Condenser Coil Cleaning

Why Do We Clean Condenser Coils?

Unlike the evaporator coil, the condenser coil is exposed to unfiltered outdoor air—so it suffers much greater degradation due to dirt. The performance penalty of a dirty condenser makes this task one of the most cost-effective energy-efficiency practices available for rooftop unit maintenance.

A dirty coil reduces the cooling ability of the air blowing across the condenser coils. If the condensing temperature is raised from 95° F to 105°F as a result, then cooling capacity will be cut by 7 percent and increase power consumption by 10 percent, with a net compressor efficiency reduction of 16 percent.

Such performance degradation in a 10-ton unit operating at 9.0 EER for 2,000 hours per year at 8 cents per kilowatt-hour wastes about US$250 per year in operating costs.

It takes a technician about an hour to clean the condenser. This is money well spent—in this example, cleaning the unit would have a payback of just over two months, with a net annual savings of $200. Yearly Coil cleaning can be included in your Preventive maintenance agreement, and is the fastest way to start saving energy.  

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