I was going through my blog roll this morning when I saw that someone had asked this elsewhere. I figured it would be a good question to ask. In general, how long do evaporator coils last in a home AC system? How can I make them last longer? If I want to replace them, what should I keep in mind? They should last for the life of the A/C system, which is generally 15-20 years for a high quality system. (Many people end up replacing their systems between 12 and 15 years due to efficiency issues or deferred maintenance causing damage to more easily damaged components, such as the compressor.) Most of the time, evaporator coils fail because they are allowed to get dirty or are allowed to have ice build up on them. Things you can do yourself to help prolong the life is to make sure you change your HVAC intake filter regularly and use a high quality filter (filters should be in place for no more than a month, and should be replaced sooner in a dusty environment if you can no longer see light through the filter), and make sure that your evaporator coils are draining correctly.

The easiest way to make them last longer is to have a licensed HVAC technician perform regular maintenance on your system. This should be done once a year, typically in the winter time. The technician will clean the coils and check them over. At the same time, the A/C tech will check to make sure that your coolant is at the right level/pressure and that there are no leaks in your system. If you replace them, you probably want to replace the entire system at this point thanks to many recent gains made in efficiency. I'm not sure if how long they "should last" matches most home owners experiences. Looking at many consumer complaint websites showed many users with failure between 5 and 7 years. Recommended Maintenance Didn't Save Me You should always do the recommended maintenance, but in my case maintenance wasn't the problem. I have a 14.5 SEER, 2.5 Ton Carrier unit. The evaporator coil started leaking after 43 months (under 4 years). It was a small leak where the copper met the rusty metal housing.

I used high quality filters and replaced them every 2-3 months. They never looked dirty but I still replaced them within the recommended window. It was under a service contract and had preventative maintenance done by a licensed tech from AC-Designs in Central FL every 6 months (twice a year). The parts were under warranty but labor was not so it was a little over $600 to replace with a 90 day labor and 1 year parts warranty. The tech did note that my case was unusual and he's seen both extremes with some lasting the life of the system (15+ years). One thing he mentioned on replacement is some replacements are aluminum based evaporator coils vs the copper in hopes of a longer life. I don't know which is better but I found this article about copper vs aluminum here. Depending on the system, sometimes it makes more since to replace the whole system. Get quotes on each (preferably by 2 or more vendors) before you decide. The department of energy has some other great info on AC systems here.

Browse other questions tagged repair air-conditioning or ask your own question.Mobile Home Selection & Pricing Mobile Home Selection & Pricing We offer the full line of Coleman furnaces including the mobile home gas and electric furnace models. small split ac unitsOur mobile home gas furnace is offered in both 80% and 95% efficiencies.how to charge your rv ac unit Choose from Ruud, Rheem, and Goodman packaged mobile home air conditioning systems or heat pumps. portable ac unit for carsA package unit is self contained in one easy-to-install outdoor unit. These mobile home air conditioning units are available as cooling only, or choose either electric heat or a heat pump for the most complete selection available in mobile home heating and cooling systems

These systems offer maximum flexibility for mobile home heating and air conditioning. A split system has an outdoor air conditioning unit and either a gas or electric indoor furnace. Coleman is the most popular brand in the mobile home heating and air conditioning market and has what it takes to make your home comfortable. If you have an existing mobile home gas or electric (trailer) furnace you can add an air conditioning unit outside and a cooling coil that will fit within your existing furnace. This add-on Coleman mobile cooling system is compatible with the following trailer furnace brands, depending on age: Coleman, Evcon, Vexar, Red T, Mortex, Nordyne, Intertherm, and Miller brands.Your HVAC coil is one of the most important pieces when it comes to controlling the temperature in your home throughout the year, so you want to make sure that it is always working properly.  While coils are meant to last, they can easily become worn down and become less efficient if not maintained properly.

If you’re looking for replacement coils for your home, look no further than HVAC Parts Shop, your leading internet source for Lennox OEM repair parts. From stand-alone replacement coils & drain pans to full coil assemblies, we make it easy for you to get the parts you need at affordable price and with fast shipping right to your home.The requested URL /discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=287x9356 was not found on this server.Written Actually it is the coils of the AC which may be made of Aluminium or Copper.For every model the specifications will mention explicitly if the coils are of copperFor aluminium condensers if there are terms line, Bluefin coating, Multi jet, Multi channel etc are mentioned chances are it is aluminium coils.Verify with the brand customer care to confirm the type of coil used and take the information from from on email.Please read the below article. New technology has made even Aluminium condensors viable alternatives to copper condensorsSource: Air Conditioners: Copper Coil vs Aluminium Coil - Bijli BachaoImportance of coils:The core to air conditioning is a refrigerant gas that goes from gaseous state to liquid state by compression and then again changes back to gas by absorbing heat available in the room.

It goes through a refrigeration process that is mainly divided into 4 parts:Compression: The gas is pressurized and converted into a high-pressure hot liquid.Condensation: The liquid flows through a coil where the high-pressure hot liquid refrigerant is converted into cooler liquid by releasing heat into the outside air. This is a part where coils are used.Expansion Valve: A valve then converts high-pressure liquid to low-pressure liquid.Evaporation: The low-pressure liquid again goes through an evaporation coil where it absorbs heat from the room and changes from liquid to gas. This process happens in the indoor unit while all other happen in the outdoor unit (in case of split ACs).Source: Air conditioningCopper v/s Aluminium Condensore1) Heat transfer characteristics:As the transfer of heat takes place in the coils, it is very important for the metal to have good heat transfer characteristics. Copper has a heat transfer coefficient higher than aluminium. That means, copper is a better heat exchanger than aluminium.2) Cost and Pliability (The quality of being easily bent):Copper is costlier than aluminium, which increases the cost of making an air conditioner and thereby the price of air conditioner.

To reduce the unit cost of manufacturing ACs, aluminium has become the favorite choice of manufacturers.Another factor to be considered is pliability. Aluminium as compared to copper, has a better ability to be bend into the shapes desired. Hence to make a coil of same size and shape, approximately three times more copper is required, making the process costlier.However, to bring down the cost of AC with copper coils, thinner and thinner copper coils are being made now days.3) Strength and reliability:Copper is much easier to repair on field than aluminium. Many times, when aluminium coils are damaged they need replacement. The coils made out of copper are much more stronger than aluminium. Hence they are durable. These days thin copper coils are being used due to its high cost. The new refrigerants that are replacing the old HCFCs operate at higher pressure, which makes the thin copper coils susceptible to leakages. This has made copper less durable, high maintenance and the life span of the coils has also reduced.4) Ease of maintenance:As the condenser coils are placed in the unit that is usually placed outside the house;

it is exposed to harsh climates and dust and this needs regular cleaning for better functioning. Having said that, copper coils are easy to clean and maintain, as they are durable. While aluminium coils are not strong and so need to be kept in heavy-duty cabinet to protect them from damage. This makes them difficult to clean and maintain. (Tip: Look for features such as auto clean mode etc, which will allow you to clean coils and maintain them. Some Hitachi ACs come with an ‘Evaporator coil clean mode’ that will clean the evaporator coil automatically making it easy to maintain)5) Corrosion:Corrosion plays as very important role in determining the life of an Air Conditioner. Corrosion damages the coils that hampers the heat transfer process and also results in leakage. Hence it is very essential to protect the coils from corrosion. Corrosion damages are higher in humid climates and for people living near seacoasts and salty water bodies, as the moisture content in air is higher in such areas.

Copper is subjected to Formicary corrosion, but cleaning the coils regularly and maintaining them with care can control it. The bigger problem is with aluminium coils. The joints of these coils to copper tubes are subject to galvanic corrosion. Galvanic corrosion occurs when two dissimilar metals are in contact in the presence of an electrolyte such as moisture.Due to these corrosion, a non-conducting layer is formed over the coils, which reduces its heat exchange capacity. Today many modern technologies have been developed to protect the coils against corrosion and thus increase the life of ACs. (Tip: Look for corrosion protection techniques while buying AC such as coating over the coils etc)New technology means that Aluminium coils can be almost as reliable as copper coilsThere are benefits and cons of each type of metal that make it a suitable choice for making coils. But when looking for an answer as to which is better, do check out some modern techniques that have given good results in terms of performance and efficiency of coils.

Some noteworthy technologies are:Blue fin condensers:Source: The most common solution is to pre-coat the coil with anti-corrosive materials, used by brands such as Voltas etc. Another name for this technique used by brands such as Panasonic, Electrolux, O General, Blue star etc, is “Blue fin condenser”. In this, the condenser coil is protected from the humidity and moisture. This technique can be very useful to people living in the coastal areas or close to salty water body.Micro channels:Source: Micro channel condenser coils are all aluminum coils. There are multiple flat tubes made of aluminium containing small channels (microchannels) through which refrigerant flows. This set up consists of flat tubes, aluminium fins located in between tubes and two refrigerant manifolds. Since this set up does not have a joint of two dissimilar metals, there is no galvanic corrosion. So these coils are not only a better option for people living in coastal areas and corrosion prone areas, but also the increased thermal performance due to the increased surface area make them very efficient.