Like all household appliances, air conditioning units require some basic annual maintenance and cleaning to help them operate at their peak efficiency and be able to pump clean, cool air into your home. AC unit coil cleaning is one of the most critical parts of air conditioner maintenance and it can help you save energy, increase your system’s efficiency, and extend the overall life of your HVAC unit.
At Maki Heating and Air we not only want to provide you with a certified HVAC repairman to perform the best HVAC repair in Sacramento, but also with the knowledge to understand the reasons behind maintenance and cleaning.
Where are the Coils Located and What is Their Function?
When you are talking about a split system central air conditioning unit, there is usually an indoor unit which is made up of a furnace and evaporator coil and a condenser coil located in an outdoor unit. Both of these coils are important to keep clean for the air conditioning process to run efficiently in your home.
The evaporator coil, which is located in the inside of your home, is sometimes also called the “cooling coil†and can be found on the intake side or on the side of the furnace where the outlet is located. The job of this coil is to remove heat from the indoor air so that the fan can return cool, refreshing air into your home.
In the outdoor unit on the other hand, the condenser coil releases heat that is captured, back to the outside environment. Most condenser and evaporator coils are made of copper tubing which is piped through thin strips of aluminum sometimes called fins. Regardless of their make-up, coils allow airflow to transfer heat energy both into and out of the home.
Why Is It Important to Keep Coils Clean?
Coils are essential to keep clean because the process of cooling your home cannot happen efficiently without them. There are a multitude of benefits to keeping your AC unit maintained and your coils clean, but they all revolve around longer life expectancy of the unit, increased AC system efficiency, and lower energy bills.
The cleaner your coils are, usually the more efficient the HVAC system will operate. Clean coils have the following benefits:
- Decreased operating temperatures – when coils are clean, the system does not have to work so hard, so its internal operating temperature can stay at a normal level.
- Increased cooling efficiency – if coils don’t have to work so hard to do their job, they are able to be more efficient with energy usage.
- Decreased cooling costs – because the system is now running more efficiently, the homeowner typically has lower cooling costs because the AC unit doesn’t have to kick on as often or work as hard to cool down the house.
- Fewer repairs – When components in your AC unit are not being overstressed due to being dirty and overworked, there will likely be fewer repairs needed. This also means there will be less chance of damage to other parts of the unit which increases its life expectancy overall.
- Increased comfort – Because dirty coils reduce the overall energy efficiency and sometimes even increase humidity inside the house, cool coils can get rid of excess humidity and cool the home both faster and easier. This keeps your home much more comfortable.
How Often Should Coils be Cleaned in an AC Unit?
How often you need to clean your air conditioner coils largely depends on how often you change your filter, how often to use your air conditioner, the amount of dirt, allergens, and debris in the area where you live, and the number of people who live in your home.
At the bare minimum, you should have an HVAC professional perform cleaning and maintenance services on your HVAC system at least once a year, usually before the hot summer months when you will be using your AC unit most frequently.
At Maki Electric, Heating, and Air we recommend at least a once a year cleaning and maintenance inspection, depending on the factors listed above. If you live in an especially dusty area, have many people living in the home, or have other environmental factors that increase the dirt and debris in your unit, you may want to opt for semi-annual coil cleaning.
Professional HVAC Maintenance and Cleaning is Cost Efficient
At Maki Heating and Air, we are experts at performing professional, affordable HVAC maintenance, inspections, tuneups, and cleaning. If you schedule regular HVAC unit inspection and cleaning, not only will you avoid more serious repairs, but the life of the unit will be extended. This means cost efficiency increases over the long run and keeps you and your loved ones more comfortable. In addition to saving you money, a cleaner, more efficient system has a positive impact on the planet as your energy consumption is reduced.
HVAC Repair in Sacramento
When you’re looking for HVAC repair in Sacramento, we have an HVAC repairman to meet your needs at Maki Heating and Air Conditioning. If you need coil cleaning or maintenance, we will send a certified and professional HVAC repairman to your home as soon as possible. We pride ourselves on offering the most reliable HVAC repair in Sacramento and the surrounding areas and want to ensure you have the cleanest, most efficient air conditioning unit before the weather heats up.
Contact us now at (530) 885-3449 or (916) 782-9242 to schedule your appointment for inspection, coil cleaning, maintenance, and a wide variety of other services to help keep your home’s air healthy and cool.
