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Being Dirty Can Cost You Money!

Your mother was right about keeping clean. But, was she thinking about parts of your air conditioner and furnace?

If your AC/furnace is dirty on the inside, it can cost you big bucks. You can pay higher monthly utility bills AND need to replace your system sooner than necessary.

Here's a normal, clean evaporator coil (below). All of the air in your central HVAC system passes through this coil. This coil provides the cooling for your house in the summer. If you have a heat pump, this coil provides most of the heating for your house in the winter.

Compare the coil above with the coil below. Notice the debris (dust, mold, hair, who-knows-what) on the coil below. All of the air in the house passes through this coil. That's the air we breathe! Yuck! How long can you hold your breath?

So, what do we need to do? We need our coils cleaned.

Can anybody do this? No, it's the job for a licensed HVAC technician. Some techs will spray a surface cleaner on the coils and wipe it off. That's generally NOT good enough to clean all of the debris that's down in the middle part of the coil. Most times the coil needs to be removed so that it can be cleaned effectively.

Now you know. So, get your coils cleaned and start saving some money! Tell 'em Tom sent you!

Tom Sinclair

About the House - Home Inspections

Fairhope, Alabama

(251) 990-3169

www.InspectTestAnayze.com

Posted by Tom Sinclair : About the House - Home Inspections on 10/24/2007 09:09 AM

Comments (7)

This post has been included in Alabama Information Mobile County, AL Information Mobile, AL Information
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7 Comments on Being Dirty Can Cost You Money!

OCT

2007

Tom, thanks for the info. Thats really gross to think about what I am breathing.

Tom - Thanks for this info. We get phone calls all the time to have our ducts cleaned, I don't believe I've ever had anyone so much as mention dirty coils. Thanks again for this important info.

Thanks Tom, do you have a recommended service interval to have this done? What about a cigarette environment, any difference?

Kevin -- A thorough cleaning should be done on an existing system that's as dirty as the one above. Once clean, an annual cleaning should be sufficient. Other areas to clean include the air handler fan, the inside of the air handler case and the supply & return plenums. Your HVAC tech will know what they are and can show you these on your unit.

I'm not convinced that duct cleaning is as necessary as the duct cleaning companies think it is. More on that later.

Tom

Kevin --

And cigarettes...

Depending on your type of ductwork, cigarette smoke can be absorbed by the inside of the ductwork. Some types of fiberglass ductboard can retain the tar of the cigarette and circulate that smell throughout the house long after you quit.

Duct cleaning may be needed in some cases.

Tom

Great information, thanks again Tom. I've never had the coils cleaned, calling for servicing tomorrow.

NOV

Thanks for the great advice. I will check back often. I really like the blog. I am new at blogging but I am beginning to learn quite a bit from reading blogs like the ones I find on Active Rain. If I can ever be of help just let me know.

Thanks, Terry

Of "Now What?"

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