The coils are one of the most important parts of the Air Conditioner. The coils are the parts essentially helping the air to be compressed, cooled and transferred from the compressor to the front unit of the AC and finally into your room.
The coil is a combination of the condenser coils and evaporator coils. They both have their specific roles to play and you need them to function efficiently. So the more durable and sturdy the coils are, the better it is. So under normal circumstances, copper coils would be the best way to go about when it comes to the AC coils. But copper coils can be more expensive when compared to aluminium coils (appx Rs 5000 or more expensive depending upon the model and capacity of the ACs).
So, even though the answer is a simple one, we are here today to breakdown the benefits and demerits of each type of metal when it comes to the construction of the AC coils from a consumer’s perspective.
Transfer of heat
Copper clearly wins here. The purpose of AC coils is to transfer heat and Copper has a higher heat transfer coefficient than Aluminium. So, copper all the way here. So it’s very much possible that in the near future, we may be able to find a more effective and efficient material than copper for the AC coils.
Cost factor
Copper is much costlier than aluminium. Copper is not only used as a built in unit in the AC but (in terms of split ACs where they outer and inner units are separate), the copper coils also connect the outer unit to the inner unit. These copper pipes that carry the compressed air can get costly and depending upon how far your outer unit is from the indoor unit, the cost of the copper pipe could pile up. The average price of copper pipe for this purpose ranges anywhere from Rs 600-800 per meter. When you buy a new split AC, the manufacturer provides a certain length of copper pipe as a standard. But depending upon your installation requirements, you may need more copper pipe. Hence, aluminum coils are more cost effective in this aspect.
Durability
Go for Copper if you need durability and long-lasting features. Aluminium coils, when damaged, which they tend to do, need to be replaced. That is not the case with copper coils which can be welded and reused as well. So, copper all the way when it comes to durability.