Is Your Car’s A/C Evaporator Leaking?
It’s super hot outside, and you just want to get into your car and blast the cool air to rescue you from melting into a puddle on the floor. You get in the car, turn the key, and flip the A/C switch. But instead of a refreshing blast of icy cold air on your face, you get hot air instead!
Sounds like a situation that happened to you before? Don’t worry, it happens to everyone. Car A/C systems break down fairly often, and it usually isn’t any cause for concern. Most of the time, it can be fixed with a simple refill of the refrigerant. However, what if you have already refilled the refrigerant but your air conditioner is still bust? It could be a more serious problem with your A/C evaporator that you need to check out.
What Is The A/C Evaporator?
An A/C evaporator is part of the A/C system, which includes other components like the compressor and condenser. It is also known as the evaporator core, and it helps to regulate the temperature inside the car by cycling refrigerant through the A/C system. By doing so, it essentially converts warm air to cool air using the engine’s blower fan and compressor. The A/C evaporator is an essential component of the A/C system, and if there is a leak in the evaporator coil, it disrupts the process of cooling air, and will eventually cause the A/C system to break down.
Why Does The A/C Evaporator Leak?
The evaporator may leak due to damage to the body of the machine. Damaged outer seams, for example, would cause a great deal of damage to the A/C system itself. This can happen from excessive vibrations in the front of the car, bumps from driving the car on uneven terrain, or other wear and tear.
However, even if you can’t see any visible cracks or holes along the exterior of the evaporator, there might still be a leak on the inside. This kind of internal leak could be caused by corrosion when leaves or other debris enter the evaporator through the port that takes in air, and they start to decompose inside the evaporator. This can cause the evaporator to corrode through and therefore start to leak.
How Do I Fix A Leaky A/C Evaporator?
Once you have identified that a leak in your A/C Evaporator is the cause of your A/C woes (which does mean that you have double checked that it is not caused by any other factors), you can set about fixing your evaporator. If you know how to replace and install a new evaporator part into your car, you can purchase a new evaporator relatively inexpensively. However, diagnosing and repairing a leaky evaporator is a highly labor-intensive process, and it does require a certain level of skill. For first-timers, we do not recommend trying to do it yourself; it is certainly best to call a professional to fix up your car A/C evaporator for you.