The condenser coils play a crucial role in the functioning of the air conditioners. It is imperative to maintain the condenser and evaporator coils and ensure that they do not rust or corrode.
Corrosion can damage the coils and cause leakage of the refrigerant thereby affecting the performance of your AC.
The problem
The manufacturers use copper and aluminium as the principal metals for the manufacture of AC coils. These metals are the best conductors of heat. However, copper is comparatively expensive.
Hence, you find many AC manufacturers using aluminium coils welded to the copper tubes. The use of two different metals can cause a condition known as galvanic corrosion. Using a single metal can prevent this galvanic corrosion from occurring.
The AC condenser tubes are in constant contact with water. The atmosphere contains humidity. You also find a high amount of acidic salts in the atmosphere, especially in the coastal areas. The moisture and the salts can accumulate on the surface of the coils, and affect the overall performance of the AC.
The solution
Coating the condenser coils with epoxy is the best way to solve this issue. The epoxy coating does not allow the accumulation of the acidic salts and humidity on the coils. The manufacturers refer to it as Blue Fin technology. Manufacturers like Blue Star use this procedure to protect them.
More than the salts and acid content, the water droplets sticking to the condenser coils can also cause the coils to rust. Hence, you need a unique coating that does not allow water droplets to settle down on the walls of the coils. Gold Fin coating has low surface tension. Therefore, the water slips down and prevents the coils from rusting. This unique technology is referred to as Gold Fin technology. These condensers are also known as hydrophilic condensers.
The difference between Blue Fin and Gold Fin technology
The advantage of using Gold Fin technology is that the hydrophilic condensers improve the heating efficiency in the Reverse Cycle models by accelerating the defrosting process. The heat exchange performance becomes better when you coat the condenser walls with distinctive layers of Gold Fin Anti-corrosive protectants.
Inference
Gold Fin technology helps to protect the condenser coils from external damage due to the accumulation of water, acids, and other salts from the atmosphere. By doing so, this technology improves the overall life of the air conditioners. It also explains why the manufacturers of air conditioners with Gold Fin technology offer warranties up to ten years.
