When to Call for Professional AC Coil Cleaning
One of the chief concerns for homeowners during the summer is keeping cooling bills low. Sure, having the air conditioner is great to help beat the summer heat, but when temperatures rise, the energy bills can make owners sweat. For many owners, AC maintenance is a task they don't understand and don't believe can make a difference in the lifespan of their air conditioner. But maintenance is one of the best things a homeowner can do for their air conditioner to keep bills low.
One of the most important steps for air conditioner maintenance is AC coil cleaning. This service may be offered as part of a membership package or contractors may offer it as part of a tune-up. Whatever form the task takes, it is vital to the continued reliability of the air conditioner. Here are a few signs that AC coil cleaning is needed.
AC System Can't Keep Up
During the summer, the air conditioner competes with the outdoor elements to keep the home cool. With hot winds blowing around the home and sunlight beating in the windows, the home can feel like a greenhouse. This is especially true if the evaporator coil is dirty.
Dirty evaporator coils make it hard for the air conditioner to provide the cooling power it once had. Cleaning dust and grime off the coils gives the air conditioner a chance to cool the home quicker, so if the system seems to be struggling, call for AC coil cleaning soon.
Frost on AC Coils and Refrigerant Lines
An air conditioner is perfectly balanced so that refrigerant in the evaporator coil stays slightly above freezing when warm air is rushing past. When warm air can effectively circulate the chilled coil, the dirty evaporator coil can tend to form ice with the water vapor in the air.
Replacing air filters is the best way to prevent this problem, but it is also a great excuse for checking if frost has formed on the evaporator coil. In most systems, removing the filter will allow the owner to see the evaporator coil and inspect for frost, indicating that coil cleaning is needed.
AC Runs for Longer Cycles
At the height of the summer, chances are that the air conditioner will be running quite a bit. However, if an air conditioner is properly sized, it should have times when it has met the thermostat's setpoint and is waiting on standby. The longer it runs, the more likely there is a problem causing inefficiency. Most often, this is attributable to dirty AC coils.
When the AC coils are dirty, the efficient transfer of heat isn't possible. The temperature in the home will start to rise from outdoor heat faster than the AC can keep it down. This causes the system to compensate by running for longer cycles. Pay attention to the runtime of the AC by checking the stats on the digital thermostat or simply observing the longer cycles and timing them. If cycles seem longer than necessary, call for AC coil cleaning to restore lost performance.
About AirLux Heating & Cooling
AirLux Heating & Cooling has a membership program and maintenance program to automatically handle coil cleaning on AC units. Their technicians can easily restore lost performance to an air conditioner. Call today for fast AC service in Niles, MI.
