems.

Regular HVAC maintenance can protect the evaporator coil from wear and leakage. Contact our experts at Davis Air Conditioning and Heating for professional cleaning and maintenance. Call us now at 888-929-0049.

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