A functional AC is crucial in keeping the house cool during the scorching summer. Given this, you should know your unit relies on the evaporator coil to facilitate heat transfer between the refrigerant and warm air. However, this crucial component may malfunction due to a lack of service and age-related deterioration. Consequently, your unit may strain to provide an average cooling output, reducing its efficiency. Moreover, your unit may experience total failure if you fail to schedule timely repairs for the underlying issues. Below are evaporator issues that affect your unit's efficiency.

Refrigerant Leaks

Your system blows warm air over the copper coil using the fan. In this case, the coil has tubes containing coolant in a liquid state that absorbs the heat in the air and cools it down. However, the refrigerant lines can degrade over time due to formic acid corrosion and leak the coolant. As a result, your unit will not absorb heat adequately, reducing the cooling output. Since prolonged exposure to the coolant harms your health, you should hire an AC professional when you notice reduced cooling. They will seal the line set and recharge your system with sufficient coolant for adequate indoor cooling.

Frozen Coil

You may experience a frozen evaporator coil due to airflow issues. For instance, clogged air filters restrict airflow, causing the coil to become too cold as the refrigerant flows in the absence of sufficient air. On the other hand, a refrigerant leak may cause the coolant to expand while the pressure in the system decreases significantly. As such, the coil will ice up, insulating the coolant from the air. Therefore, it is wise to clean the system regularly and replace your filter to avoid frozen cycles.

Dirt and Debris Build-up

A long period of inactivity may cause dust accumulation in the evaporator coil. Consequently, a dirt build-up insulates the coil, hindering heat exchange between the coolant and air. This puts the compressor under a lot of pressure, causing its burnout. Over time, the coil may ice up, leading to compressor failure. Again, this is an issue you can remedy by ensuring your unit stays clean at all times. 

Wrong Coil

If you address evaporator coil malfunctions yourself, you may replace the defective coil with a mismatched size. Note that this leads to the condenser coil working harder if the evaporator coil is too small. As a result, the system will exert more effort to reach the set temperature, consuming more energy. Therefore, it is best to leave repairs to an AC expert who will help you replace your damaged coil with a correctly-sized one for a reliable service life.

You should know that the evaporator coil will operate effectively when well-serviced. Thus, you should employ the services of an AC repair expert to routinely service your unit for seamless operation.

Contact an air conditioning repair contractor to learn more.