There are two types of coils inside your air conditioner, the evaporator coil and the condenser coil, which work together to transfer heat from the inside of your home to the outside and cool your house. Both are vital to the functioning of your AC unit, and a dirty AC coil can cause a lot of issues by interfering with this process. In fact, a dirty AC coil is one of the most common heating & air conditioning problems that you can run into.
The Cost of a Dirty AC Coil
One of the biggest reasons to keep an eye on how clean your coils are — and to have them checked out by an HVAC professional regularly — is that a dirty AC coil can cost you a lot of money. When your AC unit is not functioning at full health, your energy costs will go up. A dirty AC coil can force your HVAC system to work harder in order to reach or maintain the target temperature, and it will do this by using more and more energy. Over time, this can really add up!
Not only is increased energy usage a big financial cost over time, but it can also affect your home energy efficiency rating pretty substantially. Depending on where you live and whether you are trying to sell your house, this can be a major issue. Some people receive tax breaks and other incentives determined by their home energy efficiency rating. So, losing out on those benefits thanks to a dirty AC coil would be a real shame. Similarly, your efficiency rating can affect your ability to sell a home as well as the pricing of such a sale.
Long Term Damage & Functionality
The biggest reason to check for a dirty AC coil, though, is that dirty coils can start to damage the rest of the unit over time. As your HVAC system works harder to compensate for a dirty AC coil, parts will wear out more quickly. So, you might find yourself needing air conditioner servicing more frequently, or — even worse — you might end up needing to replace parts or the whole unit if it gets bad enough. In fact, if your AC unit cannot keep up and airflow is reduced, your evaporator coil might freeze over, which can lead to compressor failure.
Beyond all this, low airflow can also increase the likelihood of mold spores and mildew growing inside your HVAC system, and spreading throughout your home. These problems can be annoying to deal with for anyone, but they can be downright dangerous if you suffer from asthma, allergies, or a respiratory condition. Plus, low airflow will increase the time it takes for your home to cool, and can also cause uneven cooling throughout the house. All that because of a dirty AC coil.
For all these reasons, it is important to have your AC checked by HVAC professionals regularly. Since dirty AC coils are so common, just about everyone needs an AC coil cleaning at some point in the life of your AC unit. It is recommended that you have your unit checked and cleaned at least once a year to make sure you do not have dirty AC coils.
Find Out More About Air Conditioner Maintenance
For more information on air conditioner maintenance, including contending with dirty AC coils, connect with our St. Louis heating & air conditioning professionals, today!
