What Are the Main Parts of Your Heating Air Conditioning Unit?
It may be worth investing in a new unit if your home’s air conditioner is a bit old and in need of repairs. A residential HVAC professional can help you determine the best option for your needs.
Gas-powered air conditioners, also known as propane air conditioners, make use of natural gas for heating and condensers to run.
Evaporator
An evaporator coil is a component of your air conditioner that cools your home. The evaporator is inside a box that is connected to your gas furnace, or inside it (if you have one). If you don’t have one, the coil can be found in an air handler. The evaporator is the place where the refrigerant is transformed into a liquid and then absorbs heat from the air inside your home.
The evaporator is made up of one or more copper coils that are tightly packed together. The refrigerant has a low pressure when it gets to the coils, which makes it easier to transfer heat.
A fan blows warm air through the coil that is used to evaporate the air. This air is cooled when heat is taken away from the evaporator. This reduces the temperature of your indoor air. The cooled air is then moved through your home’s ductwork system to every room, where it circulates until it returns to the air conditioning system through return ducts.
The evaporator, in contrast to the compressor, requires to raise the boiling point of the refrigerant to a low temperature to achieve efficient air cooling. The evaporator also has its own fans to help achieve this goal.
The metering device of the evaporator assists to ensure that the refrigerant has the same amount of liquid inside it. The float on the low-side is designed to be open when there’s no liquid in the evaporator, and closes when it detects liquid entering the coils.
There are two types of evaporators: Cased and uncased. The most popular type of evaporator that you will find in your home is a cased model. It is enclosed within the metal casing that surrounds the air conditioning unit. A non-cased evaporator is the same however it doesn’t come with the protective outer shell.
Both evaporators share the same purpose but it’s crucial to select the one that will satisfy your home’s particular needs. For instance, certain models are better suited for more harsh working environments, whereas others are more suitable for more moderate conditions. Also, you should consider how easy it will be to clean and maintain the evaporator since this could save you time, money and effort in the long time.
Condenser
Condensers are among the three primary components of your home’s cooling system. They help it work efficiently. The condenser is outside the house and connected to the evaporator via refrigerant pipes. It contains metal fins and fans which help to remove heat from the refrigerant which is being transferred from the evaporator. The heat that is removed from the refrigerant gas aids it to cool and turn back into liquid form.
A compressor is attached to a condenser unit. It is used to pressurize low-pressure liquid refrigeration that has been pumped out of the evaporator coil. The squeezing action of the compressor raises the temperature of the coolant which then flows into the condenser coils to absorb heat that is not being absorbed by the air surrounding it. When the cooling process is complete, the refrigerant will be moved into the compressor, where it will be pressurized prior to being pumped back to the evaporator coil.
The condenser unit is exposed to the elements because it is outside. Debris like twigs or leaves, grass clippings, or even roofing shingles could cause damage to the condenser. A universal HVAC condenser can shield your heating and cooling equipment from damage when not in use.
It is also important to ensure that the condenser is not shaded. Shades can limit air flow and make the compressor work harder to cool your home. This can lead to higher energy bills as well as a loss of refrigerant.
Regular maintenance will ensure that your HVAC system is operating efficiently. Regularly having a professional technician inspect all major components of your HVAC system can help prevent major problems. Additionally, having an expert service team monitor your refrigerant levels regularly will also help prevent any problems from developing. Follow these simple steps to help extend the life of your cooling and heating system and lower your energy costs.
Compressor
A compressor is the core of your air conditioning unit, and it pumps refrigerant throughout the system to keep everything cool. You can think of it as the blood that circulates through your body, in that it moves the coolant back and forth between your evaporator and condenser coils. If the compressor fails, the evaporator will not be able perform its job and your home will become uncomfortably hot.
There are a myriad of different kinds of HVAC compressors. Each comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. For example the reciprocating compressor features pistons that move upwards and downwards within the cylinder. This movement creates suction that draws in refrigerant. As the piston moves down, it reduces the volume of gas, and then a discharge valve is opened to release the refrigerant pressurized into the condenser coil.
This type of compressor has a clutch as well as a crankshaft that helps the piston in compressing the air. A rotary compressor comes with blades inside the cylinder, which assist in compressing the air. This kind of compressor is very quiet, which makes it a popular option for homes.
Both types of HVAC compressors are designed to raise the temperature of the refrigerant liquid when it is compressed, ensuring that the vapor that exits the compressor is high-temperature and high-pressure. It is normal for heat to flow from high-temperature substances down to lower temperature substances, so the hot vapor will travel to the evaporator and return to its liquid state.
You can avoid the majority of AC problems by keeping up with your maintenance schedule. This will ensure that your equipment will last for many years and provide peace of mind that your home will always be comfortable. Griffith Energy Services can help you determine the best repair options should you experience a compressor problem.
Thermostat
The thermostat is your heating and cooling system’s brain, and it decides when and how the system turns on and off. It compared the temperature of the air to a set desired temperature. If it is off by one or two degrees the thermostat will send an electronic signal to bring it to bring it closer to the desired temperature. The majority of modern thermostats utilize the digital sensor, also known as a thermistor to gauge the temperature. The thermistor consists of two metals that expand in different ways when heated up which causes the metals to bend in an opposite direction. When the thermistor reaches the temperature that it is set it informs the circuit board that heating or AC should be switched on.
Newer models of thermostats have touchscreens that make them simple to operate and program. Many thermostats are programmed to automatically cool and heat your home at certain times. This will save you from having to manually set them each day. Additionally, they offer information on energy usage so you can learn how to cut back on costs.
If you have an older electromechanical model the method of operation is a bit more complicated. It is made up of a bimetallic piece that is attached to a vial by mercury. If the temperature changes, the mercury in a vial moves, either complete or breaking a circuit. When the vial tilts, the thermostat turns on the cooling and heating system.
To ensure that your thermostat is in good condition It is essential to clean it regularly to remove any dust that may have accumulated. Also, ensure that it isn’t crooked or loose. In certain cases, the thermostat’s readings might be inaccurate due to a damaged or dirty evaporator coil. In this instance you’ll have to get a professional to fix the problem. If the problem is something else, such as blank screens it is possible to try changing the batteries or making sure that your breaker has not been tripped. This is a good example of how you can make your HVAC system more efficient by learning about it and optimizing its use.