Beware Of These Common Evaporator Problems: Advice From An AC Repair Company | Arlington, TX
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A broken AC in Arlington, TX, can be deadly. It’s not only a burden on your bank account but can be tiring to look for an AC repair company in the middle of the heatwave to fix the AC. If you have elderly family members or those who may be ill, an AC breakdown can be fatal. Therefore, you should keep it in tip-top condition to avoid the devastating consequences of an unexpected breakdown.
Ensuring your AC system is maintained correctly involves understanding how it operates and what problems could arise, especially for the evaporator coil. This is the system’s most vital part. If the evaporator coil has issues, it could affect the AC’s efficiency. Before discussing such problems, it’s important to know what an evaporator coil is and how it works.
What Is an Evaporator Coil?
It is a component in your AC system that soaks up heat from the indoor air. An evaporator coil is usually attached to the furnace or located on the interior of the air handler. The evaporator coil works with the condenser coil to complete the heat exchange process to generate cool air.
The evaporator coil contains evaporated refrigerant pushed by the compressor pumps to the metering device as a liquid into the evaporator. The blower pushes the air and passes over the coil, where the refrigerant absorbs the heat. Below are some of the common evaporator problems brought to you by your reliable AC repair company.
Refrigerant Leaks
Inside your AC there is a blower that blasts warm air across the evaporator coil. As the warm air passes over the evaporator coil, it’s absorbed by the cold refrigerant that’s inside the tubes of the evaporator coil, before entering and cooling your home.
If the refrigerant in the evaporator coil starts leaking, the remaining liquid won’t be able to absorb enough heat from the warm air. Consequently, this causes your AC efficiency to drop, hence your home won’t be able to cool properly. When the cooling efficiency is reduced, the AC overworks putting it at risk of breaking down.
A refrigerant leak also exposes your loved ones to skin and respiratory problems. Plus, it has a negative effect on the environment because it contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer. That being the case, you should watch out for the problems below that are known to cause refrigerant leaks from the evaporator coil.
- Corrosion
Corrosion is always a danger to the metallic parts of your AC. This process occurs naturally and slowly due to oxygen and moisture present in the air. For instance, chemicals such as Formaldehyde from manufactured wood or cleaning products react with water forming highly corrosive products that accelerate AC corrosion. This damage is highly noticeable in old AC units.
- Wear and tear
The parts of the AC are subject to wear and tear, hence causing refrigerant leaks. On the service valves, there are rubber seals, which wear out and start leaking over time. These leaks may not be visible in the first year but could typically show up later. When detected early, they can be easy to fix, but if the leaks are severe, you need to involve a licensed AC repair company in Arlington, TX, to perform major repairs and remove rusted parts.
- Vibrations
If your AC unit is exposed to vibrations from earth-moving equipment, it may put the coils at risk of damage, leading to a refrigerant leak.
- Accidental damage
Sometimes a refrigerant leak may be caused by unavoidable accidents. For instance, a lawnmower can damage the condenser coils when it throws hard objects such as rocks to the AC unit, triggering refrigerant leaks.
Sometimes a refrigerant leak may be caused by unavoidable accidents. For instance, a lawnmower can damage the condenser coils when it throws hard objects such as rocks to the AC unit, hence triggering refrigerant leaks.
If you notice a refrigerant leak in your home you must contact a reliable AC repair company to have the problem fixed immediately. Otherwise, you may have to replace the entire system if the AC compressors run above the suggested range for some time. All refrigerant leaks have to be fixed by a licensed AC repair company.
Frozen Coils
If your evaporator coil is frozen, it will interfere with your AC’s ability to cool your home. If a film of ice forms over the coil, it covers the refrigerant, thus affecting its ability to absorb heat from the air.
Although your AC unit will operate as usual, you’ll notice that the house stays warm. Evaporator coils freeze due to obstruction of airflow in the AC system. Without the correct airflow, the AC cannot get the absorbed heat out of your home, where heat exchange occurs. If there is a low refrigerant, then you may encounter frozen coils. It’s advisable to have a trusted AC repair company handle these problems.
Dirt or Debris Accumulation
Your AC will accumulate litter over time. Little dirt should not worry you, but too much sludge over the coils prevents it from absorbing heat, affecting the cooling, which could also cause the AC to malfunction.
To avoid this problem, it’s vital to schedule cleaning services with an AC repair company. Although you can clean the coils, you have to be extremely careful because these evaporator coils are very delicate.
Wrong Evaporator Coil
If you replace a faulty evaporator coil with a mismatched size, your AC efficiency may be hampered. The evaporator coil should match the condenser coil for the two to function seamlessly. Otherwise, your AC will not operate efficiently, leading to high electricity consumption because of extra strain and stress put on the AC unit.
When your evaporator coil dies, it could also mean that the condenser coil may fail anytime. Thus, it will be best to have a trusted AC repair company replace the entire unit with a new and efficient model. Replacing the evaporator coil alone could still result in the AC unit failing after some time.
Also, if you pick an evaporator coil that’s not made for your specific unit, the air conditioner will not run as efficiently, and your energy bill may hike as a result.
But, if you insist on replacing the evaporator coil, then it will be prudent to hire a professional technician from a well-known AC repair company to replace the evaporator coil to avoid a mismatch.
However, finding a new evaporator coil that matches your existing condenser could be like finding a needle in a haystack. The old part may have been phased out, and the newer units could be more prominent and designed differently.
Your Trusted AC Repair Company in Arlington, TX
At One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth, we are fully equipped and ready to diagnose and resolve all your AC issues, including evaporator coil problems. For any evaporator coil headaches, call our AC repair company to help you from experiencing uncomfortable temperatures in your house.