Condenser Coil Cleaning

What does a condenser coil do?
The purpose of the condensing unit, (outdoor portion of an air conditioning system,) is to reject heat that was removed from the interior space. The factors having the greatest impact on the efficiency of this effort are: The difference between the outdoor temperature and the coil temperature. And, the amount of coil surface area available for heat transfer to take place. Once the unit is installed there is little that can be done to reduce the temperature surrounding the unit. There is something that can be done however to insure the maximum amount of surface area available for heat transfer to take place.

Is a dirty coil that big of a problem?
Unlike the evaporator coil, the condenser coil is exposed to unfiltered outdoor air—so it suffers much greater degradation due to dirt. The fan inside the condenser coil pulls air through the fins, and as a result, also pulls dirt and debris with it. Dust, leaves, grass clippings, pet hair, and anything else that collects on the fins will block airflow and reduce the unit’s efficiency.

A dirty coil reduces the cooling ability of the air blowing across the condenser coils. If the condensing temperature is raised from 95° Fahrenheit (F) to 105°F as a result, then cooling capacity will be cut by 7 percent and increase power consumption by 10 percent, with a net compressor efficiency reduction of 16 percent.

My condenser coil doesn’t look dirty
External visual inspection will not tell you if the coil is clean because spaces between fins turn to improve fin to air heat transfer. To determine how dirty the condenser would require measurement, cleaning, and re-measurement. As cleaning is step 2, it is less expensive to just clean the coil.

Cleaning the coils
The easiest and most thorough way to clean a condenser coil is to have an HVAC company clean it for you. Knowing how this maintenance should be performed will help insure that you are paying to have the job done correctly. The best tool for task is a power washer that feeds cleaning solution into a high-pressure water flow.

The unit should be cleaned from the inside out. This will require removing the fan from the top of the unit. The reason for this is that larger pieces of debris may become even further lodged in the fins if forced inward from the outside. Cleaning from the inside out also insures that person cleaning the coil will be able to clearly tell when the water being used to clean between the fins is free of debris.

CAUTION: Although it is recommended that this cleaning should be done by a professional, it is not impossible to clean the unit yourself. For homeowner or professional: Always begin by shutting off the electrical power before proceeding with the cleaning.

Learn more about Easy Upgrades at: www.idahopower.com/easyupgrades