Just like a car needing a maintenance every 3,000 -6,000 miles, depending on the year and the engine size, air conditioning and heating units should have regular maintenance twice a year, and sometimes more often depending age and size of the equipment. An essential part of the maintenance service should be AC coil cleaning. Neglecting cleaning of the coils can cause a significant, negative effect on the home’s comfort level as well as utility consumption.
Generally, the cooling system has a coil located outside the home in the condensing unit and a second coil located in the indoor evaporator unit. Often the indoor coil is referred to as the cooling coil. Its purpose is to absorb heat from the home as the fan moves warm air from the interior of the house through the system. The warm coil is located outside the home in the condenser. This coil is responsible to release the collected heat to the outside.
Dirt buildup on either coil is the primary deterrent to the system’s efficiency and performance. When coils become dirty, a host of problems may develop, including:
Increased Energy Consumption
The buildup of dirt on hinders the ability of the coils to transfer heat, either in the absorption process or the release cycle. When coils cannot transfer heat effectively, the system requires additional energy to make the transfer. According to studies, a dirty coil can cause the unit to consume as much as 40% more energy in order to provide the same amount of cooling.
Lower Cooling Capacity
As coils are unable to transfer heat according to their design, the capacity of the system to provide the needed cooling for the home is decreased. The compressor may run continuously without reaching the set temperature. The drop in capacity may be as much as 30%.
Early System Failure
Continuing to operate the system with dirty coils can cause damage to other internal components. The compressor must operate at increased pressure and the unit itself works at a higher temperature, putting additional stress on the components. As a result, systems may fail years earlier than if they were properly maintained.
Maintenance is the key to operating an HVAC system at highest efficiency as well as extending the life of the air conditioning system. For lower cooling costs and a more comfortable home, schedule maintenance that also includes coil cleaning on an annual basis.
At Hobaica Services regular maintenance is quick and easy and loaded with additional benefits. Our residential maintenance plan will get your system on a worry free maintenance program & is less than $12 a month. You can learn more or enroll on our website Contact Us
