An evaporator coil is a vital part of any heating or cooling system. It is usually found in an air conditioner, because it is particularly good at absorbing heat when air is passed through it. These coils look like a series of pipes. A furnace, central air conditioner, or other air-modifying device passes the household air through the coil, which absorbs the air’s heat and sends it back into the house as cold air via a series of air ducts. The two main components of an air conditioner are usually the condenser and the evaporator coil.
Central furnace and air conditioning combinations often have their condenser and evaporator coil close together. These units can use the condenser to heat the air or switch over to the coil to cool the home. the coils will typically be placed on top of or next to an air-handling unit, rather than inside of it. In North America, there are three common types of evaporator coils: vertical, cased, and uncased..
The vertical type is best suited to handle an upward or downward air flow. It handles pre-processed air and condenses the heat from this air flow in water form. After the condensation process, the vertical coil channels the resulting water to a drain, thereby lowering the humidity of the household air as it cools it.
Cased coils have a protective outer shell and are one of the most commonly used models in North American homes. Like vertical coils, they handle an upward or downward air flow, using a coolant to attract hot air and leave only the colder air current. This cold air returns to the home after passing through the air conditioning ducts. The cased evaporator coil’s function is almost identical to that of the vertical coil, but their main difference lies in shape and size. Depending on the type and configuration of the air conditioning device or furnace being used, one model may fit better than the other for installation purposes.
The third common type of coil is the uncased coil, which is a version of the cased coil minus its protective casing. An uncased evaporator coil is much easier to customize for this reason. They are a good choice for those with a unique furnace or air conditioning unit because technicians can reconfigure the coil shape to fit the device in question.