| ||
 |
InspectAPedia® |
|
Free Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair | Ask a Question or Search InspectAPedia |
 Mobile ViewAIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS A/C - HEAT PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES AIR CONDITIONER BTU CHART AIR CONDITIONER COMPONENT PARTS AIR CONDITIONER TYPES, ENERGY SOURCES AIR CONDITIONER NOT WORKING AIR FILTERS for HVAC SYSTEMS AIR HANDLER / BLOWER UNITS ADDING A/C: RETROFIT SIZING BLOWER FAN CONTINUOUS OPERATION BLOWER FAN OPERATION & TESTING BLOWER LEAKS, RUST & MOLD COOLING / EVAPORATOR COIL DEFECTS DAMAGED COOLING COIL DIRTY A/C BLOWERS Leaks, Rodents In Air Handlers Mold Growth in Air Handlers DIRTY COOLING COIL DIRTY COIL CLEANING PROCEDURES FROST BUILD-UP on AIR CONDITIONER COILS APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY RATINGS BACKUP HEAT for HEAT PUMPS BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION BLOWER FAN CONTINUOUS OPERATION BLOWER FAN OPERATION & TESTING BOOKSTORE - Air Conditioning "How To" Books CAPACITORS for HARD STARTING MOTORS CAPILLARY TUBES CLEANING & Legionella BACTERIA CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS COMBUSTION GASES & PARTICLE HAZARDS COMPRESSOR & CONDENSING COIL, A/C CONDENSATE HANDLING, A/C CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS COOL OFF HEAT Thermostat Switch COOLING CAPACITY, RATED COOLING COIL or EVAPORATOR COIL DAMAGED COOLING COIL DIRTY COOLING COIL DIRTY COIL CLEANING PROCEDURES FROST BUILD-UP on AIR CONDITIONER COILS DATA TAGS on AIR CONDITIONERS DEFINITION of Heating & Cooling Terms DEHUMIDIFICATION PROBLEMS DEW POINT CALCULATION for WALLS DEW POINT TABLE - CONDENSATION POINT GUIDE DIAGNOSE & FIX AIR CONDITIONER / HEAT PUMP DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS DUCTS - Asbestos DUCT INSULATION, Asbestos Paper DUCT INSULATION for SOUNDPROOFING DUCT SYSTEM NOISES DUCTS, Asbestos Transite Pipe DUST CONTAMINATION FROM HVAC? EDUCATION, HVAC SCHOOLS ELECTRIC MOTOR DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE ELECTRIC MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH ELECTRICAL POWER SWITCH FOR HEAT ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings EVAPORATIVE COOLING SYSTEMS EVAPORATOR COIL or COOLING COIL EXPANSION VALVES, REFRIGERANT FAN, AIR HANDLER BLOWER UNIT FAN AUTO ON Thermostat Switch FAN CONVECTOR HEATERS - HYDRONIC COILS FAN LIMIT SWITCH FAN NOISES FURNACES WARM AIR HEATING SYSTEMS GASES, EXPOSURE, TESTING Carbon Dioxide - CO2 Carbon Monoxide - CO METHANE GAS SOURCES GAS MEASUREMENT TOOLS GAUGE, REFRIGERATION PRESSURE TEST HEAT LOSS (or GAIN) in buildings HEAT PUMPS HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE INSPECTION CHECKLIST - OUTDOOR UNIT INSPECTION LIMITATIONS LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION LOST COOLING CAPACITY What to Check First A/C Flow Too Weak A/C Filter Problems A/C Compressor Problems A/C Off - Condensate Pan Switch A/C Cooling Coil Icing A/C Not Dehumidifying A/C Air Duct Problems Air Conditioner Won't Start Air Conditioner Refrigerant Problems Blower Fan No Start / No Stop Compressor Diagnosis: Diagnose & Repair Cooling Capacity of the Duct System Repair Guide Master List MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH NOISY AIR CONDITIONER / HEAT PUMP NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE Air Leak Noises AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP NOISES OPERATING COST OPERATING DEFECTS OPERATING TEMPERATURES PORTABLE ROOM AIR CONDITIONERS PRESSURE READINGS, REFRIGERANT REPAIR GUIDE, AIR CONDITIONERS / HEAT PUMPS REPAIR & DIAGNOSTIC FAQs for A/C REFRIGERANTS GAUGE, REFRIGERATION PRESSURE TEST REFRIGERANT CHARGING PROCEDURE REFRIGERANT DRIERS & FILTERS REFRIGERANT LEAK DETECTION REFRIGERANT LEAK REPAIR REFRIGERANT METERING DEVICES TEVs REFRIGERANT METERING CAPILLARY TUBES SEER RATINGS & OTHER DEFINITIONS SYSTEM OPERATION SWAMP COOLERS THERMOSTATS, HEATING / COOLING THERMOSTATIC EXPANSION VALVES WATER COOLED AIR CONDITIONERS More Information |
This air conditioning repair article discusses the problem of dirt or debris blockage of the air conditioning system's cooling coil or evaporator coil in an air conditioning system air handler, how the dirt gets there, what problems it causes, how to clean a cooling coil (or evaporator coil), and how to prevent future dirt on the coil. InspectAPedia offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/Contact.htm.For A/C or heat pump cooling coil blockage problems, also see DIRTY COIL CLEANING PROCEDURES and FROST BUILD-UP on AIR CONDITIONER COILS . If your air conditioning or heat pump system has lost its cooling capacity or won't start see REPAIR GUIDE for AIR CONDITIONERS. see How to determine the cooling capacity of air conditioning equipment if the system seems to be working but is inadequate to cool your building. Contact us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution. © Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. BLOCKED COOLING COIL - Air Conditioner Evaporator Coil Blocked by Debris
How do we clean a dirty air conditioner or heat pump cooling coil or evaporator coil? See DIRTY COIL CLEANING PROCEDURES. What Else Causes a Blocked Air Conditioning Evaporator Coil or Reduced Air-flow Across the Coil?Dirty air filter: can be mistaken for a blocked cooling coil. Always check your air filter first. Replace it if it's clogged and dirty and check the filter regularly. See AIR HANDLER / BLOWER UNITS Air Conditioner Evaporator Coil Frost or Ice Formation: When the coil becomes sufficiently blocked with debris as to slow down the air flow enough, the coil may actually become so cold that the condensate forming on its surface freezes, completely blocking the coil. That's because the rate of release of refrigerant into the evaporator coil was designed with an assumption of a sufficient volume of air moving across the coil to keep it from becoming too cold. When the surface temperature of an air conditioning cooling coil drops below 32 degF or 0 degC, condensate forming on the coil surface begins to freeze, leading to sometimes some pretty weird behavior of the cooling system as we discuss at FROST BUILD-UP on AIR CONDITIONER COILS where we explain that there can be more than one reason that a cooling coil ices-up but none of those conditions is desirable. Damaged air conditioner coil fins: can occur on both the evaporator (cooling) coil and the outside condensing coil. See CONDENSING COIL REPAIR REPLACE for discussion of repairing bent or damaged coil fins. Only in extreme cases will fin damage be so severe that air flow across the cooling coil is severely blocked - enough to cause loss of function or coil icing. Dirty air handler blower fan: see AIR HANDLER / BLOWER UNITS and its section titled DIRTY A/C BLOWERS This article describes the very significant reduction in airflow across a cooling coil that can occur if the squirrel cage fan blades are dirty on the blower fan in the air handler. A dirty blower fan can be the cause of reduced airflow across the cooling coil and can even lead to coil icing. Air leaks or unnoticed duct openings: in the duct system can interfere with proper airflow through the duct system, reducing air delivery into the building, and can be mistaken for a blocked or dirty cooling coil. Details are at DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS. Questions & Answers regarding this articleQuestions & answers about blocked, damaged, dirty A/C or heat pump cooling coils/evaporator coils Ask a Question or Search InspectAPediaHTML Comment Box is loading comments...
Share this Article
... Technical Reviewers & References
Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website. AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
|
| Home | About Us | Accuracy | Contact Us | Content Use Policy | Privacy | Website Description | © 2012 Copyright InspectAPedia.com |