Keeping Your Air Conditioner Coils Clean for better Cooling performance

Keeping Your Air Conditioner Coils Clean for better Cooling performanceOur Kansas City cooling season is long and hot, and your air conditioner works hard to keep you comfortable. Without proper maintenance, your system will operate inefficiently, raising your utility bills and reducing your comfort level. In addition to your annual preventive maintenance, a thorough check and cleaning of your air conditioner coils will keep your A/C running at top efficiency, saving you money and helping to prevent common problems later in the summer.

What are coils?

Each cooling system requires two coils to allow the refrigerant that travels through them to absorb heat and then give off heat. The two air conditioner coils work together to rid your home of heat. The evaporator coil in your indoor unit absorbs heat from your home’s air, through the refrigerant that flows through them and the condenser coil in your outdoor gives off the heat that was “collected” from the indoor coil.

Dirty coils

Over time, dust, dirt and grime build up on your coils and hamper the exchange of heat, making your system work harder to keep you cool. This results in higher energy costs and reduced cooling power, as well as undue wear on your system.

Coil cleaning

Your qualified HVAC technician will clean your coils using one of these methods:

  • Mildly dirty coils will be flushed clean with slightly pressurized water.
  • Dirty coils will be scrubbed with a solution special detergent and then flushed with water.
  • Heavily soiled coils will be sprayed with a foaming coil cleaning agent that sits on the coil for a period of time before being rinsed clean.

Your technician also will clean your condensate drain connection and tubing, the drain pan can be inspected at this time. The drain pan sits beneath the evaporator coil to catch condensation. This inspection and cleaning process is important. If neglected, mold and other biological contaminants can grow easily in this moist environment, eroding your indoor air quality and causing condensate drain clogs.

Keeping the coils clean

You can help maintain your clean coils by performing three easy monthly tasks:

  • Check your air filter and replace it when you can no longer see through it.
  • Vacuum around your indoor unit to remove dust that can enter your system.
  • Spray down your outdoor unit to remove dirt and debris trapped in the fins.

For more expert advice about cleaning your air conditioner coils, please contact us at Overland Park Heating & Cooling, proudly serving the Kansas City area since 1983.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Overland Park, Kansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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