AC Coil Cleaning

Signs your AC coil needs cleaning

Most homeowners don't see their evaporator coil, since it sits sealed inside the air handler. These are the symptoms that point to it:

• Musty or moldy smell. A damp, mildew odor when the system starts up usually comes from growth on the coil or in the drain pan, and it travels through every vent in the house.
• Weak airflow. Dust and biofilm packed into the coil fins restrict how much air can pass through, so less of it reaches your rooms.
• Longer run times and higher bills. A coated coil can't absorb heat efficiently, so the system runs longer to reach the temperature you set.
• Water near the air handler. Sludge in the drain pan clogs the condensate line. The pan overflows, or the float switch trips and shuts the system off.
• Ice on the indoor unit. Restricted airflow across a dirty coil is one of the common reasons evaporator coils freeze.

What our coil cleaning includes

Every coil cleaning is done by a factory-trained Gulfstream Cooling technician and covers:

• Inspection. We check the evaporator coil, drain pan and air handler cabinet and show you what we find.
• Coil cleaning. We clean the coil surface to remove dirt, dust and biofilm without bending the fins.
• Drain pan cleaning. We remove mold and sludge from the pan and the delta plate above it.
• Drain line flush. We clear and flush the condensate line so water drains freely.
• Filter check. We check the air filter and tell you if anything else needs attention.

Why coils get dirty faster in Palm Beach County

Your evaporator coil pulls moisture out of the air every minute the AC runs, and in Palm Beach County that is nearly every day of the year. The coil and drain pan stay wet, dust from the return air sticks to them, and mold and biofilm grow on that layer. Homes with pets, nearby construction, or filters that go too long between changes build up even faster.

How often to schedule coil cleaning

We recommend having the coil and drain pan inspected at each maintenance visit, twice a year in our climate: once in spring before peak cooling season and once in fall. Many systems need a full cleaning every one to two years, and sooner if you notice any of the signs above.