Why It’s Important to Have Matching Air Conditioner Coils

Over time, your air conditioning unit will suffer from inevitable wear and tear. One or more components may eventually reach the point where they need to be replaced. A common problem homeowners experience is damaged evaporator or condenser coils. To keep repair costs to a minimum, some simply replace the damaged coil. However, this can cause further problems if the replacement coil doesn’t match the original.  

To share more about this issue, Bill Reynolds Heating & Air Conditioning, known for providing top-quality heating services, takes a closer look at the importance of matching air conditioner coils in this post. 

What Is the Purpose of AC Coils?

Before all else, you need to understand the purpose of your air conditioner’s two coils. The evaporator coil can be found near the air handler inside your house, while the condenser coil is located inside the outdoor unit. They’re designed to work together to remove heat and moisture from your home. 

The evaporator coils absorb heat from the indoor air. The heat travels along refrigerant lines until it reaches the condenser coils. The condenser coils, meanwhile, transfer the heat to the outdoor unit. To ensure your air conditioning unit is effective, the evaporator coils should be sized perfectly to soak up as much heat as the condenser coils can dump into the outdoor unit during one cooling cycle.

What Happens If Your AC Coils Don’t Match?

If your AC coils are mismatched in size, the smaller coils can’t keep up with the capacity of the larger ones. This forces your entire system to run longer and wear down more. Eventually, you may need to call in a professional for an air conditioning repair. 

Here are other problems you may experience if your AC coils don’t match:

• High energy bills – If your evaporator coils are sized at three tons, but your condenser coils are sized at two tons, your condenser may end up struggling to release the heat it receives. As such, your system will work twice as hard to reach your home’s ideal temperature, which will cause your bills to rise significantly. 
• Decreased comfort – Mismatched coils can lead to higher indoor temperatures and humidity levels. While smaller evaporator coils provide better dehumidification, they don’t cool the house very well. Larger evaporator coils, on the other hand, do a good job of cooling the house but remove little to no moisture from the air. 
• Voided warranty – When installing your AC unit, most manufacturers specify that if you replace the evaporator or condenser coil, the replacement must be the same size and SEER rating. If either one is replaced with a different size, system failure is a possibility. Thus, they’ll void any remaining time on the unit’s warranty. 

If you’re looking for a professional company for HVAC repairs, put your trust in Bill Reynolds Heating & Air Conditioning. Our expert HVAC technicians also offer furnace installation and many other services. Give us a call at (440) 946-7863 or fill out our contact form to set up an appointment.