A/C Condenser fins falling off - Problem?

[threeputtpar]

Will this be any kind of problem in my future? I pulled the after-run fan off today to clean out the debris that accumulates behind it, and while vacuuming out the junk these condenser fins started falling off.



Will I eventually need to replace the condenser? The A/C still works great. Thanks.

 

[Lubener]

Yes , you will eventually be replacing it. The efficiency is and will be slowly going down hill because you need the fins to disapate the heat produced. As time goes on, I would expect the tubing to start leaking and you will lose your freon and your a/c.My condenser started leaking years ago and the fins still looked great. I never did fix it and I really never missed my a/c.

 

[DBMaster]

How old is it? I lived near the ocean a number of years ago and this was common due to salt air. If you don't have salt air it could go for YEARS before ever getting to the point of perforating the tubes - which are much thicker than the fins.

I would not be losing any sleep over it.

Use only a garden hose, and possibly A/C coil cleaner. Do not clean the coils mechanically.

 

[SHOZ]

My neighbors dog use to pee on his two units. It ate the aluminum fins up in no time. I had to put a 'screen fence' around mine.

 

[Chris142]

Ya its on its way out. Replace it before the high side pressures go ballistic and smoke your compressor.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: SHOZ
My neighbors dog use to pee on his two units. It ate the aluminum fins up in no time. I had to put a 'screen fence' around mine.


He should get a wooden fire hydrant for that purpose.

 

[SHOZ]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: SHOZ
My neighbors dog use to pee on his two units. It ate the aluminum fins up in no time. I had to put a 'screen fence' around mine.


He should get a wooden fire hydrant for that purpose.


He got a female dog instead.

 

[Eddie]

I'm guessing the area of bad VS good is only a few percent so don't be concerned about it now. Maybe when the bad to good get to 50% or so, you notice the vehicle doesn't get cool enough, then do something. Ed

 

[threeputtpar]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Ya its on its way out. Replace it before the high side pressures go ballistic and smoke your compressor.


I was hoping to get your opinion, just not the answer I was hoping for.

Will it just struggle to cool the more fins it loses and build too much pressure and take out the compressor? Any other parts that I should do "while I'm in there"? As far as I know, the system has never been opened.

It's the OE from 2003, so it's now 12 years old. They don't appear to be too expensive aftermarket, so I may just put it on the "to do" list this summer and take care of it.