If you have an AC in your home, you must be knowing how important regular servicing and maintenance is. The maintenance exercise looks at so many different things and touches on lots of components amongst the coil.

Coil cleaning is not a technical subject although an expert is better placed to handle it because of its delicate nature. You may be wondering what exactly AC coil cleaning is and why it is important for your system to be inspected and cleaned once in a while.

Demystifying AC Coil Cleaning

Your AC coil is a very important component in your system. By design, there are two types of coils in an AC system: the condenser coil and the evaporator coil. The condenser coil is responsible for expelling heat outside your building while the evaporator coil is in charge of absorbing heat and humidity from your indoor space.

For the coils to function effectively, they require that the services be clean. Whenever the condenser coil is caked with grime and dirt, heat gets trapped and can’t be released effectively. The condenser coil is often a culprit because it is exposed to the outdoor elements including smog and pollution.

On the other hand, the evaporator coil may not function effectively in removing heat and humidity from your indoor space if it gets dirty. Despite its location indoors, the evaporator coil is exposed to the dust in your house especially when the filters are not changed regularly.

The Consequences of Skipped AC Coil Cleaning

If you are not in the habit of regularly doing an inspection on your AC, you could be courting problems in the future. Take the initiative and check the coil if it is in an accessible spot. When the coil is dirty, its ability to cool your space becomes significantly affected. Other consequences of a dirty coil include:

• Higher Energy Bills – This is because your AC system works harder and runs longer in cooling your space.
• More Breakdowns – The fact that the system runs longer and harder, it puts more strain on the system components thereby causing wear and tear.
• Short System Life – If your system is always straining to cool your home, do not expect it to serve you for a much longer period.

How to Tell It’s Time for Coil Cleaning

In case you want to know the exact point when your coil should be cleaned or how much dirt is too much, you have the answer. Your AC coil should be cleaned at least twice a year and it helps if it part of your regular maintenance exercise. Among the factors that affect this frequency of cleaning include:

• The Age of the Equipment – Older equipment is vulnerable to faster accumulation of dirt.
• Your Usage – Depending on the number of hours your equipment is running and the number of people living in your house, you may have to vary the coil cleaning frequency. When there is a higher load, the system accumulates more dirt hence the need for cleaning.
• Location – Most if not all air conditioning units have their outdoor component on the ground where the pollution levels are higher. In case there is construction going on, debris may spew into the air and clog your system coil.

It’s important to get an HVAC professional to do the coil cleaning because the coil fins are sensitive and too much abrasion of force can damage them. There is also the potential of handling dangerous chemicals let alone the risk of electrical shock.