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Photograph of damaged air conditioner condensing coil fins Air Conditioner Condensing Coil FAQs
Q&A on damaged A/C or heat pump condenser coils

A/C or Heat Pump condener coil questions& answers.

This air conditioning repair article series discusses the damaged air conditioner condensing coil fin damage & compressor, including bent or clogged fins which can interfere with effective system operation and improper support such as tipped or leaning A/C compressors.

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A/C - Heat Pump Condensing Coil Damage & Repair FAQs

Photograph of This old compressor was used as a seat by workers eating lunch behind a law office.

These questions & answers about condenser coils such as smashed fins or corrosion or leaks were posted originally at CONDENSING COIL REPAIR REPLACE - be sure to see the diagnosis and repair advice given there.

Question: what will it cost to replace the condensing coil and Freon?

(Mar 27, 2014) chuck said:
My condenser coil has failed and all Freon has leaked out. Any idea of what the cost will be to replace the coil and Freon?

Reply:

Chuck, in a companion article on refrigerant leaks at REFRIGERANT LEAK REPAIR and in the FAQs section at the bottom of that article -

we comment on coil repair options.

The actual repair cost range is quite large, ranging from a DIY epoxy kit to a service call to a coil replacement to a complete HVAC system replacement, depending on the cause of the leak, the refrigerant type or age of the system, and thus the repair options.

To replace an AC condensing coil you could be looking at $1300 - $1500. U.S.D. vs. $2000 to $3000 to replace the whole unit.

On 2012-11-01 by Mike

HI Dan,

I just wanted to make sure that I sent my photos to the right email address and that you actually received them.

Thanks,

Mike

On 2012-10-11 02:23:08.258782 by (mod) -

Mike use the CONTACT US link to send me photos. I'll be glad to take a look.

On 2012-10-10 12:31:30.176514 by Mike

Hi Dan,

In response to your comments below, the cooling coil extends upward at an angle....maybe 45 degrees or less. The drip pan (more of a drip strip) is actually a trough at the bottom of the cooling coil housing. If the condensate runs down the coils to the bottom of the housing, it is captured by the drip pan.

However, when it drips straight down from some of the upper coils, it completely misses the drip pan. Not sure how to attach photos to this response but I do have some that might better illustrate what I am taking about.

On 2012-10-09 by Shirley Hyde foxygrandma7@yahoo.

My ac unit outside is not working. The fan si not working when I turn on the ac or the heat. What do I do?

On 2012-09-23 by (mod) -

HI Mike,

Usually the condensate pan inside the air handler extends under the cooling coil to catch any runoff or dripoff, though sometimes in high humidity the blower can blow condensate past the pan.

Inadequate return air flow would slow down air movement across the coils and would not make the problem of condensate missing the pan worse, rather I'd think it'd make it better - unless there is something I just don't get about that explanation.

Make sure that the drip pan pitches towards its drain and the drain is not clogged.
Then inspect and maybe if you can, take some photos to send along and I can comment further;

On 2012-09-21 by Mike

I live in a condo building. I have a leak coming from my inside HVAC unit. Condensation from the coils appears to be dripping straight down instead of flowing down the coils and into the condensation drain.

I have had two separate HVAC technicians look at the problem.

One thought there was a possible issue with not enough air circulation coming back into the system due to smaller than should be duck work (just a guess on his part as he not seen the duct work) or possible due to a fire damper in the duck work being closed somewhere.

The other technician did not find any specific problems with the unit and suggested that it might be a design and application issue that was beyond the scope of what a field technician can do. What are your thoughts?

On 2012-07-29 by (mod) -

Bobby, sounds like an electrical switch that uses a transformer or coil to operate the relay. The power board is not the power coil. The power board is a circuit board; sometimes a component on such a board fails or burns up - not something that is field repairable.

On 2012-07-21 by Bobby

What's a Power coil? I had an A/c come in and change coils showed me a small rectangular thing that had copper wire attached to it. Told me the powerboard in the oustide unit was shot. and he tells me I can't heat but can cool normally. Sounds like BS.

On 2012-07-10 by (mod) -

Good point, Sam, thanks. Also we see cooling coil corrosion from indoor pool chemicals and of course other corrosives in industrial settings. And from Chinese drywall outgassing.

On 2012-07-10 by SamS

If you live near the beach the salty air from the ocean can cause premature disintigration of the aluminum condenser coil fins.

On 2012-06-10 by (mod) -

Desha, urine is corrosive to aluminum - a common metal used on condenser coil fins.

The condenser coil and its fins are in the outdoor compressor/condenser unit - something a pet could certainly pee on.

The evaporator coil is the cooling coil that is inside the air handler or ductwork inside the building. Unless the pet got into the air handler or ductwork to urinate on the evaporator coil, that's a different section of your cooling system.

On 2012-06-08 by Desha M. Smith

Can pet urine corrode condensor coil and as a result cause damage to the evaporator coil

On 2011-07-06 by (mod) -

A/C condenser coil fins that flake and disintegrate on being touched must be very badly corroded - perhaps by exposure to a nearby corrosive gas - we have seen this problem in units installed at indoor swimming pool installations; sorry but it sounds as if you need a new condenser coil AND I'd want to look for the corrosion cause; did someone spray the condenser with an inappropriate and caustic cleaner??

On 2011-07-04 by Jack

do residencial condenser coils need teflon coating, what would cause coils to flake and fall off just by touching them.


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