The Role of an Evaporator Coil in Your AC

Air conditioners don’t really create cold air in the way a furnace creates heat. They use a coolant in the form of refrigerant to absorb heat from the air, which is then carried outdoors and released. The refrigerant continuously circulates to remove heat from your home until your desired indoor air temperature is achieved which is fantastic in your Bar Area business, agency, or home. Evaporator and condenser coils are responsible for this.

Purpose of Evaporator Coil

Evaporator coil or evaporator core is that part of the air conditioning system which absorbs heat. This is where cold air comes in. Evaporator coil is located near the air handler next to the blower fan. It can be made of steel, copper, and aluminum since they conduct heat easily.

Most air conditioners have the evaporator coil bent in a U-shape to easily fit into panels. They are positioned in the A form and lined with thin metal pieces called fins. These are responsible for bringing passing air closer to the coils to be effectively cooled. The compressor pulls in cold and low-pressure refrigerant in the evaporator coil through the tubing.

The refrigerant passes through the expansion valve before entering the evaporator coil. This valve helps in relieving pressure from the refrigerant and allows it to cool rapidly. The cold liquid refrigerant absorbs heat from the air. The blower fan draws the room air over evaporator coil as the refrigerant flows. The refrigerant absorbs heat from room air and warms up.

Caring for the Evaporator Coil

Evaporator coil needs to be kept clean to be able to perform as intended and achieve optimal energy efficiency because of the way they operate. Dirty evaporator coils can experience several problems. This includes:

• Higher energy use
• Impaired cooling capacity and heat absorption
• Frost and ice buildup
• Higher pressure and temperature

Efficiency is reduced even if there is a fine layer of dust on the evaporator coil. The dust acts as an insulator that doesn’t allow the evaporator coil to do its job properly. Dust keeps heat in and the air away from the coils. Your air conditioning system will have to work longer to achieve the indoor temperature you want. This will mean using more energy.

Refrigerant running through a dirty evaporator coil doesn’t heat up as much as it should since it is not able absorb enough heat. This causes water vapors in the air to freeze rather than condense. Eventually, the entire evaporator coil may frost over. It is never normal to have frost on the evaporator coil.

Allowing a system to run with a frozen evaporator may cause the temperature in the compressor to rise, which may eventually lead to the component failing. Debris on the outdoor condenser unit, dust on the evaporator coil, dirty air filter, or refrigerant leak may cause the evaporator to freeze. It’s pivotal that you get in touch with a committed air conditioning technician.

Evaporator coils may develop tiny pinhole leaks because of corrosion caused by the mixing of chemicals in household air and the moisture from condensation. You may need to repair or replace the coil if there is oily residue in the drain pan or around the evaporator. Air borne chemicals can be from new carpeting, air fresheners, pressed wood furniture, and other cleaning chemicals.