Replacing Evaporator Coils With Your Trusted AC Repair Company | Fort Worth, TX
Commercial and residential HVAC systems are critical to maintaining a comfortable environment at your home or office. They are made from different components that complement each other, ensuring your home is efficiently cooled. The evaporator coil is among the most critical components of your HVAC system. The coil absorbs heat from the air inside your indoor space and transfers it to the coolant. However, the evaporator coils might become dirty or even damaged, reducing their heat transfer efficiency and resulting in costly breakdowns. Eventually, this could result in a need to replace the coils if their efficiency has taken such a toll that repairs from your AC repair company cannot help. This article will address when to replace the coils, how long they last, and what you should consider when purchasing replacement coils.
Signs It Is Time to Replace Evaporator Coils
Decreased Cooling
If the air conditioner is not effectively cooling your home like it’s used to, the culprit might be faulty evaporator coils. If the capacity of your HVAC evaporator coils is inhibited by any means, that means that heat transfer will not happen. Hence, it could mean that it’s time to replace the evaporator coil when you notice reduced cooling. However, you should have your AC repair company inspect the evaporator coils to determine if a replacement is needed. This is because many other factors, such as leaky ducts and clogged filters, contribute to reduced cooling. A damaged compressor could also be a contributing factor.
Higher Utility Bills
The air conditioning system may run longer because of faulty or dirty evaporator coils. Whenever you notice that the cooling utility bills have suddenly skyrocketed without any change in usage habits or weather, which could mean that the coils are dirty. Your air conditioner will work harder because the efficiency coils only extract the heat from the overflowing air slowly. Hence, ensure that you hire an AC repair company to clean the evaporator coils when they come for routine maintenance. Whenever summer temperatures exceed 90 degrees, you must replace or service the evaporator coils in your heating and air conditioning system. Hence, schedule regular maintenance with a professional. They will help you determine when to replace the evaporator coils, especially if they are damaged beyond AC repairs.
Lower Efficiency
A normally functioning evaporator coil reduced the temperatures of the reconditioned air. A homeowner could set the thermostat temperatures to about 74 degrees Fahrenheit while the indoor temperatures are about 85 degrees Fahrenheit. This high-temperature air travels through the evaporator coils, where the refrigerant absorbs the residual heat, reducing its temperatures and redistributing it into your home’s conditioned space. This process will continue until the air at your home is reconditioned, and temperatures are reduced to about 74 degrees Fahrenheit. If the evaporator coils are dirty or damaged, they’ll have difficulty absorbing the residual heat from the reconditioned air. This results in lower heat retention and longer AC run times. It lowers the energy efficiency of your air conditioner. Hence, it is recommended that you ensure the AC repair company cleans the evaporator coils when they come for a maintenance visit.
Refrigerant Leaks
The medium of heat transfer in evaporator coils is the refrigerant. It absorbs the heat from the air flowing over the coils and dissipates it outside with the help of a condenser coil. This means that the air conditioner never uses up the coolant. So, why are refrigerant levels in your unit lower than recommended? That could only mean one of two things; you had an inexperienced technician refill the unit, or your evaporator coils have a refrigerant leak. Whatever the case, you should hire a licensed AC repair company to refill your unit and recharge your system. However, the evaporator coils may be leaky to a point where repairing them is impossible. Hence, the technician could recommend a replacement.
Strange Noises
Do you hear your unit make uncharacteristic sounds? That means the coils are leaking the refrigerant. On the other hand, if you hear a buzzing sound from your indoor AC unit, that most likely means that the evaporator coils are frozen. Although your reliable AC repair company can easily thaw frozen coils, they could be a sign of a large underlying issue that requires evaporator coil replacement.
How Long Can an Evaporator Coil Last?
The number of years your evaporator coils can serve your home varies depending on several factors. However, the evaporator coils can last 10-15 years on average. You must note that this is a general estimate. In reality, the lifespan of your evaporator coils can dramatically vary. You could even find instances where the coils last for 20 years. Below are some of the factors that impact how long your evaporator coils can last:
Type of the Coil
There are many types of evaporator coils in the market today. High-quality ones are made from durable materials and are more likely to last longer than low-quality ones. Hence, talk to your AC repair company before purchasing the replacement evaporator coils. They can advise you on the best brands in the market and even replace the coils for you.
Usage
How much do you use the evaporator coils? After how long do you leave your air conditioner running? What are the climatic conditions of your home? How long you use the coils also determines how long they will last. If your evaporator coils cycle off and on frequently, they are highly likely to break down earlier compared to those that cycle less frequently.
Level of Maintenance
Do you service the air conditioner and clean the evaporator coils? Inspecting, cleaning, and other maintenance actions on your evaporator coils can enhance their service life. Hence, hire a professional AC repair company for routine air conditioning servicing.
The Environmental Conditions
An environment that surrounds the coils also profoundly impacts their lifespan. If installed in a dusty, moist environment, they will likely break down sooner than coils placed in a clean environment.
Refrigerant Type
What kind of refrigerant does your air conditioning system use? Since some refrigerants have a corrosive impact on the evaporator coils, they reduce the lifespan of the evaporator coils; hence, if your AC uses corrosive refrigerants, you’ll have to replace them earlier, unlike those eco-friendly ones.
Choosing Replacement Evaporator Coils
When it comes to selecting replacement evaporator coils, you must choose one that is of the correct size. You must also ensure the evaporator coils are compatible with your system’s coolant. It is also good to ensure that the coils have a warranty. Ensure that you enlist the help of an AC repair company in choosing the perfect evaporator coils. Today, there are many types of evaporator coils in the market, including:
Micro-Channel Coils
These are evaporator coils. They have smaller fins and tubes that increase heat transfer efficiency from your unit.
Tube and Fin Coils
The other kind of evaporator that you could purchase is the tube-and-fin evaporator coil. These are made of tunes that have fins attached to them. The attached fins increase the surface area. Hence, if you want efficient cooling, an AC repair company should install these coils.
Plate-And-Frame Coils
These evaporator coils consist of plates stacked with a gasket between them, creating a sealed unit.
Immersed Coils
These evaporator coils are packed within a tank or some other container. They are usually used for liquid heating or cooling.
Spiral Coils
The spiral coils have fins and spiral-shaped tubes. This increases the heat transfer surface area. Do you want highly efficient evaporator coils? If applicable, have your reliable AC repair company install these in your air conditioner.
Adiabatic Coils
Water is used externally to create a mist from external water sources to cool the air passing through these coils.
Enhanced Surface Coils
The surface of these coils is coated or covered with a special material or layer that increases the heat transfer efficiency between the coils.
Evaporator Coil Replacement Process
Now you know the factors influencing how quickly you might have to replace the evaporator coils and the types of coils available in the market. How are evaporator coils replaced? Well, to begin with, this isn’t a DIY job. An experienced AC repair company should carry it out. Below are the steps involved in evaporator coil replacement.
Removing the Old Coils
The technician will remove the old coil from your air conditioner when they come to your home. During this step, they are careful not to damage other air conditioning system parts.
Installation of the New Coils
Once the old Coils are removed, the AC repair company installs new coils in place. With their experience, the technician will alight the coils and connect the coolant lines.
Testing the New Installation
The AC repair company tests the heating and air conditioning system upon installing the new coils. This step ensures the installation works correctly and the evaporator coils aren’t leaking.
Cleaning the System
The technician also may clean the heating and air conditioning system to ensure that any debris and dirt could have been collected during the installation.
Maintenance and Cleaning
Routine air conditioner maintenance will reduce the need for evaporator coil replacement. This is also essential for the overall performance of your air conditioner. The common preventative maintenance tasks that your AC repair company may carry out include the following:
Cleaning the Coils
The evaporator coils could become dirty and even clogged by dirt, dust, and other forms of debris. Unfortunately, this negatively impacts the performance of the evaporator coils. Cleaning the coils will help reduce dust and dirt accumulation and improve efficiency.
Inspections
The AC repair company can also conduct visual inspections of the evaporator coils during the maintenance visit to uncover any instances of corrosion, leaks, or even damage.
Tightening Connections
The coil could malfunction because of loose connections. It is essential that all connections be checked during maintenance and that the technician tighten all loose connections.
Checking the Drain Lines and Drain Pan
The evaporator coils have a drain line and a drain pan. These are designed to remove the condensation that could form on the evaporator coils. The AC repair company will ensure no clogs or overflowing condensate on the lines or pan.
Measuring the Coolant Charge
Coolant charge refers to the volume of coolant in the evaporator coils. If the coils are over- or under-charged, the entire air conditioner will not function properly. You are recommended to hire an AC repair company for routine maintenance of your evaporator coils. They require cleaning at least once per year. Maintenance should be done regularly if the system is installed in a dusty or dirty environment. Regular maintenance will help improve energy efficiency, prevent costly repairs and replacements, and prolong the evaporator coil’s life.
Condenser Coil Versus Condenser Coils
The condenser and evaporator coils are different types used in heating and air conditioning systems. Evaporator coils are located inside your home, and as explained above, they absorb the residual heat from the air flowing over them. After absorbing the heat, it boils and turns into a gas. This change of phase allows for the air conditioner to cool indoor air. The cool indoor air is then redistributed all over your home.
On the other hand, the condenser coils are typically installed outdoors and release the heat previously absorbed by the evaporator coils. Since installed outdoors, it is prone to various elements and requires routine maintenance from an AC repair company. The refrigerant will condense back into liquid when it passes via the condenser coils. This then releases all the heat absorbed from the indoor air.
Do you need a maintenance service for your air conditioner and evaporator coils? Contact us at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth for a reliable air conditioning service.
See our previous blog on this topic here.