What Causes of Evaporator Coil Leaks in Your Clearwater Air Conditioner?
Evaporator coil leaks can reduce your A/C system’s energy efficiency and repairs can be expensive. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to minimize the causes of evaporator coil leaks in your Clearwater home.
Water condensation from the air conditioner is normal. Water vapor condenses and collects on the evaporator coil as the coil takes heat from the surrounding air. As the water builds up on the coil, it drips into a pan below and flows out of your house. The only time you need to worry is if the drain pan leaks or the drain pipe backs up and water spills onto the floor.
Leaks in the evaporator coil are a more expensive A/C problem than overflowing condensate drains. The air conditioner doesn’t burn refrigerant. It should maintain the same volume in a closed loop. If your HVAC tech has to add refrigerant during an annual maintenance visit, you probably have a leaky coil.
Causes of Evaporator Coil Leaks
Manufacturing defects and faulty installation are causes of evaporator coil leaks that occur in the first few months after a new system is put into service. These leaks can usually be fixed by tightening connections or re-soldering joints.
One of the other causes of evaporator coil leaks is formicary corrosion, which results when formic acid on the copper coil slowly eats tiny holes through the coil wall. Formic acid deposition is a result of the interaction of moisture on the coil with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in your indoor air. VOCs get into your air from cleaning products, paint, new carpeting and other construction materials.
Preventing Evaporator Coil Leaks
There are a few steps you can take to prevent or delay evaporator coil leaks:
- Have A/C coils cleaned every year to minimize corrosive build-up on the copper tubing.
- Install ultraviolet (UV) lighting inside ductwork to neutralize VOCs in the air supply.
- Provide a fresh outdoor air supply via energy-exchanging vents.
- Minimize the use of VOCs inside your home.
For more information about causes of evaporator coil leaks, or for other home comfort concerns, call us at Cox Air Conditioning & Heating. We proudly serve the HVAC needs of those in the Clearwater and surrounding areas.
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