Updated: February 2024
Your condenser coils play a crucial role in the cooling process: they take the heat from your home and transfer it to the air outside. If your condenser coils are covered in dirt, it makes it extremely difficult for your air conditioner to efficiently and effectively cool your home. So let’s take a look at the effects dirty condenser coils have on the cooling process and what you can do to ensure they stay clean!
How do condenser coils get dirty?
Your condenser unit is located outside, which exposes it to all kinds of surrounding dirt and debris. Although your condenser unit is designed to defend its interior coils from getting dirty, some debris inevitably makes its way inside and builds upon the coils over time. Without regular cleaning, dirty condenser coils can have several negative effects.
What are the negative effects of dirty condenser coils?
- Increased energy consumption. As dirt builds up on your condenser coils, it makes it harder for those coils to transfer heat from your home to the air outside. This forces your air conditioner to work harder, which increases its energy consumption.
- Shortened system life. The harder your air conditioner has to work, the more wear-and-tear it will go through. The extra stress that dirty condenser coils put your air conditioner through will take its toll over time, which often shortens the life of your air conditioner.
- Inadequate cooling. Because dirty condenser coils have a hard time transferring heat to the air outside, your air conditioner won’t be able to cool your home effectively. This can leave your home warm and uncomfortable.
What’s the best way to keep condenser coils clean?
Although there are some ways you can try to clean your condenser coils on your own, it can be done much more effectively by a trained professional. That’s why the best way to ensure that your condenser coils remain clean is to have your air conditioner tuned up every year. During your tune-up, your technician will clean your air conditioner’s coils to ensure that your system runs as efficiently as possible.
If you have any questions about a dirty condenser coil, or if you’d like a cooling system serviced or installed in your home, contact Jerry Kelly Heating, Air Conditioning, Electrical and Plumbing, your St. Charles, MO, air conditioning company. We service the St. Louis area, including towns like Clayton, Cottleville, and Creve Coeur.