The air conditioning unit’s evaporator and condenser coils are vital components of your HVAC system. Properly maintained, these coils will continue to keep your home cool all summer long. Let’s look at how frequently AC evaporator and condenser coils should be cleaned in the Valley of the Sun.

What Are Evaporator and Condenser Coils?

Air conditioning units don’t actually create cool air in your house. Instead, the AC system conditions your air by removing heat from the air that’s already inside with the help of two types of AC coils. Evaporator coils, located inside the air conditioning unit’s housing, remove heat and humidity from inside your home. Condenser coils, located outside of the AC system, use refrigerant to transfer heat from inside to the outside of your home.

Why Is It Important to Clean the Coils?

Dirt and debris can wreak havoc on the heat exchange going on between the coils. Dirty coils can cause your electricity bills to increase due to higher levels of energy consumption from the AC unit working harder. Cleaning the coils of dust and debris allows the heat exchange to happen more efficiently. Even though AC units aren’t designed to run forever, by regularly cleaning your coils, you’ll help prolong the lifespan of your AC unit. A clean evaporator coil will absorb heat more quickly meaning you don’t have to run the AC for as long to keep cool. If the evaporator coil isn’t cleaned regularly, mold and bacteria may develop. Having these particles blown around inside your house can be a potential health hazard.

How Often Should Coils Be Cleaned?

You’ll want to be certain that your home’s interior is nice and cool in the summer. It’s best to have the condenser and evaporator coils cleaned twice yearly during seasonal tune-ups. However, with dust levels higher in summer due to Arizona’s annual monsoon thunderstorm season, you’ll want to keep a close eye on monthly energy bills to make certain electricity usage isn’t skyrocketing. A dirty evaporator coil can result in efficiency reductions up to 30%.

Your professionals at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating have the credentials and qualifications to inspect and clean your AC coils. You can count on Bruce’s to get the job done right the first time. Call Bruce’s today at 480-968-5652 to schedule your appointment.

Ice forming on your air conditioner during summer can be a big surprise to homeowners seeing it for the first time. It’s actually a common issue with air conditioners with four common causes.

1. Refrigerant leaks or low refrigerant levels are common causes of ice on your air conditioner. AC refrigerant is vital for keeping your home cool and comfortable. When there’s not enough refrigerant in the evaporator coil, it will result in the coil freezing. Leaks can be caused by system wear and tear, weather conditions, and AC unit vibration. Without getting technical, refrigerant changes from a gas to a liquid and back again in an endless loop. It works in conjunction with other AC system components to push cool air through air vents into your home. This lowers the temperature of the evaporator coils. These coils transfer heat from the inside of your house to outside as exhaust. When the AC unit is low on refrigerant, coil temperature will drop and condensation from high humidity outside will form as ice.
2. Mechanical issues, such as a dirty evaporator coil, damaged fan motor or blower fan, twisted refrigerant lines, or blocked AC drains, will result in reduced airflow throughout your AC unit. The compressor may be damaged from a rapid increase in the amount of electricity used to keep the system functioning properly.
3. Air flow restrictions will cause your AC unit to have difficulty lowering indoor temperatures. These restrictions can be caused by an extremely dirty air filter, damaged ductwork, or damaged air ducts.
4. Severe monsoon thunderstorms during the official Arizona monsoon season, running from June 15 to September 30, may result in the outdoor temperature to fall below 60 degrees. This rapid temperature drop can cause your AC unit to run inefficiently, and frost or ice can form on the AC unit.

Call Bruce’s

The sooner you call the better it will be for your cooling system. You don’t want to damage your AC unit further. Call us today at 480-968-5652. Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating professionals will help make certain your AC unit is inspected, and repaired if necessary. You’ll have peace of mind that your AC unit is running efficiently all summer long.

A smoothly running AC unit is a must living in Metro Phoenix—especially during the summer monsoon season. When overnight temperatures are in the low 90s and high temperatures often soar above 105 degrees, a malfunctioning air conditioner is a potential health hazard. And monsoon dust storms can make it even more challenging, by putting your HVAC system at risk. Let’s take a look at what can happen to your AC unit and ways to protect it from the common dust storms that happen throughout the Valley of the Sun.

Dust Up

Strong winds, often originating from the Casa Grande area, will carry dirt and sand in giant clouds while rolling north to the Valley of the Sun. Called a haboob, these intense dust storms can obliterate highway visibility and create a coating of dust on every surface encountered. And yes, this dust will remain inside your AC unit until it’s cleaned.

Dust Wear and Tear

Your AC unit will need to work harder to get around the coating of dust on intake spaces, fans, rotary motor, and ultimately the air filter. Built up dust can even entirely block the outdoor AC unit from drawing in air from the outdoors. Fans and the rotary motor can slow down, rapidly diminishing efficiency levels. This will result in faster system wear and tear and more service calls to fix it.

Dust Coated Condenser Coils

Condenser coils are the components helping to keep your home cool. They cool the outside air to the desired indoor temperature. Dust, dirt, and debris can act as an insulating barrier causing the AC unit to perform less efficiently. With air passing over these coils, they’re exposed to everything in the air. When the outside air is blocked by a coating of dust surrounding the coils, the air isn’t cooled properly and the unit pumps in warmer air. Your monthly utility bills will increase as the unit operates longer to compensate for reduced performance.

Clean Up

Dust storms can carry all sorts of debris that can jam fans, damage other components, and cause the unit to malfunction. Clearing out debris, sticks, leaves, pruning plants and shrubs near your outdoor unit now can help prevent some potential dust storm problems from occurring.

Contact your HVAC repair experts at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating today to schedule repairs or maintenance. Call Bruce’s at 480-968-5652. We’re your dust-off professionals!

The official start of Arizona’s monsoon season is June 15th, running through September 30th. And the National Weather Service is predicting an active 2022 monsoon season for Arizona. These fast-moving storms are the result of a change in wind patterns, using the Sonoran Desert Southwest’s summer heat to bring moist wind currents north from Mexico. During monsoon season, the desert surrounding the Valley of the Sun bursts into a flurry of monstrous cumulonimbus clouds dropping bursts of rain and hail, towering thunderstorms, and severe flooding.

Homeowner’s new to the Valley of the Sun will soon realize it’s not a dry heat in the summertime with elevated levels of humidity. At Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating, we highly recommend that before monsoon season strikes, you make certain to check your air conditioning system. Here’s how:

Check Your Outdoor AC Unit

Never underestimate the power of monsoon storms. These violent storms can knock down trees, power lines, and may even damage AC units. You want to check your outdoor AC unit to make sure there are no tree branches, rocks, obstructions, or plants growing close to the unit. Dust and debris from monsoon winds, hail, and rain can damage the outdoor unit. Some homeowner’s cover their outdoor AC unit with a tarp to protect it when monsoons hit. If you do cover your AC unit with a tarp before the impending storm, make sure the power is turned off to the AC before covering it.

Check AC Drainage Line

During monsoon season, there’s a substantial increase in humidity, which means more moisture inside your house. Your AC system acts as a dehumidifier and removes excess moisture from the air inside your home. That’s why it’s important that the AC water drainage line is clear and not clogged. Otherwise, you’ll not only have water backing up or pooling near your outdoor AC unit, but the air inside your home will start to be uncomfortably hot and humid.

Call Your AC Professionals

Your air conditioning system is key to keeping you and your family cool during monsoon season. Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating gets a slew of calls during monsoon season about damaged AC outdoor units. Why not have your AC system checked by one of our certified technicians before the next monsoon storm arrives? Don’t sweat it, call Bruce’s at 480-968-5652 to schedule your appointment today.

When it’s scorching hot outside in the Valley of the Sun, your air conditioning system is your best friend. But, what if it stinks? AC units can produce offensive odors that are difficult to ignore, and sometimes that not-so-pleasant aroma is a sign of a larger problem.

If you’re experiencing strange smells emanating from your air conditioning vents, it’s time to investigate the source. Here’s a list of four odors, what they may mean, and most importantly, what you can do about them.

Mildew “Dirty Sock” Smell

Since your air conditioning system works by removing excess heat and humidity from inside your house, excess water can pool outside your home. Your AC drainage lines and pans are the perfect places for mildew to thrive. When this condensation pools outside, it smells not unlike a pair of dirty socks. Though you may notice this odor when you first turn on your AC in February or March, moisture can build-up in your HVAC system any time of the year. Mold can grow on the evaporator coil from excess moisture which can be a serious health hazard for your family. Your local HVAC professionals are best suited to investigate the source of the smell and how it’s impacting your house’s air conditioning system and indoor air quality.

Electrical Burning Smell

This odor is impossible to overlook. It may be due to an overheating motor, malfunctioning fan blade, or melting electrical wiring issue. The acrid smell from indoor vents is a red flag that there’s potential for an electrical fire. Shut off the AC unit at the circuit breaker box and call for repairs. If the burning smell continues after shutting down the system, immediately call 911. You don’t want to risk your family’s safety.

Rotten Egg Smell

If you smell sulfur indoors, it smells like rotten eggs, it’s probably a natural gas leak making its way into your ventilation system. Even though natural gas is odorless, utility companies add the rotten eggs aroma so these dangerous leaks can be smelled. If you smell gas, call 911, immediately evacuate your family and pets safely away from your home, and turn off your gas supply if you know where it is located.

Stinky Trash Smell

A sour, foul smelling trash odor means you most likely have a dead critter trapped in the AC ductwork. Mice, rats, squirrels, chipmunks, birds, and other furry critters can lead to foul smells inside your home.

Call Bruce’s

Attempting to fix any of the sources of AC smells yourself has the potential of making matters worse. Call your skilled technicians at Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating today at 480-968-5652. We’re here 24/7 to help get your AC unit working smell-free.