What Do I Do If My Outside Air Conditioner Has Bent Fins?

If your outside air conditioner has bent fins, you can straighten them yourself if you feel comfortable doing so. Straightening bent fins will improve airflow to the unit, optimizing performance.

What Do I Do If My Outside Air Conditioner Has Bent Fins?

Straightening your outside air conditioner’s bent fins can be done in a few simple steps. If you are uncomfortable performing any of the steps below, contact your HVAC professional to do the job for you.

• Disconnect power to your air conditioner before doing any work to the outside air conditioner’s bent fins.
• Remove the access panel and wire grille to expose the fins.
• Remove screws and gently lift out the fan and grille.
• Take off the front cover plate to the evaporator coil.
• Match the fin tool’s head with the number of fins per inch on the system.
• Starting at the bottom of the fins, insert the fin tool and move upwards carefully to straighten.

Why Are My Outside Air Conditioner’s Bent Fins a Problem?

The outside air conditioner’s fins serve the purpose of allowing heat to dissipate from the evaporator coil to the outdoors. When the fins are bent, more heat is trapped within the unit because it cannot escape as efficiently. This can lead to performance problems and difficulty controlling temperatures properly in the home.

When the outside air conditioner’s fins are straight, heat can easily escape the evaporator coil into the outdoor environment. Straight fins make the cooling process more efficient, and protects your air conditioner’s delicate components from damage.