Hot summer days are just around the corner. It’s nothing more comfortable, chilling than step into a cool home. Just like other household devices, however, the build-up of dust, pollen, and other contaminants negatively affect the efficiency of your AC function. Cleaning coil is vitally important to your house’s cooling system in the long run if you definitely don’t want any troubles about AC leaking water or sky-rocket monthly bills etc.
The benefit of cleaning AC coil
Here are 4 good reasons to maintain your AC coil on a daily basis:
- Energy efficiency: You will save energy by using your air conditioning correctly and by maintaining it regularly. The cost will increase after 2 years without regular maintenance. Its efficiency will decrease and more energy will be consumed, unfortunately, you will see your electricity bills increase. So maintain regularly to save energy and your wallet.
- Air quality improvement: By cleaning your device regularly, also consider changing your filters, you maintain good air and fresh air in your home. Indeed, an air conditioner that is not cleaned regularly, will tend to develop bacteria or molds. It is estimated that 95% of air conditioners are heavily soiled. This can be the source of many inconveniences such as allergies or asthma.
- System performance: Carry out regular inspections on your household system and clean it regularly to ensure its proper functioning and optimal performance. Occasionally check for the slightest suspicious noises. There is when nurturing, that you will notice it all. Observe the conditions of use recommended by the manufacturer, this is mandatory.
- Lifespan extension: regularly and correctly clean your air conditioning, you will prolong its life. If necessary, your device should be checked by a professional and this will avoid unpleasant surprises or possible breakdowns. A well-maintained air conditioning can have a lifespan of 12 to 15 years, which is almost 2 or 3 years more than air conditioning neglect by maintenance
Symptoms of a dirty coil
- Bad smell: Nothing is more unpleasant than to smell a bad smell of cooking or of perspiration when you enter a room. Bad odors in a room can come from dirty filters.
- Loud noise: A healthy, well-functioned AC should run smoothly. Occasionally, however, you hear a slight hum when the AC is just on, otherwise, it should operate silently. Lacking proper maintenance, you may notice loud or unpleasant noises in the background, which come from your AC.
- Poor cooling ability: During the hottest days of the year, even though your AC is on, you are still sweaty. Ignorance of cleaning your HVAC unit can affect the cold air coming out of your vents, as there is a build-up of dust over time.
How often should your AC coil be washed?
A visual check is a good basic indicator of when the coil cleaning should be done. Another more technical way to check is to measure the temperature difference between the air entering and the air coming out from the coil. As such, the inspection should be carried out by experienced HVAC professionals.
Besides, MidCity Plumbers recommend scheduling the maintenance before the summer and winter starts to keep your further cost at minimal. By doing so, you ensure your cooling system well-functional and catch any problems prior to it becomes worse.
Ultimate guidance for AC coil cleaning
First of all, turn off your AC. You may need to shut off the circuit breaker for the safest solution. Next, to access the AC coil, remove the screws and loosen the panel. There are numerous techniques you can try. Pick one or combine them to get your AC coil a deeper cleaning:
- Use a brush. An effective way to get your coils free of light dust. Sweep directly on the coils, scrub for tough dirt. A soft brush is also recommended, definitely not a wire material that can cause damage to the fins.
- Use compress air. If there is a small build-up of dirt, you simply use compressed air to remove the dirt out of the coil. Direct the compressed air in the opposite direction of the normal airflow with a consistent pace. Remember to wear safety glasses with side shields to protect your eyes
- Use chemicals. Laundry or dishwasher detergent is good enough. Mix detergent and warm water in a sprayer. Spray the liquid onto the coils. Leave it a few minutes to soak in and loosen the debris. Grab a soft brush or cloth to wipe away. Repeat the process if there is still dirt stick at the coils.
Conclusion
Maintenance AC unit is sometimes a complex task when the problem may not just come from a dirty coil. Now, it is time to consider an inspection from experts. A specialist can go much further than simply removing dust from the filters, such as:
- the waterproofing of your installation;
- the performance of your air conditioner;
- the condensing system;
- the condition of the electrical connections and the battery;
- the pressure and temperatures in the system.
- The proper adjustments indeed
Accredited by Better Business Bureau, MidCity Plumbers promises to take care of your HVAC system so that it remains in superb function at all times.