What Are the Main Parts of Your Heating Air Conditioning Unit?

If your home’s air conditioning is getting old cost of repair and energy bills may make it worth investing in the purchase of a new unit. A residential HVAC expert can help you choose the best option for your home.

Most cooling systems rely upon electricity to cool and heat homes. However, some, such as gas-powered or propane air conditioners use natural gas to fuel furnaces and run condensers in split systems.

Evaporator

An evaporator coil is the part of your air conditioner that cools your home. The evaporator is located inside a box that is connected to your gas furnace, or inside it (if you own one). If you don’t, the coil is located in an air handler. The evaporator is where refrigerant transforms into a liquid and then absorbs heat from the air inside your home.

The evaporator is made up of a few copper coils which are tightly packed. The refrigerant is able to reach the coils at low pressure, making it easier for it to transfer heat when it evaporates into gaseous state.

A fan blows the warm air from your home over the coil that is used to evaporate. This air is cooled when heat is removed from the evaporator. This reduces the temperature of the air inside. The cool air then flows through the ductwork of your home to each room, where it circulates until it is returned to the air conditioning system through return ducts.

In contrast to the compressor, which requires to produce refrigerant gas at high temperatures to allow efficient cooling, the evaporator only has to bring its boiling point to a lower temperature to ensure that it is cooling effectively. The evaporator also uses its own fans to help in achieving this final goal.

The evaporator’s metering device helps to ensure that the refrigerant maintains a constant level of liquid within it. The low-side floating is designed to open when there is no liquid in the evaporator. It will close when liquid gets into the coils.

There are two types of evaporators, cased and noncased. A cased evaporator will be the one you’ll likely to find in your home because it’s enclosed within the metal casing of your air conditioning unit. Uncased evaporators are similar to the cased evaporators, however they do not have an outer shell with protection.

While both evaporators have the identical purpose, it’s vital to select one that is capable of meeting the requirements of your house. For example, some models are better suited for more harsh working environments, whereas others are more suitable for milder conditions. Think about how easy it is to clean and maintain your evaporator. This could save you money, time and hassle.

Condenser

Condensers are one of the three major components of the cooling system in your home. They assist in making it operate efficiently. It is located outside the home, and is connected to the evaporator’s coil by refrigerant lines. It also houses an array of metal fins and fans that work to remove heat from the refrigerant gas that was transported here from the evaporator. The heat removed helps the refrigerant to reduce in temperature and then transform to liquid form.

A compressor is attached to the condenser unit and works to pressurize the low-pressure liquid refrigerant that has been taken from the evaporator coil. The compressor’s squeezing action increases the temperature, which is transferred to the condenser unit to absorb latent heat in the air. After it has completed its cooling process and the refrigerant is pumped back into the compressor where it is pressed again prior to being pumped to the evaporator coil. There, the process begins all over again.

Since the condenser is situated outdoors, it is vulnerable to the elements. Leaves and twigs, grass clippings, or even roofing shingles can damage the condenser. By adding an universal HVAC condenser cover to your cooling and heating system can help safeguard the equipment from accidental damage when it’s not in use.

It is also essential to avoid shading the condenser. Doing so can restrict air flow and make the compressor work harder to cool your home. This can result in higher energy bills and a possibility of losing refrigerant.

Regular maintenance will ensure that your HVAC system is operating properly. Having a professional service technician inspect all of the major components of your system on a regular basis will aid in preventing major issues from arising. A professional service team can avoid problems by checking regularly the refrigerant levels. By following these easy steps, you will be able to extend the lifespan of your heating and cooling system and reduce your energy costs.

Compressor

A compressor is the heart of your air conditioning unit, and it pumps refrigerant throughout the system to keep it cool. You can think of it as the blood flowing through your body, in that it moves the coolant back and forth between your condenser and evaporator coils. If something is wrong with the compressor, it will prevent the condenser and evaporator from completing their tasks and will make your home feeling uncomfortable warm.

There are many different types of HVAC compressors and each has distinct advantages and disadvantages. For example, a reciprocating compressor has pistons that move between up and down inside the cylinder. This action creates suction which draws in refrigerant. When the piston moves downwards it reduces the volume of gas, and then a discharge valve opens to let the refrigerant that is pressurized out into the condenser coil.

This kind of compressor also comes with a clutch and crankshaft, which assists the piston in compressing the air. A rotary compressor, on the other side, has blades within the cylinder which help compress the air. This type of compressor is quiet, making it an ideal option for residential use.

The HVAC compressors of both kinds are designed to raise temperature of the liquid as it is compressed. This creates an extremely high-temperature, high-pressure vapor. Since heat naturally flows from higher temperature substances to those with lower temperatures, the hot vapor will move into the evaporator coils, and return to its original liquid state.

While you cannot avoid the chance of having problems with the compressor, you can avoid the majority of AC problems by being on top of your maintenance schedule. This will ensure that your AC will last for years and give you peace-of-mind knowing that your home will remain comfortable. If you do encounter an issue with the compressor or the compressor itself, your Griffith Energy Services technician can assist you in determining what repairs are the best for you.

Thermostat

The thermostat is the brains of your cooling and heating system, which allows it to control the timing and manner in which it turns off and on. It determines the temperature of the air and compares it to a preset desired level. If it is off by one or two degrees the thermostat will send an electronic signal to alter it towards the desired temperature. Most modern thermostats use an electronic sensor known as a thermistor to measure the temperature. The thermistor is made up of two different metals that expand at different rates when they heat up and bend in opposite directions. When the thermistor is at its temperature set it tells the circuit board to turn on your heating or AC system.

Newer models of thermostats have touchscreens that make them simple to operate and program. A lot of thermostats are programmed to automatically heat and cool your home at certain times. This saves you from having to manually set them every day. In addition, they provide reports on energy consumption so you can learn how to reduce costs.

If you have an older electromechanical model, it is slightly more complex. It consists of a bimetallic strip that is attached to a vial with mercury. When the temperature changes it causes the mercury inside the vial to move, completing or interrupting an electrical circuit. When the vial tilts the thermostat, it turns on the heating and cooling system.

You should regularly clean your thermostat to get rid of dust. You should also make sure that it isn’t sagging or unbalanced. In certain cases the thermostat may be having trouble with its readings due to an evaporator coil that is dirty or a damaged thermistor. In this instance you’ll need to get an expert to resolve the problem. If you’re experiencing other issue, like blank displays try replacing your batteries or checking that your breaker isn’t tripped. This is a good illustration of how you can improve the efficiency of your HVAC system more efficient by gaining knowledge about it and optimizing its use.