What Do Air Conditioning Coils Do?

The inner workings of your Sarasota home’s air conditioning system aren’t as mysterious as you’d think. In fact, the way it works is pretty straightforward. Take your air conditioning coils, for instance. These components play a key role in how your AC system works. Besides, the way they work is pretty fascinating.

The Sum of Two Parts

To understand just how your AC coils work, let’s take a closer look at them. Every AC system comes with a pair of coils: the evaporator coil and the condenser coil. You’ll find the former within the air handler portion of your AC system and the latter in the outdoor cabinet.

Each coil is basically a bundle of U-shaped tubes made from a combination of copper, steel and aluminum. These metals excel at conducting heat, which comes in handy later on. Thin aluminum fins line the coils, directing airflow to come in closer contact with the coils.

Of course, each coil also has refrigerant pumped through the entire array. This is what helps the coils move heat from one place to another, which we’ll go into more below.

Beating the Heat with AC Coils

Air conditioners “make” cold air by moving heat energy from your indoor spaces to the outdoors. Here’s a quick rundown of what your AC coils do to make that happen:

• The evaporator coils act as a sponge of sorts, “absorbing” heat energy as air passes through the coils. That energy is sent to the condenser coil while the “cooled” air is distributed throughout your home.
• The condenser coil is where that heat energy is eventually released. As air blows over those coils, the coils shed that heat energy to the outdoors. The refrigerant is pumped back towards the evaporator coil to repeat the process once more.

Maintenance is the Key

Like any other part of your AC system, your air conditioning coils demand routine care and maintenance. Without it, your AC system wouldn’t be able to keep your home cool for long. While there are some things you can do to keep your coils clean, like changing your air filters regularly, you’re better off leaving the upkeep to trained professionals.

If you want to know more about how your AC system works or need to schedule your next service call, the experts at Airrific can help. Give us a call today or visit our website to learn more.