Most of you already know about the importance of keeping your filter clean but you may not know there is another part of your system that can get dirty, like a filter, and restrict airflow. It can cause the same problems a dirty filter does. This part is your air conditioner's evaporator coil.

First, let’s identify what the evaporator coil is and where it's located in your air conditioner. It's located where your furnace is; past the blower motor and heat exchanger. It is hidden behind sheet metal and unless you know what you're looking for, it is easy to miss. HINT: Look for where the copper refrigerant lines enter the metal cabinet of the furnace.

Here’s how it works. A blower fan draws warm air from inside the house and pushes it through the evaporator coil. The refrigerant is circulating through tubes in the evaporator coil and as the warm air from the house passes over the coil, heat and moisture are removed, leaving you with the cold air blowing from the vents in your home. The cold refrigerant moving through the coil evaporates.

In theory, the filter should catch anything that would get caught by the evaporator coil, like dirt, dust, animal hair, or other debris. When we don't change our filters or install the wrong size filter, all that stuff gets by and trapped in the evaporator coil and restricts the airflow, just like a dirty filter.

Here are a couple of common symptoms of a dirty evaporator coil:

• You notice the air conditioner doesn't blow as cold as it used to
• You notice your air conditioner stops blowing cold air
• You notice ice on the copper refrigerant lines
• You notice the air conditioner running more but never getting to the temperature you set on the thermostat

So what can you do? The best solution is always maintenance and maintenance for your evaporator coil means inspecting it to see if it is dirty and then cleaning it if it is. It's not the easiest job to do yourself but if you are handy and want to give it a try, we made a video on our YouTube channel to help walk you through the steps. This video will help explain How To Clean An AC Evaporator Coil, and cleaning your evaporator coil will help your air conditioner cool your home better.

If you don’t feel comfortable inspecting & cleaning your evaporator coil yourself, Any Hour Services would be happy to help.

 

Aug 5th 2020

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