Manufacturers use copper and aluminum as the main metals for manufacturing air conditioning coils. These metals are the best heat conductors. However, copper is relatively expensive.
Therefore, you will find many air conditioner manufacturers using aluminum 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.
Air conditioner condenser tubes are in constant contact with water. The atmosphere contains moisture. The atmosphere also contains a high amount of acidic salts, especially in coastal areas. The moisture and salts can accumulate on the surface of the coils and affect the overall performance of the AC system.
Coating the condenser coils with epoxy is the best way to solve this problem. The epoxy coating does not allow the acidic salts and moisture to accumulate on the coils. Manufacturers refer to this as Blue Fin technology.
More than the salts and acid content, the water droplets sticking to the condenser coils can also cause the coils to rust. Therefore, you need a unique coating that does not allow water droplets to adhere to the walls of the coils. This coating has a low surface tension. Therefore, the water slides off and prevents the coils from rusting. This unique technology is called Gold Fin Technology. These condensers are also called hydrophilic condensers.
The difference between Gold Fin technology and Blue Fin technology is that Gold Fin technology prevents the coils from rusting, thereby increasing the life of the coils and improving the performance of the air conditioner.
The other advantage of using Gold Fin technology is that the hydrophilic condensers improve heating efficiency in reverse cycle models by accelerating the defrosting process. Heat exchange performance is improved by coating the condenser walls with distinctive layers of Gold Fin corrosion protection.
Gold Fin technology helps protect the condenser coils from external damage caused by the accumulation of water, acids and other salts from the atmosphere. As a result, this technology improves the overall life of the air conditioner. It also explains why manufacturers of air conditioners with Gold Fin Technology offer warranties of up to ten years.