An evaporator coil is one of the many parts of your AC. However, it’s one of the most important that you need to remember. Like air filters, a dirty evaporator coil might not work correctly. If you want your AC system to be efficient, you need to make sure the evaporator coil is clean, without a layer of dirt and dust. Here’s why that matters to maintaining your system.

What Usually Happens

Air conditioner coils typically acquire a lot of dirt. That’s expected if your AC unit is working properly. But the buildup of dust and dirt is harmful to the coil. That’s because the layer of dust acts as an insulator. It makes your AC unit inefficient, compromising the coil’s ability to deliver the warm air outside of your home.

What Do You Need?

To make sure an AC system works without a hitch, routine cleaning is a must. It’s also a good chance to ask a service technician to go over the entire unit and check for any problems. Are there any other signs of damage? Does the unit have any other problems? While you might want to hire an AC evaporator cleaner, a service technician can do so much more. A seasoned expert can nip problems in the bud, too. That way, you won’t need to worry about calling for repair assistance. You can hit two or three birds with one stone.

What Does the Coil Do?

The evaporator coil in your AC captures the heat from the air inside your home. That is its primary task. Condenser coils then release that heat outside. Usually, both evaporator and condenser coils are made of copper. Encasing the coils are several aluminum fins. If your coils fail or are compromised, that will also damage the cooling abilities of your AC. Yours might have a hard time cooling up your home after the coils have been damaged. In a similar vein, if the evaporator coils are dirty and have a buildup of dust and dirt, that also prevents the coils from working properly.

When Do You Get Help?

There are plenty of signs that your AC’s evaporator coil is in bad shape. If you see any of the following signs, you need to hire a service technician to look at your evaporator coils.

  • Strange noises. Is there any screeching, or are there squealing sounds from the unit?
  • Odd smells. Is there a burnt smell? That could be a sign that something has broken down inside the unit. It could be dangerous, so turn your AC system off and wait for help to arrive.
  • Warm air. Is the unit releasing warm air into your home? That’s one of the most common signs that your evaporator coil has been damaged.
  • Inability to cool. If the room doesn’t cool no matter how long you wait, the evaporator coil might be busted. You need a professional to check the condition of the part and help you figure out if repairing or replacing the coils is a better option for you.