While buying a AC you must be confused about Aliminum Vs Copper AC. You might be wondering which one is better. Which one you should buy. It is very difficult to tolerate the heat of summer in India without an air conditioner. But when you go to purchase an AC for your room you come to know that there are several factors associated with an AC like star ratings, tonnage, types of the ACs etc.
Additional menu
Find The Best Indian Product
The coils in an AC play an important role in its efficiency of the HVAC system. Through the coils, the heat from the inside air transfers to the outside air in an AC. There are two coils for the functional efficacy of an AC as the condenser coils and the evaporator coils.
The refrigerant or coolant in the coils changes from the liquid to the gas by absorbing the heat from the air of the room passing over it. As a result, the air of the room becomes cool in this process.
Then the gaseous refrigerant passes through these condensation coils by the compression process by releasing the heat into the surrounding air.
Finally, this hot air blows out with the help of the exhaust fans of the Air conditioner. The functional process of the coils is the same in all types of HVAC systems of the air conditioners according to the size of the AC.
Based on all the above points the refrigeration process of an AC is divided into 4 parts.
1.Compression
During compression in the compressor of the AC the gas gets pressurized and converts into a high-pressured hot liquid.
2.Condensation
Then the high-pressured hot liquid flows through a coil where it refrigerants. After then the liquid converted into a cooler liquid by releasing heat into the outside air. This is the main function of the coils in an AC.
3.Expansion Valve
Then comes the role of the expansion valve. It converts the high pressured liquid to a low-pressure liquid.
4.Evaporation
Then the low-pressure liquid again goes through the evaporation coil to absorb heat from the room and changes to gas from the liquid form. Only this process happens in the indoor unit of the AC whereas all the other processes happen in the outdoor unit only in split ACs.
What Is The Difference Between Aluminum & Copper
| Chracterstics | Aluminimum Coil | Copper Coil |
|---|---|---|
| DURABILITY | Less durable than copper and needs repair. Therefore needs to be kept in strong cabinets. | More durable and stronger than aluminium. |
| COST FACTOR | Cheaper than copper | Costlier than aluminium |
| HEAT TRANSFER | Lower than copper. | Better than aluminium. |
| PLIABILITY | In comparison to copper, it needs less metal for the coil. | Needs more metal for the coil. |
| CORROSION | In the case of corrosion, Aluminium is difficult to repair. Hence, it needs replacement. | Can also corrode, it is easily repairable and can be maintained with regular cleaning. |
| REPAIRING | Though it is difficult to repair in the field it needs replacement. | Can be repaired easily in the field. |
| MAINTENANCE FACTOR | It is difficult to clean because of kept in the heavy cabinet. The cleaning of the microchannels also difficult when they get clogged with dirt and grime. | Quite easier than aluminium to clean and maintain. |
Both the Aluminium and copper coils are different from each other because of their characteristics as follows.
1.Characteristics of Heat Transfer
In an air conditioner, it is very important for the metal of the coil to have good heat transfer characteristics because the transfer of the heat takes place in the coils. When compared to Aluminium, copper has the highest heat transfer coefficient. It means that the copper coil in an AC is a better heat transferer than the aluminum coil.
2.Pliability And Cost Factor
The pliability of a coil means the quality of being easily bent. When compared to copper Aluminium has a better bending ability than the copper into the desired shapes.In comparison to the cost factor, copper is costlier than Aluminium. In an AC, to make a coil of same size and shape, the manufacturers need three times more copper to equate with the size and shape of the aluminum coils. This factor increases the cost of an air conditioner having the copper coil which makes the process costlier. Because of this, aluminum becomes the main choice of the manufacturers to reduce the unit cost of the manufactured ACs.
3.Strength And Durability
Copper coils in an AC are more durable than the aluminum coils because copper is stronger than the aluminium. The aluminum coils get damaged and need replacement whereas the copper coils are repairable and you can reuse them. Hence, copper coils are durable than the aluminum coils.
4.Maintenance Factor
The condenser coils of an AC are fitted in the condenser unit which is usually mounted outside of the house. Due to the exposure of these coils to the harsh climate, bad weather, dust, and grime they need regular cleaning. In such conditions, copper coils are better than the aluminium coils.
The copper coils are not prone to the drastic climate and due to their durability, they are easy to maintain and to clean for better performance. But the aluminium coils are prone to the harsh climate and get damaged easily. So to keep them away from the harsh climate they are placed in a heavy and covered cabinet which makes them difficult to clean and maintain.
5.Corrosion
It is very important to keep your AC safe from corrosion because it damages the coils and results in leakage along with hampering the process of heat transfer. The corrosion of the AC becomes higher in humid climates, installed near seacoasts, and near the salty water bodies or the salty lakes. The damages happen because these areas contain lots of moisture in the air.
When the corrosion begins, a layer formed over the coils which are non-conductive and reduces the heat exchange capacity of the Air Conditioner. In such conditions, both the coils need the same maintenance and care. But copper coils can be repaired easily than the aluminium coils if corrosion happens.Look for an AC with an auto-clean system which will clean the evaporator coil automatically to make it easy to maintain. You can find this auto-clean system in some of the Best Hitachi ACs and Carrier ACs.
What Is Best Coil For AC - Copper Or Aluminium?
As we have mentioned previously, each AC has three major parts like a compressor, an evaporating coil, and a condensing coil. Hence, we can understand how important are the coils for an AC. To choose the best coil for an AC we have given some comparison points above. But to make you more clear we have some more technical points regarding the efficacy of the best coil for an AC. Go through these points to choose one of the best AC for you.
