I am not exactly sure what your AC tech is talking about. There is no chemical that you can apply to your heat exchanger that will make it work better other than cleaners or water. If it is loaded with dust, then this might be called for, otherwise it is not necessary.

The best heat exchange occurs when there is little/no dirt and dust on the heat exchanger fins. Sometimes the type of heat exchanger that you describe is called a "pin fin". They are quite efficient. One downside is that they are extremely fragile. With a plate fin exchanger, you can use a comb type device to straighten the fins, but with a pin fin unit the distribution is somewhat random and if you smash any of them getting the housing off, you will affect airflow and efficiency. My gut feeling is that there is more chance of damaging some fins on a unit that has to be disassembled than efficiency gains that you might achieve.

If the AC unit was properly sized and working at one time, then Freon loss is a more likely culprit. Twenty year old units often still work very well. Is there any place on the AC plumbing that looks oily? When freon leaks it often carries lubricating oil with it. There is nothing in an AC system that should be oily. The AC tech can use a sniffer to detect a freon leak and fix it or he can get paid to put in more freon every year or two.

Reply

Quote Reply

Digg It

Del.icio.us