Summertime in the Twin Cities metro area can get hot and muggy, and your air conditioner works hard 24/7 to keep you comfortable. If you haven’t scheduled your annual air conditioning maintenance yet, there’s still time to get the benefits of a comprehensive tune-up:
- Higher system efficiency
- Lower utility bills.
- Reduced chances of a midsummer breakdown
- Extended operating life for your system
When you schedule your tune-up, ask your technician about cleaning your air conditioning coils to further increase your system’s efficiency and cooling power.
Two coils
There are two sets of refrigerant coils in air conditioner systems. The evaporator coil is inside the indoor unit and absorbs the heat in your home’s air. The condensing coil is inside the outdoor unit and expels the heat outdoors. The principle of refrigeration is used throughout the process. Dirty coils interfere with refrigerant heat exchange, and your air conditioner must work harder to compensate, resulting in unnecessary wear on your system and reducing your comfort at a higher price.
Coil cleaning
Your qualified HVAC technician will clean your coils using one of three methods, dictated by the amount of dirt and grime that has accumulated on your coils.
- Dusty coils can be blown clean with low-pressure, compressed air.
- Dirty coils are scrubbed with a solution of detergent and water.
- Heavily-soiled coils require a foaming coil cleaner, which is sprayed on the coils and allowed to work for a few minutes before being rinsed clean. If your coils are particularly gunky, it may take several applications to remove the buildup. Opt for biodegradable foaming solutions whenever possible to protect the water supply.
Preventing dirty coils
Once your A/C coils are sparkling clean, you can help keep them that way:
- Vacuum the area around your indoor unit regularly to prevent dust from entering your system and building up on your coils.
- Attach a sprayer to your hose and spray down your outdoor unit each month to remove dirt and debris from the fins.
Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning has been dedicated to the air quality of Twin Cities residents since 1974. For more expert advice about cleaning the coils in air conditioner systems, please feel free to contact us.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air conditioners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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