Importance of Cleaning the AC ‘s Condenser Coil
The Importance of Cleaning the AC Unit’s Outdoor Coil
Your air conditioner is a somewhat complex machine with many components that work together to keep your home cool. If there’s an issue with any single part, it can drag down the system as a whole. That’s why cleaning and maintaining your air conditioner is so important. To get the best performance out of your AC unit, it is also important to regularly clean the outdoor condenser coil.
What the Outdoor Unit Does
To understand the importance of the condenser coil, it helps to know how your air conditioner works. Your air conditioner moves heat out of your home and replaces it with cool air. Hot air flows over the indoor (evaporator) coils, where the refrigerant absorbs that heat, causing it to evaporate. Special conduits then carry that gas to the outdoor unit, where a special pump called a compressor forces the gas, under high pressure, to return to liquid form. The extra heat that is created in this process is passed outdoors via the condenser coils. As a result, the gas cools and changes back to a liquid state. The refrigerant releases that stored heat outside the home, leaving the cooler air for indoors. This cycle repeats continuously in order to keep your home cool.
How Cleaning Helps
Because the whole purpose of the outdoor unit is to release heat outside your home, having good air flow is essential. The better the air flow, the more efficiently the air conditioner can get rid of that stored heat, improving the performance of the system as a whole. Because it is outdoors, the unit is exposed to a variety of elements. Keeping the outdoor unit clean means brushing off dust, pollen, and dirt, clearing off any debris that may have fallen onto or into the unit, and cutting back any foliage within a few feet of the system. Ensure there are no objects or landscaping within two feet of the outdoor units on all sides, and within five feet of the top of the unit.
Keeping the exterior portion of the unit clean is relatively simple, but cleaning coils and other components inside is best left to the pros. Regular maintenance will ensure that your condenser coils stay in good working condition. For more information about keeping your air conditioner properly maintained, call Riley Heating & Air Conditioning at 334-298-1278.