Your Air-Conditioner's Worst Enemy!
This was what my lawn looked like, when I mowed on June 7, 2015. My neighbor has a huge cottonwood tree. Most of the summer, it's beautiful, but every spring, for two to three weeks, it spews out tons of seeds, most frequently called cottonwood lint. From my 35 year's experience in the commercial HVAC industry, it's the number one cause of inefficient air-conditioning. If it just affected the air-cooled condensers in my neighborhood, it might not be so bad. But, this one tree can affect the heat transfer efficiency of air-cooled condensers for miles around! And, this isn't the only cottonwood tree doing the same thing.
In 1973, the Educational Facilities Laboratory, in their booklet, The Economy of Energy Conservation in Educational Facilities, stated that a "small" layer of debris can affect heat transfer efficiency by 25%! If you don't get your air-cooled condensers cleaned annually, it will likely accumulate more than a "small" layer of debris, in a single cottonwood lint season. Don't just allow your electric company to turn your A/C off for 15 to 20 minutes every hour, to help them control peak electrical demand during hot summer days, for a few dollar discount on your bill. If every air-cooled condenser started the cooling season in like-new condition, I believe, the electric companies would have power to spare for years to come.
By the way, there is a long list of side benefits of clean condenser coils too. How about allowing you to get several more years of useful, efficient life out of every air-conditioning system? In my opinion, 75% of all HVAC maintenance is simply keeping the equipment clean, dry and lubricated. Further, no one can provide those services more cost-effectively than well-trained in-house personnel. It's not rocket science!
HVACR III at the Jackson Laboratory
8 年They do have filters screen that cover the cooling tower we haven't try it as yet some years it not bad other years it bad . When it's bad you have to check the cooling tower strainer screen couple times pluse have to check the condense strainer and the chiller strainer to make sure it's free cottonwood.
HVAC Energy Specialist at Six-Step HVAC Maintenance Recovery
8 年Sorry Mike - I don't thing there is much of anything you can do to keep cottonwood lint out of condensing coils. It is so light and fluffy, it goes everywhere! Another reminder is to clean the birdscreens on the combustion air intakes for residential heating units, as well as outside air intakes for air-handling units. Most outside air intakes are totally plugged within 5 years of installation. Seventy-five percent of all HVAC system maintenance is simply keeping the systems clean, dry and lubricated. IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!
Mechanical Commissioning Engineer at Primary Integration
8 年Outdoor condensing units need to serviced and clean every two years, I would recommend adding 6" blocks under unit to prevent mower discharges from adding debri to unit
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8 年Thanks for the reminder Tom. I just cleaned the coils on my air source heat pump yesterday and it needed it. A solid thin layer of dust and cottonseed that I could peel off by hand and brush. Not much air transfer was happening. Thanks Again.
Retired Salesmen at Haldeman Homme
9 年Thank you, good information. I will have to clean mine. We also have a cottonwood tree in our yard!