Your AC Has An Enemy–Do You Know What It Is?
Air conditioners are an essential part of your summer comfort. It is impossible to imagine summers without air conditioners, especially when you live in a such a hot, humid area. Thus, an AC that doesn’t work properly can cause a lot of trouble, which is why you should take proper care of your AC and especially your evaporator coil.
Learning to identify the warning signs is the first step of making sure your AC continues to work efficiently. Addressing and solving the problem is the next step. However, there is one enemy of your AC that most people forget to take care of.
Your AC’s Enemy
Some of the biggest enemies of your AC are dust and debris. Even when you think your home is dust-free, you might just be wrong. Dirt is one of those things that somehow always manages to enter your home. Consequently, it ends up getting sucked into your air conditioner unit.
As you might have guessed, dirt and air conditioners are not a good mix. Dirt, dander, dust, and even mold can really affect the normal functioning of your air conditioner. You may feel a difference in cooling, or your system might struggle to keep the temperature at a decent level. Thus, it is necessary to look at how dirt and dust affects your air conditioner, so you can easily identify when you need to clean your air conditioner.
How Dirt and Dust Affect Your AC
Evaporator Coil
The part of the system that is most affected by dust is your evaporator coil. All air conditioners have an evaporator coil that is usually located in your home’s attic. The evaporator coil contains decompressed refrigerant that was compressed in the outside condensing unit. The function of the evaporator coil is to absorb the heat and moisture from your home’s air as it passes across it. When your coil is coated with dust, it is difficult to carry out its normal function, because the dust actually acts as insulation and inhibits the transfer of heat. As a result, the cooling efficiency is negatively affected.
Air conditioners have a filter that protects the coil from dust. It can be a media filter located with the evaporator coil, or one-inch filters located inside the return air grids in your wall or ceiling. It is important to use filters and change them regularly. They can be ordered and delivered directly to your home with free shipping by visiting our website here: Air Filters.
To sum it up, below are some of the signs that indicate your evaporator coil is getting affected by dirt:
- The air conditioner is not cooling enough.
- The room remains warm even after hours of the air conditioner running.
- The air conditioner is consuming excess electricity and not matching the temperature set on your thermostat.
You may also experience a total breakdown of your AC if the issue is not addressed.
Can I Clean My Evaporator Coil Myself?
It is recommended that you don’t clean your coil yourself. You should instead call the experts at Air National Texas, as we know how to clean a coil properly. Moreover, you can end up damaging the coil.
However, you can regularly change your filters and that can make a significant improvement in your systems efficiency.
An example of a dirty evaporator coil
If an evaporator coil gets too old and rusted, it is time to change it out. If you are looking for AC Repair in Tomball, Conroe, Cypress or surrounding areas of Northwest Houston, you should contact Air National Texas Heating & Air Conditioning. We have the most competent professionals in the area, and our services are unbeatable. You can contact us at 281-251-3143 or by email [email protected] for more info.
