How would you like to save money on your air conditioning bills while extending the life of your central air conditioning system? If this sounds good to you, then take a few minutes to inspect and clean the evaporator and condenser coils on your air conditioner or heat pump.
Most HVAC services should be handed by an HVAC professional because it requires training, skills and equipment that the average homeowner doesn’t have. However, one thing most handy homeowners can do between scheduled HVAC maintenance visits is to clean the coils.
With a typical split central air conditioning system, the evaporator coil is located in the ductwork near the furnace, downstream of the furnace filter. If you have a heat pump, this area is called the air handler. Changing the furnace filter or air filter regularly will help keep the evaporator coil free of dust and debris, but over time there may be some build up on the coil.
Before cleaning the coils, turn off the power to the system. Using a vacuum cleaner or shop vac with a soft brush attachment, vacuum the accumulation of dust, dirt, and debris from the coil. Be very careful not to bend or damage the soft aluminum fins.
The condenser coil is located in the outdoor unit. You may need to remove the metal casing to access the coil. Remove any leaves, grass clippings and large debris with a soft brush. Again, be very careful so that you don’t damage the fins.
Cleaning the evaporator coil and condenser coil allows air to flow freely over the coils and helps your system operate most efficiently.
