Hail storms can cause significant damage to unprotected air conditioner condenser coils. Properly assessing and addressing hail damage to condenser coils, or any finned surface heat transfer coil, will help ensure economical operation of the air conditioning systems on your buildings and avoid unnecessary and possibly more expensive repair costs later.n
Problem / Solutionn
Minor damage to a condenser coil is described as shallow indentations in the coil surface. Can be addressed by merely straightening out the condenser fins to restore optimum air flow through the coil. Moderate damage is defined as coil indentations or paths of bent fins that are at least 1/8 inch deep and cover up to 30 percent of the coil surface. Moderately damaged coils may require 30 minutes or more per square foot to straighten the fins. Severe damage to air conditioning condenser coils is defined as indentations in the coil surface that are from a ¼ inch to 3/8 inch deep and extend well into the enhanced portion of the fins. The damage will cover 30 percent or more of the coil surface area. This degree of damage cannot be ignored and will eventually lead to equipment failure if not properly addressed. Because of the nature of severe damage, it is far more difficult to straighten the fins, but it may still be possible to do so. However, it is a very labor intensive project. Allow 40 minutes to an hour per square foot. This level of damage may also involve damage to the refrigerant tubing in the coil. In some cases, it may be a better choice to replace the condenser coil rather than attempting to repair it.n
The Good news is that we can cost effectively straighten the fins and install Hail Stop hail guards on the unit to prevent from occurring again. If you need a contractor to replace the coil, we have a good selection of qualified contractors to choose from.n