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What is an evaporator coil?
The evaporator coil is the coil that is located in your indoor unit. This may be on the inside of your air handler, or it may be, in its case, located adjacent to the gas furnace. The evaporator coil will have two copper lines running to it and some form of drain line leaving it.
What does an evaporator coil do?
- The evaporator has one main job when it is operating in cool mode. That is to pull the heat out of the air in your home and push that heat to the outdoor unit, where all of the warmth is released. When the air is drawn into your return duct, it is pushed or pulled by the blower motor across the evaporator coil, which is very cold. As the air passes over it, the heat from the home is transferred into the refrigerant in the coil, and the air is cooled. This process is how your house gets cool air while your outdoor unit blows hot air out the top.
- The evaporator coil will do the opposite if the system is running in heat mode. You will have to have a heat pump operating in heat mode for this to happen. The refrigerant will be reversed and running in the opposite direction, which means that it will release the heat that it has collected from outside into your home.
What are the common problems with evaporator coils?
The evaporator coil’s most significant issue is poor or inadequate airflow. Airflow may be restricted by multiple different means.
- Dirty coils can be caused by animal hair, not changing your filter regularly, or not using a filter.
- Similar issues can cause dirty fan blades, but this is a harder issue to solve as the fan itself will have to be taken out and cleaned away from the unit.
- Drain blockages are another problem that can have huge effects. If the drain becomes clogged, it can cause the unit to leak, which can damage your electronics or sheetrock, depending on where your indoor unit is located.
- Frozen coils are generally a result of poor airflow conditions. This means that fixing frozen coils could be as easy as replacing a filter or cleaning the evaporator coil.
When should you replace an evaporator coil?
- Evaporator coils will ideally last as long as the unit is connected. However, this is not always the case. If the evaporator coil is exposed to excessive moisture throughout its life, it can begin to rust, which can cause holes in the waves and lead to the coil no longer holding refrigerant.
- If your coil no longer holds refrigerant, you should have an air conditioning service tech inspect it to see if it is repairable. If it is not, you will have to have your evaporator coil replaced.
Can you repair an evaporator coil?
- Depending on what has happened to the coil, it is possible to repair one. There are times when vibrations will cause copper lines to rub together, creating a hole, or some outside force has damaged a part of the coil. These are ideal situations to try and repair a coil.
- If your coil has suffered from rust and the copper has deteriorated to the point that a hole has developed, then your coil will not be able to be replaced. To braze correctly, you need clean metal, and if the copper is deteriorating to the point of failure, it is likely going to be far too thin to apply enough heat to braze.
Let a Coil Professional Help You
If you’re looking for a coil professional for your air conditioning problems, call us, and will send out a technician that can help provide quality service!
