What is an air conditioning evaporator core?
To cool the interior of a vehicle down, the air conditioning system uses a multitude of components, and they all have a function to compress or expand refrigerant, which in turn changes the temperature of the refrigerant. But how does the cold refrigerant make the vehicle cold? The answer is the air conditioner evaporator core, or just ‘evaporator’. This part is typically housed underneath the dashboard, and replaces the hot air in the vehicle with cool air, which makes it more of a heat exchange.
The air-conditioning evaporator is a small radiator inside the dashboard that provides cold air for the air-conditioning system. It’s called the evaporator because it’s where the freezing liquid refrigerant takes on any heat from the air blown through it and changes into a gaseous state (evaporating it) before returning it to the air-conditioning condenser to shed the heat; the process is constantly repeated. The air that emerges from the air conditioner is cold as a result.
What are the symptoms of a bad air conditioning evaporator core?
Anytime the evaporator goes bad, there will be one universal symptom. The air from the vents will be warmer than anticipated. This is because a clogged or leaking evaporator will eventually cease to cool the air due to the inability of decompressed refrigerant to reach the evaporator core. In some vehicles, there may be some type of warning like a blinking A/C switch, or you may just notice the air conditioner doesn’t work.
The evaporator is typically hidden inside the vehicle’s dashboard and can be labor-intensive to replace, which then requires a full system recharge. Unlike a ruptured heater core, which can leak engine coolant into the foot wells, a leak in the evaporator releases only refrigerant vapor. A clogged drainage channel is a common cause of water in the front foot wells. Our expert technicians can perform an air conditioning system check to ensure everything is working properly. It pinpoints any problems that may occur with your air conditioning system. If our technicians find a problem, they’ll let you know what they can do to fix it. We can curb any problem before it starts, so you won’t be left stranded with a hot sweltering car. Contact Limberlost Automotive today for a complete air conditioning system check..