You may have heard of your HVAC coils, but perhaps you’re not sure what they do. For the most part, you probably will never need to know all that much about them, particularly if you have regular maintenance to your air conditioner and heating system. Your HVAC tech will look at your coils, and clean them if they need it, and we hope, report and repair any adverse situations — such as coil corrosion.
Let’s take a look at coil corrosion, what it is and what it means to a homeowner.
Coils — Inside and Out
Your HVAC system has two types of coils. The evaporator coils, located in the interior part of the system near the air handler, is where the refrigerant absorbs the heat. The condenser coils, located in the exterior condenser or compressor part of the air conditioner, is where the heat is released. When the coils become clogged with dirt or the fins become bent or damaged, air flow will be blocked, and will interfere with the heat exchange process. Coils should be periodically cleaned with coil cleaner, while fins can be straightened with a fin comb.
Coil Corrosion
Corroded coils have become something of a problem in recent years, sometimes requiring replacement of the entire system. Corrosion can occur for a number of reasons, including these:
- exposure to household products such as cleaning solvents, insulation, paint, adhesives and others containing chlorides and fluorides, or acetic or formic acids
- saltwater-laden air
- chemicals released around pools, sewers and in high traffic areas
- presence of Chinese drywall, an imported (2004-07) product from China that emits corrosive sulfur compounds
Dealing With Corrosion
Coil corrosion can reduce efficiency, cause equipment failure and surface deterioration. Comfort is also reduced. Some coil manufacturers are applying coatings to coils to prevent corrosion, while some companies are offering after-market coatings.
Once your coils develop pin holes from corrosion, they will probably need to be replaced. The source of the corrosion should be identified, whenever possible
To learn more about coil corrosion, contact Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing. We serve Brownsburg and the surrounding area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
