Responsible for capturing the heat and humidity from your home, evaporator coils play a significant role in your home comfort during the cooling season. Generally made of copper, your A/C evaporator coils easily get covered with pollen, dust and other debris since they are often damp from the excess moisture in your home’s air. Over time, accumulated grime will significantly reduce their effectiveness.

While we strongly recommend hiring an HVAC professional for a maintenance checkup and service in early fall and early spring, you may want to consider cleaning your A/C evaporator coils yourself. If this is not a job you want to tackle on your own, the information will help you understand why and how it should be done.

1. Always start any job with your HVAC system by turning off the electricity using the unit’s toggle switch. If you are not able to locate it, turn the system off at the breaker panel.
2. The evaporator coils are housed in a metal box above your air handler unit. You will have to undo the screws holding the access panel in place. If there is any foil tape you’ll have to remove that as well.
3. Look at the condition of your coils and the drip pan underneath. If your evaporator coils haven’t been cleaned regularly there will likely be a fair amount of buildup on them. If the drain pan is dirty, it should also be cleaned. If there are cracks, you will have to replace your drain pan to avoid water leakage.
4. Particularly dirty coils may require the attention of a professional since the unit may have to be disassembled. Otherwise, apply a commercial cleanser to the coils and allow it drain completely. Check the drain line to ensure there is no blockage.
5. Replace the access panel and seal both the top and bottom edges with foil tape. Restore power.

Powers Heating & Air has several options to ensure your A/C evaporator coils are ready for a  summer. Powers will recommend clean any evaporator coil needing the service during their spring or fall maintenance check if your wish to have a professional do this for you.

For information about service plans or for more help with cleaning your evaporator coils, please contact Powers Heaing and Air for a free estimate.  Powers has been cleaning your neighbors’ evaporator coils since 1979 in Newnan, Sharpsburg, Senoia, Tyrone, Fayetteville, Brooks, Peachtree City and surrounding areas.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree City, Georgia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “You-Touch-Pix-of-EuToch/Shutterstock”