Everything You Need to Know About Evaporator Coils

Air conditioners have many components, but the most crucial of them is the evaporator coil. They can be found in anything that uses cooling or refrigeration, including home and industrial freezers. In this article, we will go over what an evaporator coil does, how it works, some common issues and how to maintain it.

What Does an Evaporator Coil Do?

An evaporator coil is the heart of an appliance’s cooling system. Machines give off heat while operating, so the evaporator coil takes advantage of this by absorbing this heat to evaporate refrigerant.

This results in cooling or freezing, depending on the appliance. You never run out of actual refrigerant because it is trapped within the cooling system, switching from liquid to vapor continuously. This is another process that the evaporator coil facilitates, in tandem with a system’s condensing coils. One coil turns the refrigerant into vapor and the other turns it back into liquid.

What Are Some Common Issues With Evaporator Coils?

Evaporator coils can be pretty hardy and last quite a while when properly maintained. Common issues include buildup of dirt or dust, moisture or the coil freezing. Dirt and dust is an issue because air passes over your evaporator coils in order to cool it. This means that any dust the air is carrying can collect on the evaporator coil, which is especially bad news in desert climates. Moisture is another big problem because it can cause dirt and dust to stick even more, as well as invite the possibility of bacteria and mold building up if the moisture is not properly drained. If the evaporator coil freezes, it can mean that your refrigerant is low, your air filter is clogged or your fan motor may need to be fixed. If your evaporator coil is frozen, it may keep the air conditioning from working at all.

How Do You Properly Maintain Your Evaporator Coil?

The best thing to do is have a licensed technician come in and clean your evaporator coil regularly, approximately once a month in climates prone to dust and debris in the air and approximately once every three months in more average locations.

If you cannot obtain a licensed technician’s services, call your local HVAC specialist for advice on how to clean it yourself. Maintaining and protecting the evaporator coil is an absolute must to keep your air conditioner working for many years to come.

If you need any assistance with your evaporator coils on your Ft. Lauderdale HVAC unit, Call AAA Modern Air today at 954-241-2523, and get the right answers and assistance from the experts.