Where Is the Evaporator Coil Located in an AC Unit?
The amount of moving parts in a cooling unit can be overwhelming, but it’s easy to spot with Cool By Design’s experienced team available in your area! Call today to learn more!
Where is the evaporator coil located in an AC unit? A typical HVAC system will comprise two compartments: the indoor evaporator unit and the outdoor condenser one. Within these two units, several important parts coexist, including the coils that make heat transfer and cooling possible.
If you’d like to understand the cooling process better and why top-notch “AC coil cleaning near me” makes a difference to your unit’s performance, Cool by Design’s air conditioning experts share more below. With more than 15 years in the industry, your neighbors in Oakland Park, FL, and surrounding areas count on us for their evaporator coil repairs and other HVAC-related services in town.
How Does an Evaporator Coil Work?
An evaporator coil is one of two coils within your cooling system that conduct the heat transfer process. The low-temperature chemical coolant, known as refrigerant, travels through the unit’s evaporator coil in a liquid state when your unit starts a cooling cycle. As warm air from within your home passes through the filters into your system, the refrigerant within the coil absorbs the heat, leaving cold air behind.
After the heat absorption, the refrigerant evaporates into a gas. The evaporator coil then sends the gaseous refrigerant to the condenser coil outside your home, where the compressor pressurizes it. This pressure allows the refrigerant to release the warmth and humidity outside your home and revert back into a liquid state to return to the evaporator coil to repeat the process.
Where Is the Evaporator Coil Within Your Unit?
The evaporator coil sits within the indoor evaporator unit, allowing it to access indoor air while the condenser coil is in the outdoor condenser compartment. You can identify the evaporator coil by its U or V shape. It comprises steel, copper, or aluminum, which makes the evaporator coil an ideal heat conductor.
Its exact location in the indoor unit varies, depending on your AC unit type. For example, if you have a central heating and cooling unit or a split system, the coil resides within the air handlers (the handlers draw in the warm air for cooling). For smaller window, wall, or floor units, the evaporator coils usually rest under the filter, near the handlers rather than within them.
Why Is Knowing Where the Evaporator Coil Is Important?
Where is the evaporator coil located in your particular unit? This information is vital to the overall performance of your air conditioner because your coils are not dust-proof or damage-proof.
The technician servicing your unit will need to know where the coils are to clean and repair them. Otherwise, they won’t provide optimal heat transfer to boost cooling capacity and efficiency.
Three Reasons to Keep the Evaporator Coil in Top Condition
Why have an expert clean and repair your air conditioner’s coils regularly?
Create Better Cooling Capacity
Like other areas of your home, dust and dander settle over the coils. The buildup creates a barrier between the refrigerant and the warm air that floats above it so that it absorbs less warmth. If more heat stays in the air, the unit has to start cooling again, extending the process.
Simply removing the layer of filth can mean your HVAC system cools your home faster.
Boost Energy Efficiency
Removing the dusty layer from your evaporator coil increases energy efficiency. Since your unit continues to cycle until your thermostat setting and indoor temperature match, the longer it takes for your unit to cool your air, the longer your unit must remain on. Long cycling pulls more from your energy grid, skyrocketing utility costs and keeping your indoor climate uncomfortable.
Lengthen the Unit Lifespan
When your unit runs longer, all internal components function more than they should in a short period. At first, you’ll notice repairs increasing to get you through the hot season. Eventually, even frequent repairs won’t be enough to combat the reduced efficiency and cooling power.
At that point, you’ll need a replacement system, all because you neglected a bit of dust on the evaporator coil for too long!
#1 Local HVAC Team for a Reason!
Where is the evaporator coil located? Now you know. And our team does it all, from thawing frozen coils and cleaning with compressed air to replacing the coils for optimal unit functionality!
Call Cool By Design at 954-417-1580 for AC repair and replacement services of all types in Oakland Park, FL, and surrounding areas!
