Does Your Indoor Evaporator Coil Need to Be Replaced?
Although it’s out of sight and out of mind, your air conditioner’s evaporator coil is one of your air conditioning system’s most critical components. The evaporator coil – also referred to as an indoor coil – is in charge of the heat exchange process that cools your home in the spring and summer.
The evaporator coil is efficient but can break down over time if it’s not properly maintained and cleaned. If you need your evaporator cleaned, replaced or repaired – you can trust the NATE-certified technicians at Hans Heating and Air, Central Alabama’s trusted HVAC service provider, to get the job done right the first time.
In our latest blog, we discuss the importance of an evaporator coil, what it does and when it might need to be replaced.
How Does an Evaporator Coil Work?
An evaporator coil consists of copper tubes located inside your indoor HVAC system. The tubes hold the cold refrigerant that is used to air condition your home.
You may not realize that the outdoor AC unit – also called the condenser unit – doesn’t actually cool the air. It’s job is to pull warm air from the home back into the outdoor air. If not for the condenser unit, the warm air would have no place to go.
The evaporator coil, meanwhile, works to remove the heat from a home’s air supply. This process happens when the air from the blower fan moves over the evaporator coil, which uses the cold refrigerant to extract the heat and moisture from the home’s air. The warm air is then funneled through piping to the condenser unit outside and released into the outdoor air. The refrigerant is then cooled again, and the process repeats itself.
Where Is an Evaporator Coil Located?
If you need to access the evaporator coil, review your system’s owner’s manual. However, most evaporator coils are located inside or near the air handler, or blower compartment.
Maintaining Your Evaporator Coil
To avoid repairs or premature replacement of your evaporator coil, regular maintenance is crucial. An HVAC technician should clean the coils at least once a year during a tune up. Technicians can clean out dirty evaporator coils and prevent blocks from occurring that can reduce the amount of heat the coils can absorb.
Not maintaining your evaporator coil can cause the entire air conditioner system to underperform, which will lead to increased energy bills.
When to Replace an Evaporator Coil
It’s generally a good idea to replace the indoor coil if you’re also replacing your air conditioner or heat pump. There’s a correlation between the efficiency of your heating or cooling system and the performance of the evaporator coil. Replacing your current indoor coil for a new one may be critical to optimizing the performance, efficiency and savings potential of your new system.
Over time, evaporator coils begin to erode. When this occurs, it can lead to a refrigerant leak, which should be inspected immediately. If this is the case, you’ll likely need to replace the coils or the entire unit, as evaporator coils cost hundreds of dollars.
The federal government requires that you have an air conditioner unit with a seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) rating of at least 14. A SEER is an energy efficient ratio for all HVAC units. If you have a SEER rating below 14, you may need to replace the entire unit and not just the evaporator coil. This is because you can’t match an evaporator coil with a SEER 14 rating with a unit that has a rating of 13 or lower.
Schedule an Air Conditioning Tune Up With Hans
Keep your AC’s evaporator coil operating efficiently with an annual tune up from Hans Heating and Air, Montgomery, Alabama’s, trusted HVAC leader. A tune up will address every aspect of your air conditioning system, including the evaporator coil. We’ll clean the coil of any debris, dust, dirt or hair. Keeping the indoor evaporator coil clean will ensure proper system cooling for your entire home.
Contact Hans for all of your AC needs
Whether you’re in need of air conditioning replacement, repair or maintenance – you can trust the pros at Hans Heating and Air to deliver exceptional service. We take a no-pressure approach to our service. If you’re in need of air conditioning service, we will never pressure you to make these decisions; it’s not how we operate. Give Hans Heating and Air a call today, and find out why we’re Central Alabama’s trusted HVAC leader.