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Air conditioning units of all kinds rely on lots of interchangeable parts to lower the temperature in your home or car.
Like any piece of technology, they need constant maintenance to continue functioning. The good thing is that in doing so, an air conditioner’s life expectancy can go into the decades.
One of the most common damaged pieces on ACs is the fins that rest on the condenser.
Take a look at your fins. Do you notice any that are bent? If so, an AC fin comb will restore them to their original state.
Below are some of the best AC fin combs online, chosen for their ability to fix fins without causing damage.
How to Choose a Fin Comb for Your AC
First, find out how many fins are housed in your condenser. This is measured on a per-inch gauge.
For example, if you count 12 fins for every inch that passes on the condenser, it would read as 12 FPI (this acronym is sometimes used in place of “fins per inch”).
There’s no magic trick required to find this out. Just get a tape measure or ruler and bring it close to the fins that you intend to repair. Write down the number of fins you see before the one-inch mark and that’s it.
If you’re having trouble getting an accurate FPI measurement, try measuring the number of fins for two inches, and divide that number by two.
Many brands that manufacture AC fins produce them in multiple sizes, so you’ll likely end up with one that has more than what’s needed. Still, check that the product features the size you want to avoid time-consuming returns.
Top 5 Best AC Fin Combs Reviewed
Robinair Fin Straightener
Sizes: 8, 9, 10, 10.5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 20, and 22 FPI
The Robinair Fin Straightener has combs that are attached to a small handle. To use it, you’ll have to angle the handle due to the way that it’s shaped. This isn’t a nuisance to do and the additional heads attached are within the grip’s reach if a finer or more spacious comb is needed.
Two comb sets are included with the Robinair Fin Straightener. The sizes provided are all within the range of the average household AC condenser. That means you use them on any other radiators or other AC units that need straightening.
The thing that I like the most about this set is that the grips are rock solid and easy to hold.
Pros:
- The combs are capable of clearing away debris from fins as well as straightening them out
- Has two sets each with six fin combs, all on one disk every inch (disk 2 is the standard for most residential AC units)
- Good handle grip that’s not slippery to the touch
Cons:
- May not be able to repair severely bent fins
Supco FCR6 Fin Comb Ring
Sizes: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, and 20 FPI
The Supco FCR6 Fin Comb Ring has six color-coded fin combs with built-in sizes ranging from 8 to 20 FPI. Each is linked to a keychain to carry them around and store them without losing them. The set comes with six pieces with two combs on opposite ends.
It doesn’t have 19 FPI included so look at the other combs if you can’t go over or under this measurement.
Because of their length, these are suggested for people with condensers that require you to reach it from an odd angle, such as that on a window AC. The teeth are dense but soft, having no tension when pulling fins up when completely flat.
Even if they’re crushed, you’ll get them up without having to resort to a risker knife. If you pace yourself, the Supco Fin Comb Ring can restore your fins to near-perfect straightness.
Pros:
- Its shape allows for the fins to be reached that are completely crushed/flattened
- Combs are gentle on the fins, lowering the chances of breaking them during the straightening
- While not advertised, the teeth are strong enough to straighten out some radiators and condensers
Cons:
- Easy to bend other fens in the process of repairing others (must work slowly)
Malco FST2 Fin Straightening Tool
Sizes: 16, 18, 20, and 22 FPI.
The Malco FST2 Fin Straightening Tool has an excellent handle. The handle alone makes it perfect for all-day straightening.
You can swap between different fin sizes by rotating the top.
It’s great on sensitive fins, such as aluminum. The teeth can bring them straight in one slow pass, including those that are flat.
Using this on some fins may damage the teeth, especially on condensers that are heavily damaged. As such, the Malco FST2 is best for spot fixes. Don’t expect a section of the head to last for two or more sessions without getting scratched. In any case, it remains a good product and works as advertised.
Pros:
- An excellent grip that stays in the hands and isn’t awkward to hold
- Safe to use on aluminum fins, thanks to nylon combs
- Four different adjustable fins per inch to handle various AC styles and sizes
Cons:
- The combs could shred after a few passes, especially during rushed work
GooMeng Fin Comb
The GooMeng Fin Comb is suitable for both removing dirt from fins that are already straight and preparing those that are slightly bent.
Compared to the other fin combs detailed, this one is shaped a little bit differently. At first glance, you might even mistake it for a paintbrush. But that doesn’t mean it’s not as effective.
Since it has fine teeth, it will comb out almost any air conditioner. Just be sure that the radiator fins slip through the teeth, and you’ll have no trouble straightening them.
One thing that should be noted is that it’s not built for heavily bent and/or flat fins. But it does have adjustable tension, so you can fine-tune its teeth for any job.
Store it in your garage and it’ll never corrode, making it one of the combs that’ll last longer than one session.
While it would be better if the GooMeng has a better handle, the grip provided is enough to keep you from jerking it around when teeth are moving the fins.
Pros:
- The steel teeth work well on fins from newer ACs with moderate (but not severe) damage
- As the tension of the can be strengthened or weakened, repairing small radiators fins is possible
- The steel teeth will never oxidize (rust)
Cons:
- Would be better if the handle were longer or angled
- Not suitable for repairing fins that are completely flat
Allstar Radiator Fin Comb Kit
Sizes: 13, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 20 FPI
Last but not least, the Allstar Radiator Fin Comb Kit is a fin comb kit specially designed for radiators.
Six heads are given, able to be switched by hooking them to a plastic handle. Sizes are between 12 and 20, with no heads for 14 and 19. Clamping them to the handle is easy to do and fast with no head movement during straightening.
Tension is kept to a minimum when working at a slow pace. Yet out of the products shown, this one is most susceptible to teeth damage when running them through fins with too much force. But if you move between one section and start in an area where there’s no damage, this shouldn’t happen.
Pros:
- The flexible teeth keep tension off the fins, making unintentional damages during repair work unlikely
- Has six different fins (per inch) sizes
- Fast switching between the included fin heads
Cons:
- Depending on the type and severity of fin damage, straightening them could damage the combs very fast
How to Use a Fin Comb
First, check how flat the fins are before proceeding; you might need to use a knife alongside the comb, getting them positioned at just the right angle to move them through the teeth.
The slower you move, the less likely damage is to occur. Rushing through the straightening is the fastest way to destroy your comb or fins. In short, always take your time!
Above all, always start in a position where they aren’t damaged. Pivot the comb when you must but do so only when there’s enough space to turn them all simultaneously.
Why Are Fin Combs Important?
The condenser is a part of an AC that houses fins. Its main purpose is to push warm air out of your AC. If warm air cannot escape, your AC must work harder to keep your indoor space cooler.
If your condenser’s fins get too clogged, this can lower the life expectancy of your AC and make it harder to maintain a stable room temperature in your home.
Even if you avoid accidentally touching the fins or bending them yourself, natural weather events such as hail can flatten the fins. Over time, too many flat fins will disrupt airflow and need to be fixed.
Fortunately, this isn’t a job that you must hire an HVAC technician to do. With a condenser fin comb, you can return your AC’s fins to a new-like state, where you’ll be able to tell the difference in indoor temps immediately after the fin repair is complete.
Where Fin Combs Can Be Used
Fin combs are useful on virtually any air conditioner that has a condenser, so long as the comb is adequate for the fins’ size. A radiator fin comb might be better for some car cooling systems, depending on the size of the fins. Fin combs aren’t exclusive to central AC/heating units, either.
You can use fin combs for window ACs or even wall-mounted air conditioners. So long as you’re aware of the fin sizes, few units aren’t capable of having their fins restored with a fin comb.
Fin Comb Materials
Because metal combs have a higher risk of damaging fins, most fin combs are made of flexible plastic or nylon. There’s less tension between metal fins and plastic comb teeth, allowing them to be moved more gently. However, this could come at the expense of the fin comb itself. Plastic rubbing against any sort of metal could damage the teeth, sometimes during first-time use.
Alternatively, there are fin combs made of steel. These are oftentimes more suitable for small radiators. Some air conditioner condensers might be better off with steel combs as well, particularly if the damages are minimal. But for flat fins, steel combs are not recommended and you could end up with even more damage than you had before.
