HVAC Evaporator Coil: Process and Function

The HVAC evaporator coil is essential for the function of your air conditioner. When the part breaks or wears down, not only does your AC unit stop blowing cold air, but the entire system is at greater risk of failing altogether.

But despite their importance, many air conditioner owners don't know what their HVAC evaporator coil does or that simple maintenance on it can boost their entire AC system's effectiveness.

Below, we’ll look closer at the basic operation of your AC unit and dive into how a clean, fully-functioning evaporator coil makes a massive difference.

Understanding Your Air Conditioning System

Air conditioners have two separate parts that link together; the inside and outside units. The two units cool your home by taking the hot air outdoors and sending it to the inside unit, which absorbs the heat and sends out chilled air. Then, the inside unit moves the absorbed warmth back to the outdoor unit, which disperses it back outside.

The outdoor unit has a condenser coil and compressor, two parts that work closely with the HVAC evaporator coil, which you’ll find in the indoor unit.

What Does the HVAC Evaporator Coil Do?

The HVAC evaporator coil is the part of the indoor unit that absorbs the heat from the warm air that the outdoor unit extracts. Specifically, you’ll find the evaporator coil in your AC unit’s air handler or inside the furnace if you have an all-in-one HVAC system.

HVAC evaporator coils have evaporated refrigerant inside that cools the air and transfers it to the coil. As your AC unit runs, the system’s fan blows over the evaporator coil, chilling the refrigerant enough to perform the heat transfer.

Your AC system cannot cool the air it's taking from outside if the HVAC evaporator coil breaks or loses its efficiency. Even though the unit will still produce a consistent airflow, it will be the same temperature it is outside.

If you notice excessive refrigerant leaks or your AC unit not sending out cold air, it's likely a sign of a broken or dirty evaporator coil. It’s vital to call for Germantown HVAC services by Professional Services today if your AC system is leaking refrigerant. Air conditioners without optimal refrigerant levels can’t properly absorb the heat from warm air, so you’ll be running your HVAC and increasing your utility bills for nothing if you don’t address the issue.

How The HVAC Evaporator Coil Works with the Rest of Your AC

The condenser coil and compressor are as crucial to your AC system cooling down warm air as the HVAC evaporator coil. If either of them breaks or wears down, it has similar consequences to when the evaporator coil fails.

Once the evaporator coil’s refrigerant cools and absorbs the heat, the compressor turns it into a gas and directs it to the condenser coil, which sends the heat back outside, leaving your home with nothing but cold air. The condenser coil then sends the refrigerant back to the evaporator coil, where the process continues until you turn the system off.

Since all three parts are valuable in the heat transfer process, wear and tear to any of them drastically drops your air conditioner’s efficiency. Unfortunately, HVAC evaporator coils are fragile devices that slow down with something as common as dust buildup.

What Happens When an HVAC Evaporator Coil Gets Dirty

Dust and dirt buildup on an HVAC evaporator coil acts like a barrier that keeps the air sent from the outdoor unit from reaching the coil and the fan from providing sufficient cold air to the coolant. With a significant layer of dirt in place, your AC system will either stop working or will have to work harder for longer to sufficiently cool your home.

An inefficient AC unit will cost you extra maintenance and utility expenses. For example, blocked evaporator coils that can’t absorb heat can boost your electricity bill by 30% since they have to consume more energy for their standard job.

With that extra work and energy consumption comes extra strain on your AC system. If you’re forcing your AC to fight through a dirty HVAC evaporator coil, it will be more likely to wear down and demand extensive repairs or complete replacement.

Cleaning Your Evaporator Coil

Cleaning an HVAC evaporator coil requires you to pry into the inner workings of your AC system and delicately remove dust from a fragile AC component. That might sound daunting to beginner HVAC technicians, but fortunately, there are less demanding ways to keep your coils clean.

The most cost-effective method for protecting your HVAC evaporator coil isn’t to clean it but to clean the air filter instead. AC air filters catch dirt and debris in your home’s air, but if that debris clogs the filter too much, it will break into the system and settle on the coil. Most HVAC experts recommend replacing or cleaning your filter once per month to keep it in working order.

However, even if you follow a strict air filter cleaning schedule, some dust will eventually slip through the cracks and coat your HVAC evaporator coil. DIY coil cleaning is often time-consuming and ineffective without proper equipment and experience. That said, a professional HVAC technician can quickly restore your dirty coils or replace any worn down ones.

HVAC Evaporator Coil Repair and Maintenance

Most AC units need professional HVAC evaporator coil cleaning once every year to run at their best. So, when the time comes for you to restore your air conditioner, look no further than Professional Services for help.

Our HVAC team has over 30 years of field experience cleaning, repairing, and installing HVAC units for home and business owners across Wisconsin. We believe in quality over speed and use a 21-point checklist on every maintenance job we take to ensure your unit runs as smoothly as you need to beat the heat.

Call our team today at (262) 218-2636 to schedule an appointment or  learn the reasons why DIY repair isn't a good idea.