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October 31, 2024

How To Clean Evaporator Coils

October 31, 2024

How To Clean Evaporator Coils

At Comfort Squad Heating & Cooling, we proudly serve the Houston metropolitan area with expert indoor comfort services.

In this post, we’d like to explain the importance of evaporator coils in HVAC performance — and how you can safely clean them.

Why Regular Evaporator Coil Maintenance Matters

Cleaning your evaporator coils is essential for maintaining both heating and cooling efficiency. Dirty coils force your system to work harder, leading to higher utility bills and reduced cooling capacity.

Routine maintenance helps reduce unnecessary wear and tear, protecting your system from costly breakdowns.

Signs Your Evaporator Coils Need Cleaning

The leading indicators that it is time for evaporator coil maintenance include:

  • Reduced cooling performance: Dirty coils restrict airflow, directly impacting cooling performance.
  • Higher energy bills: When your AC has to work harder due to restricted airflow, you’ll often notice an increase in energy consumption.
  • Frozen coils: Ice or frost on the coils can act as an insulator, limiting airflow. This usually occurs over a buildup of dirt and grime.
  • Inconsistent airflow: Blocked airflow due to clogged coils result in weaker airflow from your vents.

Tools and Equipment Needed

Before you begin, gather the following items:

  • A soft brush
  • A vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment
  • Coil cleaning solution, or a mix of mild detergent and water
  • A fin comb to straighten bent fins
  • Protective gloves and safety goggles

Step-by-Step Cleaning Process

Follow these steps to clean your evaporator coils:

1. Turn Off the Power

For safety, disconnect power to the unit at the circuit breaker.

2. Access the Evaporator Coils

Open the access panel on your indoor air handler to locate the coils, usually found behind the panel.

3. Remove Loose Debris

Use a soft brush or vacuum with a brush attachment to gently clear off surface dirt and dust. Be careful not to bend the coil fins.

4. Apply a Coil Cleaning Solution

Spray a coil cleaner over the coils. If you don’t have a suitable commercial cleaner, a mild detergent mixed with water works well. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to break down the grime.

5. Rinse and Dry

Rinse the coils with water and gently wipe them down. Follow any instructions provided with the cleaning solution. Make sure the coils are completely dry before moving on.

6. Straighten Bent Fins

Carefully use a fin comb to straighten any bent fins. Proper fin alignment helps ensure smooth airflow that preserves efficient HVAC system performance.

7. Reassemble and Restore Power

Reattach the access panel and turn the circuit breaker back on.

Contact Comfort Squad Heating & Cooling for Comprehensive HVAC Services

If you have any doubts about the process of cleaning evaporator coils or need professional assistance, Comfort Squad is here to help.

Call us at (281) 908-2100 for expert coil cleaning and all other HVAC services – get the help you need, today!


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Comfort Squad

Heating & Cooling


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Joe D.
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Joseph was very professional and informed me that everything on the system was good. Thanks Joseph!Erik Rameriz did a great job and is always professional and knowledgeable! Thanks Erik!
metrad0302
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Joseph L. was great ! He was very helpful and was able to answer any questions. Very professional!
Angie R.
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Joseph did Great work, explain everything welk, very professional.
Binh N.
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Technician Joseph Le Was very informative and knowledgeable.
jose B.
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Anthony D.
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Joseph was a great rep. He was very helpful!
Lisa M.
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Joseph came out to do our tune up - he was great and extremely knowledgeable! Amazing job !These guys are so professional and extremely knowledgeable. I would recommend this company for no other reason that their technicians are amazing.
Jeff C.
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Super personable! Very thorough! Amazing work and great customer service! Joseph was thorough and very helpful!!! Very knowledgeable about his craft!
Jennah D.
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Joseph did a great job. He was quick and explained everything very well.
John E.
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Joseph did a great job, and we appreciate his hard work.
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Catherine M.
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Erik did a great job of inspecting the issue and providing a great solution. He was very thorough and professional. The turn around time was quick. I highly recommend Erik and Comfort Squad.
Family X’s 4
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Joseph performed the maintenance getting ready for winter before it gets busy. Always on time, always thorough explaining everything and always courteous. Comfort Squad continues to be my go to for all my AC heating needs.Best ever from first phone call to install to customer service to response time. Affordable, honest, AMAZING communication from all departments, prompt and on time, very respectful and courteous staff. Answered all questions and never falsified issues that didn’t exist and I was not pressured with a fake sales pitch. The response to my very first phone call is what sold me. Their after hour service actually answers with a live person!!! Second they offered to bring me portable AC units until our scheduled appointment and this was even before a committed install. And they kept their appointment as scheduled. Wonderful experience and recommend to all. So so happy and I know what a nasty, lying, con artists AC company is with my nightmare from way below hell with Royal AC. Royal AC will royally screw you but Comfort Squad brought immediate comfort. Thank you from our family for giving back my trust in an honest company as yours!!
Laura A.
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Erik was extremely polite, punctual and helpful! Great service!
mary G.
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Joseph was very professional
Kathryn M.
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Joseph Le came out this morning to service my AC/heater unit. He was very knowledgeable and helpful. He explained to us about the insulation and we were able to purchase it and have it installed within a week. We appreciate the Comfort Squad.
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Experience and excellent services. Very helpful. Installation team did a great job and kept up with housekeeping during and before completion. Called and checked up on everything even months after which was a blessing. Highly recommend comfort squad
Elizabeth C.
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Joseph was great explaining everything that was needed.
Alejandro Flores P.
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Very professional and efficient getting the job done. We’re very responsive and attentive since the initial call.
Chioma J.
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Joseph was very kind and explained what he found in my hearing and cooking systems. He was professional and informative.
DRIECA H.
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Joseph L was exceptionally professional! Explained everything in detail annnnnd cleaned up! Nice young man!
Wayne C.
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I highly recommend comfort squad for all your air conditioning and hearing needs. They are very professional and explained everything to me so I can understand. Joseph came out to do my heating tune and I appreciate his honesty and professionalism.
Aniceto Y.
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Very good
Bill L.
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Joseph did my heating tune up and he was very knowledge and Professional about my system. Thank you for coming out and serving my unit.Eric was professional knowledgeable and extremely friendly thanks a million for having employees like this
Michael V.
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Joseph was professional and very knowledgeable about the AC and heating system.
Sue C.
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Hang N.
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manuel E.
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Great service will recommend to anyoneJoseph came by today to maintance on my heater and he did a great job thank you
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Miz G.
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Joseph did an amazing job, he was quick and efficient.
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Joseph was great, answered all my questions, and Great overall service
Alvin A.
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Joseph came and did my heating tune up. He was very professional and explained to me what was going on with the system. I’m very happy with how he serviced my unit. He was very professional, courteous, and kind! Thank you so much!
Maggie A.
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Joseph was straight forward. He assisted with getting me rhe best option at discount price. Especially since things ha e been hard financially for mw past 4 to 5 years. Thank youFrancisco is always friendly and shares all info about my system. Great company
Kimberlyn G.
1729202346
Update:Sign up for their membership. It helps a lot. You get 2 maintenance/tune up. 1 before the summer and 1 before the winter starts. I recommend asking for Joseph Le as he recently serviced our system. He’s very knowledgeable and he was able to explain the process as much as possible to me. He explained what exactly they’re looking for to ensure everything is working properly. Definitely recommend his services.Original:I would totally recommend Comfort Squad to anyone having HVAC issues. Our AC went down after almost 15 years of service on a weekend. Comfort Squad was referred to us by a family friend so I called in Monday morning. They had a technician, Luis, come by our home to do an inspection and gave us a free quote. Luis was very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions regarding the different Trane systems they have available. We were in between three different systems and Luis gave us a quote for all 3. He was even nice enough to add in a replacement of all our grills without an added fee.Fast forward the day of our appointment. Erik Ramirez was the technician in charge of replacing our system. Erik and his team were phenomenal. There was a slight miscommunication about the grills but Erik was quick to make sure that we get them as well so he went back to the store while his team worked. They were quick but accurate. When I had a question, Erik was quick to give an answer. We are more than satisfied with our new hvac system and we thank the entire Comfort Squad team but with a shoutout to Erik and his team. Oh and may I add that Erik even upgraded our thermostat and I didn’t even ask. Definitely ask for them if you’re gonna get a system from Comfort Squad. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
CYNTHIA P.
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Being using Comfort Squad for years. Always great service, have my qtrly maintenance and never have had issues! Today Joseph serviced our qtlry! Great job as always !
Carmen M.
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Joseph was very detailed in everything he explained about my unit and the purification system. Very friendly, pleasant and professional.
Paul M.
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Joseph was great!! This was the first I had him in my house for maintenance, and he was very good! Very thorough with his inspection and explained everything to me.
Steven Sookraj (.
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Joseph and Fransisco came by the house and we're really friendly. They were pretty thorough while checking up on our AC unit and even walked me through the stats that they check so that I could understand how my AC was running.As someone who isn't too knowledgeable about AC units, I appreciate that they took the time to walk me through the process.
Seema R.
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Joseph and Eric came out maybe less than an hour after contacting Comfort Squad. I’m so glad my coworker told me about them. They were professional and thorough and I’m scheduled for my units to be taken care of this week.
Kristy P.
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Joesph did an amazing job was very clear about what needed to be done and fixed. Very friendly and kind and respectful. Everything went smooth and great
Jerry G.
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Mr. Erik Ramirez came to my house to service my ac.He was on time and very professional. After a few moments of looking at the unit, he was able to fix the problem with ease . He was very informative and even showed me how to operate the phone app for my ac soft start. Very nice and pleasant to talk with.Thanks for your help Erik.
siraj P.
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Joseph Lee came and did an excellent job checking my A/C unit out . He helped me troubleshoot my problem in a professional manner would definitely recommend
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Joseph did and excellent job and explained everything very great.
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