What is An Evaporator Coil and How to Fix Common Problems

The evaporator coil is an essential component in an air conditioner that is responsible for providing the home or the office with proper cooling. The coil is usually located inside the actual unit, allowing it to reduce the temperature in the system without making anything cold. For the coil, this coldness is defined as simply the absence of anything hot. Things are only made colder when heat is being removed. When cooling your home or office, what your aircon does is really removing the heat from your home. The coils function by absorbing the heat and removing this to make you feel more comfortable.

How Does It Work?

The coil functions by having the refrigerant flow through it from the air conditioning system. What happens next is the refrigerant will enter inside the evaporator as 80% cold liquid and 20% vapor. Afterwards, while it flows through the coil, the refrigerant will pick up heat from the air blowing over the evaporator coil. As soon as the refrigerant is able to accumulate enough heat, what happens next is it goes through a process of latent heat transfer. This process allows it to physically change completely into a vapor while still retaining its temperature. This is because latent heat isn’t measurable using a thermometer. When the refrigerant becomes a 100% vapor, it undergoes a superheating process. This superheat is the result of heat absorbed by the vapor refrigerant that was responsible for increasing the temperature. Afterwards, the refrigerant makes its way inside the compressor, condenser, TXV and metering device in a high pressure manner. This is where it now comes back into the evaporator as a low pressure cold refrigerant — this time as 80% liquid and 20% vapor.

Common Problems of Air Conditioner Coils and How to Fix Them

It can be very frustrating to deal with a broken or malfunctioning evaporator. This often results in poor aircon performance and even cooling issues. Here are common problems in the evaporator to watch out for and how to fix them:

1. Freezing problems - A frozen evaporator coil is the result of ice forming around the line of the refrigerant or the coil itself. Additionally, this can also be due to moisture and condensation happening inside the air handler of the aircon unit. You can solve this problem by cleaning your evaporator coil and getting rid of dirt and dust. If there is leakage in the refrigerant, then you would have to seek an aircon technician to repair it immediately. 

2. Leaking problems - If your evaporator coil starts leaking, chances are your unit will take a very long time to cool your office or home. Worse, this can cause additional pressure and work on the aircon, leading it to completely break down in the long run. When it starts leaking, the best thing to do is seek the expertise of a leading aircon servicing company or a technician.

Caring for the Evaporator Coils

1. Regular maintenance - Keeping the evaporator coil clean is a good way to make sure the unit continues to perform as intended and reach optimal energy efficiency.
2. Proper replacement - If the evaporator coil has gone faulty then a proper replacement must be done as soon as possible. Doing this can prevent any additional pressure on the overall aircon system.
3. Good home ventilation - Ensuring good ventilation will reduce volatile organic compounds or VOCs inside your home or office, which is helpful protecting both the evaporator coil and the aircon unit.

Also: How to Care Other Parts of An AC

Keeping Your Air Conditioner Coil in Good Shape

Now that you know how evaporator coils function and how to check for their problems, caring for them is no longer a problem! Always practice proper and regular maintenance to ensure that they continue performing well along with the air conditioning machine. But if you find that doing quick fixes for the evaporator on your own isn’t enough, contact us at Oasis Aircon Singapore. Our team of professional aircon representatives and highly skilled technicians can attend to all your needs and inquiries. From scheduled aircon maintenances to aircon parts repairs, our wide range of services will allow you to improve your air conditioner system performance and its total lifespan. With our honest pricing, we ensure that your home, office, or business will receive the best service, for the best price.