An HVAC heat exchanger with an array of tubes including one or more dead tubes is provided. In one embodiment, the heat exchanger is a microchannel heat exchanger operable to exchange heat with air in an HVAC system via refrigerant passing through the microchannel heat exchanger. The microchannel heat exchanger includes an array of flat tubes arranged between a first manifold and a second manifold. The array of flat tubes includes multiple tubes coupled in fluid communication with the first manifold and the second manifold to convey refrigerant between the first manifold and the second manifold through microchannels of the multiple tubes. The array of flat tubes also includes one or more dead tubes that do not convey refrigerant between the first manifold and the second manifold. Additional systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.