While many homeowners prefer to put their houses through an annual deep cleaning as the warmer months approach, the importance of sprucing up their air conditioners is often overlooked. Regular mechanical tune-ups are, of course, crucial for keeping your AC in optimal shape. However, so is cleaning your AC coils annually at a minimum.
Allowing your system to operate with dirty coils potentially leads to a host of problems that can impact your indoor air quality, comfort, HVAC efficiency, and even respiratory health. For this reason, our team at True Climate Heat + Air thought it would be helpful to assemble this list of 11 reasons why keeping your AC coils clean is essential for ensuring an optimally functioning unit.
1. Boosts Energy Efficiency
Clean AC coils allow your air conditioner to operate more efficiently by reducing strain on the unit while, at the same time, lowering the amount of electricity required to run it. This increased operating efficiency and reduced demand for power translates into lower utility bills. Such improvements can produce long-term savings that are often considerable. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, dirty AC coils can increase compression energy consumption by as much as 30%.
2. Better Cooling Performance
When your AC coils are clean, the system cools your home more efficiently and reduces the time required to reach the desired indoor temperature. Dirty AC coils cool inconsistently and inefficiently, creating hot spots and unexpected temperature fluctuations. After cleaning your AC coils, you’ll likely find you can get your home cooler in a shorter amount of time.
3. Prolongs the Lifespan of Your AC System
Cleaning your AC coils at least once a year can extend its useful shelf life. The demand for power that we mentioned earlier strains your HVAC system, resulting in accelerated wear and tear on it. Removing debris from your coils is a necessary preventative maintenance procedure that helps avoid common air conditioner issues like overheating, which can damage the system’s internal components. Keeping your AC coils dirt- and debris-free is always a reliable strategy for keeping your AC in peak operating condition. Regular coil cleanings are, likewise, a great approach for protecting your pocketbook against costly AC repairs or an early replacement bill.
5. Improves Indoor Air Quality
Well-cleaned AC coils can be vital for those who suspect they’re suffering from poor indoor air quality. Dirty coils are known for creating conditions that produce mold and mildew. These toxins can enter your HVAC system and begin circulating throughout your home. Routinely cleaning your AC coils helps eliminate this risk, safeguarding the indoor air from these harmful contaminants. As a result, it can help those suffering from preexisting respiratory conditions like seasonal allergies or asthma breathe easier.
6. Lowers Noise Pollution
If your AC coils have been left uncleaned for a significant time, you may not notice how noisy the unit actually is. Cleaning your AC coils can resolve this by reducing the noise pollution levels in your home. Air conditioners with unclean coils must necessarily work hard to deliver the desired indoor air temperatures. This is especially true during peak summer weather in Oklahoma. This extra effort on the system’s behalf causes it to run at louder noise levels. With that, removing the dirt and debris from your AC coils helps ensure quiet, efficient operation and a more peaceful indoor living environment.
7. Prevents Coil Freezing
Dirty AC coils lead to clogging that can cause your air conditioner to freeze over. When this happens, it reduces the efficiency of the system’s heat exchange process. The system’s airflow becomes obstructed as debris accumulates on your AC coils, causing them to freeze and stop performing as they should. Frozen coils can significantly impair your AC’s capacity to cool your home. You can trace this problem to multiple HVAC issues, however. If you’re unsure what might be causing ice to form on your AC coils, we encourage you to contact one of our HVAC specialists for a consultation.
8. Enables Proper Airflow
Your AC coils must be cleaned annually to ensure optimal airflow delivery and consistent indoor cooling. When your air conditioner’s coils become obstructed, air won’t pass through them as intended. Your HVAC system will consequently struggle to distribute cool air evenly across your home’s various rooms and bring them to the desired temperature. When you clean your AC coils according to the recommended schedule, air will flow more freely and efficiently through the system. The enhanced efficiency levels will give you more uniform temperature distribution across all rooms in your house.
9. Eliminates Unpleasant Odors
Another benefit of cleaning your AC coils is that it can help rid your system of unpleasant odors. The dirt, dust, and microbial buildup on your coils can leave your air smelling musty or even foul. This malodorous air within the system eventually circulates throughout your house, impacting indoor air quality and comfort alike. Clean air conditioner coils prevent these materials that cause bad smells from accumulating and dispersing themselves through your air ducts and vents.
10. Helps Prevent Leaks and Urgent Repairs
When you let dirt and debris accumulate on your AC coils, this can cause them to corrode. In turn, the corrosion buildup may lead to leaks that can significantly damage your system’s other components. Failing to address a leaking condenser will promptly exacerbate wear and tear on your HVAC and increase the risk of a catastrophic breakdown. Regular coil cleaning can help prevent corrosion and is a reliable strategy for maintaining the overall functionality and efficiency of the unit.
11. Enhances Air Humidity Control
Maintaining clean AC coils can help you manage more comfortable indoor humidity levels. Dirty coils make it more difficult to optimize your home’s air humidity because your AC unit isn’t removing enough heat and moisture from the system. Aside from causing discomfort, prolonged exposure to high humidity indoors may exacerbate respiratory irritation and healthy sleeping patterns. High humidity levels are especially concerning among those with preexisting conditions. Cleaning your coils routinely can also lower the risk of indoor mold, fungi, and bacterial growth, all of which thrive in high-humidity environments.
Staying On Top of Your AC Coil Maintenance
Cleaning and maintaining your AC coils as recommended offers multiple benefits, from improved energy efficiency and fewer repair costs to better indoor air quality and lower utility bills. At True Climate Heat + Air, our team of HVAC specialists are happy to assist you with all your AC maintenance needs to keep your system running during Oklahoma City’s lengthy summer season. A thorough maintenance check will ensure that small AC repairs don’t turn into larger problems. In addition to comprehensive heating and cooling services, we offer area residents a full range of plumbing and indoor air quality solutions. Furthermore, our class-leading services are customizable to tackle the most complex HVAC and plumbing challenges.
For more on our service or to schedule an AC maintenance appointment, contact us at True Climate Heat + Air now!
