Imagine if someone walked up and said your cooling expenditures were going to increase 30% over the next year. You'd go through the roof! That kind of cost increase in such a short period is almost unthinkable and certainly a cause for concern.
If you're not taking proper care of your facility's HVAC equipment, that's precisely what you're doing to yourself every single year. Just one preventive maintenance task – cleaning your HVAC and other cooling systems' coils – can prevent a 30% or greater increase in the costs associated with keeping your facility, employees, and valuable equipment cooled adequately during the warmer months.
This month, let's take a look at why coil cleaning is such a valuable part of your facility's overall maintenance program and why you should partner with a trusted local service provider like Hays for your HVAC and other cooling equipment maintenance.
Why Are Clean Coils Important?
When you’re talking about “cooling,” what you’re actually talking about is “removing heat.” Whether you’re removing heat from the air inside your facility, coolant that circulates around your expensive equipment, or the food inside a refrigerator, your system’s evaporator and condenser coils are the key components of that heat removal.
Your system’s evaporator coils are where the heat-transfer medium (usually either water or a refrigerant like Freon or Puron) absorbs heat. That medium is then pumped to the condenser coils, where that heat is transferred to the outside air and blown away by a fan.
Having dirty coils causes your system to lose energy efficiency in a couple of different ways:
Dirty Coils Affect Heat Transfer
Dust, pollen, and other debris are harmful to your health, but they're
great insulators. When your coils are covered in dust and dirt, they're less efficient at transferring heat to and from the air that's flowing through them. As a result, it takes longer for the system to cool a given volume of air to the desired temperature.
This reduction in thermal efficiency means that your system has to run longer, increasing your energy expenditures and reducing the lifespan of your expensive cooling equipment.
Dirty Coils Affect Air Flow
The other significant "part" of your cooling systems' coils isn't something most people would think of as a "part" at all: the air that flows through them. Without a regular supply of air, the coils can't do their jobs, and it's the role of the system's fans to keep air moving through the coils while the system is running.
Coils that are clogged with dust and dirt don't allow air to flow easily through them, forcing the fan to operate under a much heavier load than it's designed to handle. This increased load dramatically increases the fan's current draw, raising your power bill. It also causes the fan's motor to run hotter, decreasing its longevity.
How Much Can I Save With Regular Coil Cleaning?
Hundreds of studies on coil efficiency have been performed by everyone from independent research laboratories and HVAC manufacturers to the Environmental Protection Agency. Literally every one of them proves that keeping your cooling systems' coils clean can save a considerable amount of money in terms of energy costs.
In a 2016 study performed on air handling units at Augusta University Hospital Cancer Center in Augusta, Georgia, the facility realized almost $21,000 in savings in
just one building through coil cleaning.
Other studies have shown similar results, with energy savings of up to 40% arising after cleaning a system’s evaporator and condenser coils.
When 60% or more of your monthly energy budget is going to cooling, can you really afford
not to have your coils cleaned regularly?
Can I Clean My Coils Myself?
It may seem like an easy job: grab a pressure washer and get busy. But
coil cleaning isn't really a DIY project. Your coils are surrounded by thin, delicate cooling fins that help improve the coil's heat-transfer capabilities. Damaging these fins is incredibly easy – a high-pressure stream of water can ruin a set of fins in just a few seconds - and if your coil's fins get too dinged up, you're looking at a costly coil replacement. Since the coils are some of the most expensive components in any cooling system, those kinds of replacements can quickly become budget-breakers.
There are other issues at play when cleaning a system’s coils:
- Using the wrong cleaning product can eat away the thin metal.
- Using the wrong technique can force dirt deeper into the coils and cause further inefficiencies.
- Failure to use the correct biocides on evaporator systems can lead to mold growth and other contaminants that can become a health risk to your team.
Why Should I Choose Hays Service for Coil Cleaning Services?
When you select Hays Service as your HVAC and cooling system service provider, we make your regular preventive maintenance easy—including coil cleaning. Our dedicated team knows the right way to clean your condenser and evaporator coils according to industry best practices. We'll ensure that your facility's cooling system coils are kept clean and have plenty of airflow to get the job done.
But our maintenance services go way beyond just coil cleaning. Our maintenance contract customers get year-round preventive maintenance and repairs for their entire HVAC or other cooling systems, including refrigeration units and process equipment cooling. We work on all major manufacturer’s equipment, and our technicians know precisely how to keep your equipment running smoothly.
We use advanced technologies to monitor your systems and identify problems while they're small and easily fixed. If something eventually needs repair or replacement, we take care of that, as well. Our maintenance contract customers even get priority scheduling for repair services!
But even more important than the system maintenance and repair services you’ll get from Hays Service is the level of expertise our team brings. We’re not just going to show up, do the work, and leave. When you’re our partner, we offer valuable guidance and advice on your overall HVAC and other systems.
If your operation expands, we'll help you select the right HVAC and other cooling systems for your new processes or facilities. If it's time to implement indoor air quality solutions, we can help you determine what level of filtration you need and how best to hit air quality targets. We're available any time for questions you might have about comfort systems, process equipment cooling, refrigeration, and other systems you need to stay in business.
When you're ready to take advantage of an immediate drop in your energy bill, reduced maintenance costs, and longer system life, give us a call, and let us show you the difference a thorough coil cleaning can make!
Stay Cool (and Clean!),
Coach Cal 