Keeping your fins clean

Alpine Heating and Cooling • March 31, 2020

Typically speaking most air conditioning and heating repairs should be done by licensed professionals. However, there are certain small tasks that most homeowners can take that go a long way in helping maintain their HVAC system.


One of the simplest is cleaning the fins of the ac Unit. Now I now most Men and Women this time of year with the weather getting warm automatically begin to think of fishing when we start talking about cleaning fins but stick with me here for another couple minutes and you may save enough money to buy that new reel you’ve been wanting 😊


The fins play an integral part in keeping the air flowing in and out of your air conditioner. Let’s dig a little deeper.


What Are Air Conditioner Fins?

Air conditioner fins have 2 key jobs: Protecting the unit from debris (grass, leaves, sticks, etc…) and also aid in pushing warm air away from the unit to which increases the efficiency of your ac unit. There are two type of fins and they are explained below.


Evaporator Fins

The evaporator fins are located inside your ac unit around the evaporator (who’d a thunk right?) Their job is to cool the outside air and send that air into you home. If these fins become clogged with debris your system will have to work significantly harder thus raising those energy bills.


Condenser Fins

Condenser fins are thin metal slats that run along the outline of your exterior ac unit. These fins move warm air away from the air conditioner while it’s operating. Keeping these fins clean can significantly increase the lifespan of your ac unit.

Cleaning your fins…


Fins can be easily bent which leads to costly repairs. DO NOT power wash or harsh scrub to clean the fins or any component of your AC system. Also, do not attempt to just clean the fins with your hands!


We recommend purchasing an Air Conditioning fin comb. These can be purchased for around $10-$20 and are made specifically for the job their named. We recommend using the fin comb at least twice a year (Spring & Fall) to clean your fins and additionally throughout the year if you notice build up.


The best approach to cleaning ac fins is to use an air conditioner fin comb, or ac fin comb, to gently clean both the condenser and evaporator fins. An AC fin comb is a small tool with soft bristles made for delicately cleaning both the exterior and interior fins of your ac unit.


If you’re interested in this plan or looking at other options, please reach out to our office via one of the below methods.

 

Contact Information:

Alpine Heating & Cooling

P: 330-359-7114

E: sales@alpinehcservices.com

W: alpinehcservices.com

 

Commercial Kitchens

P:330-763-1902

E: office@commercialkitchensllc.com

W: commercialkitchensllc.com


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