Acker Heating & Cooling

Your heating and air conditioning system contains several components that have to work together to keep your home comfortable. If one of these parts malfunctions, you might experience difficulty keeping your living space properly regulated. A significant increase in your energy bills can also indicate that your HVAC system isn’t working as it should. If you believe something’s wrong with your equipment, contact a professional immediately. 

Continue reading to discover what can happen if your air conditioner’s evaporator and condenser coils don’t match.

What Are Evaporator and Condenser Coils?

Evaporator coil. The evaporator coil is an air conditioning system component that removes the heat from your indoor spaces. It can be inside the air handler or connected to the furnace. Together with the condenser coil, it facilitates the heat exchange process that creates conditioned air.  

This AC component contains refrigerant that the compressor delivers to the metering device in liquid form, which is then brought to the evaporator. The refrigerant sucks up the heat from the air that passes through the coil from the blower fan. 

For your air conditioner’s evaporator coil to remain efficient, you must keep it clean. Filthy coils can result in a dramatic increase in your energy consumption. It can strain your equipment, resulting in poor performance, overheating and frozen coils. The easiest way to keep these coils from accumulating dirt and dust is regular air filter cleaning or replacement. 

Condenser coil. Just like the evaporator coil, the condenser coil is also essential to the heat transfer process. It moves warm air from your indoor space to the outdoors. This component features several tubes filled with refrigerant. Inside these coils is a chiller that cools the refrigerant and brings it to the condenser tubing, where it becomes a gas. This gas is then circulated through your residential or commercial HVAC system. 

Condenser coils must be kept clean in order to perform well. Debris buildup on the fins is the most common cause of issues in these coils. Twigs, leaves, grass clippings and other debris can prevent the condenser from releasing the heat from the inside. As a result, your air conditioner will have to work harder than it should, which can speed up the deterioration of system components. 

Experts advise inspecting the condenser regularly and keeping an eye out for debris buildup. Before the heating season begins, you can cover the top of the condenser to protect it from snow and other harsh elements. Cover only the top of the outdoor condenser, not the entire unit, to prevent moisture accumulation that can cause rust. 

What Will Happen if They Don’t Match?

Your HVAC system’s efficiency and lifespan will suffer. Residential and commercial HVAC systems require specific parts to perform efficiently. Every component — including the coils, wiring and blowers — needs to be suitable for each other for the equipment to run smoothly. Mismatched parts will only result in headaches down the road, compromise your comfort and cause the system to fail shortly. 

The efficiency and lifespan of your equipment will suffer if the condenser and evaporator coils don’t match. Mismatched coils will cause your HVAC system to exert more effort to meet the desired temperature. One of the coils will need to work harder to match the performance of the other. The added stress on the equipment increases the chances of costly repairs and early equipment failure. 

Your warranty will be voided. Most manufacturers of cooling and heating systems have specific requirements that must be met to keep warranties valid. For example, they typically require property owners to maintain their equipment regularly. When purchasing a new HVAC system, be sure to assess and read warranties carefully. Manufacturers usually demand that the evaporator and condenser coils be the same size. This means that if they don’t match, you’re risking the validity of your warranty. 

Industry experts know that if these coils are different sizes, it won’t be long before the equipment malfunctions and fails. A reliable provider of HVAC services will make sure that you have the right type of system for your home and help you keep it in good condition. At Acker Heating & Cooling, you can count on us to help you make the best decisions for the longevity and efficiency of your HVAC system. 

Your energy bills will increase. If you’ve noticed that your energy bills are increasing, mismatched air conditioning coils could be to blame. If the evaporator and condenser coils aren’t the right size, the smaller coils won’t be able to keep up with the larger ones. This will cause your entire HVAC system to run longer and consume more energy.  

Your indoor comfort will be compromised. It will be difficult to cool your home, and your indoor humidity levels will increase, if the condenser and evaporator coils don’t match. For instance, if the evaporator coil is larger than the condenser coil, your living space will get cool but stay humid. Meanwhile, if the evaporator coil is too large, your home won’t be as humid, but it will be hard to cool. 

Air conditioners have significantly evolved over the last few years, especially indoor units. Newer models have improved features, such as better filtering and air handling and lower noise levels. They’re also generally more efficient than older units. 

You’ll end up spending more. Your condenser and evaporator coils were likely installed together. This means they should be in a similar condition because they were subjected to the same amount of wear and tear. Even if only one of these coils has an issue, it’s safe to assume that the other will eventually malfunction too. You can save on labor costs by having the condenser and evaporator coils replaced at the same time. If you only have one replaced, you’ll eventually end up spending more on installation costs.

An experienced HVAC contractor knows what’s best for your cooling and heating systems. At Acker Heating & Cooling, we strive to provide you with the best level of service by using superior HVAC products. We offer air conditioner and heater installation, duct sealing, emergency repair service and more! Call us at (706) 715-2607 or fill out our contact form to request an appointment.