Air conditioners use a chemical called a refrigerant to provide cool air. The refrigerant passes through the coils and undergoes a continuous process of evaporation and condensation. Understanding how your air conditioner works will help you to use it correctly and can also help you to recognize when something is amiss.
Refrigerants
Refrigerant has a very low boiling point, so it can change from a liquid to a gas at a low temperature. This process transfers heat from the inside of your home to the outside air. A heat pump can also use the same refrigerant to transfer heat from the outside air to the inside of your home in winter. This means heat pumps are just air conditioners that can reverse the direction of their airflow.
Evaporator and Condenser Coils
A compressor moves the refrigerant through the coils in a continuous loop. As the refrigerant heats up, it evaporates. Then the hot vapor moves to the condenser, where a condenser fan cools it by blowing air over the condensing coils. As the gas cools, it becomes a liquid again and transfers excess heat outside. When cold liquid goes through the evaporator coil, it cools the air that passes over the coil and returns the cooler air to your home.
Fans
Air conditioners have a fan to move warm indoor air over the cold evaporator coil and a fan to move outdoor air over the hot condenser coils. Central air conditioners also have a system of ductwork so fans can move air to and from every room in your home. The evaporator is located inside your house in the indoor portion of your AC, and the condenser is housed in the outdoor unit.
At Air Experts, excellent customer service is always our top priority. Â We can install, maintain, and repair a variety of HVAC systems. If you would like more information about air conditioning basics, give us a call today at (210) 653-3350.