There are many important parts to your home's air conditioner, but one part that is crucial to its operation are the evaporator coils. Here are two questions that homeowners may have about this part of their HVAC system.

What Are The Evaporator Coils?

There are actually two evaporator coils for an air conditioner, with first one located inside and the second one located outside. Each coil has its own job that helps the system work.

The inside evaporator coil evaporates the refrigerant and absorbs the heat from the air. Meanwhile, the outdoor coil releases that heat so that your home can stay cool. It's why the outdoor condenser feels so hot when it is running, even though it has large fan blades that are spinning.

If these coils are dirty, it can cause a few problems with your HVAC system. A common problem is that the coils inside your home will freeze. Even though the coil is frozen, it does not allow the HVAC system to cool down the air. You'll find that the system will turn off and on because it can't get the home cool enough to get the system a break, or it continuously runs because it can't reach the proper temperature you have set on your thermostat. It results in wasting energy on an HVAC system that doesn't work. Frozen coils also put more wear on the entire system, shortening the lifespan,

Can The Evaporator Coils Be Cleaned?

Cleaning the evaporator coils is something you can do on your own or hire an HVAC specialist to do for you. Having the job done by a professional also means that you'll have the system inspected for other problems than dirty coils at the time the work is done.

Taking on the job of cleaning the coils yours will be a bit of work. You'll need to be familiar with how to shut the HVAC system down, remove the access panels, and access the coils. The cleaning process involves spraying them down with a foam that will help clean off any dirt that is on them, then scrubbing the coils with a wire brush.

Can The Evaporator Coils Break Down?

One issue you may have with an evaporator coil is that it has a leak in it. Refrigerant will escape the system, and the part will no longer be able to get cold. You'll need professional air conditioning help repairing the leak or replacing the part entirely