All the conversations about air conditioners--which one you need, how it needs to be installed, how it is maintained, necessary add-ons--can be confusing. This is especially true when someone doesn’t know anything about air conditioners in the first place. To help with your future AC decision making, here’s a breakdown as to how air conditioners work:
Integral Parts
Coils: work alongside either the compressor or the evaporator. The heating coils will assist the compressor, while the cooling coils will assist with the evaporator.
Evaporator: Applies a refrigerant which brings in hot air from inside the home, beginning the process of changing a gas into a liquid.
Blower: Acts as a fan above the evaporator, dispersing the cool air back into the home as a shortcut.
Expansion valve: Transports the gas from the evaporator to the compressor. Also controls the level of refrigerant being transported throughout the cycle.
Compressor: Where the refrigerant is initially applied. Compresses, or pressurizes the liquid to a higher pressure and higher temperature.
Condenser: Changes the gas back into a liquid and pumps the cool air into the home.
As a unit…
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All together, these parts make a living environment comfortable. Specifically, the AC unit is activated, or turns on when a room temperature no longer meets the thermostat setting. If the room temperature is 81° when it is supposed to be 78°, then the cooling process will begin.
The refrigerant from the evaporator grabs the hot air from the room and essentially sucks it into the unit through the cooling coils. The blower takes any leftover cool air and pumps it back into the room. At this point, the remaining air is transformed from a liquid into a vapor by the evaporator.
The vapor then transports through the expansion valve and into the compressor. Vapor is then pressurized to its highest degree and the temperature rises. As an important note, the compressor and condenser are within the AC unit that is located outside of a home. Thus, the fan above the compressor forces the hot air out to the outside weather.
The remaining air goes to the condenser, where it is changed from a gas back to a liquid. The liquid transports through the secondary expansion valve, cycles back into the evaporator where it is further cooled, then exits through the vent to cool the room.
Just like that, the cycle is complete and your home is cool. Of course, there are a lot of moving parts. For this reason, it is simpler to breakdown the process between the three primary parts. Hot air goes through the evaporator, compressor, and condenser, and comes out cold. It’s as simple as that.
AC Repair Garland is here to answer any and all of your cooling and heating questions. We provide expert advice, along with a wide array of products and services. Summer is coming in a hurry! Don’t make the regrettable mistake of waiting until it’s already hot to address your air conditioning concerns. Contact AC Repair Garland today!