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

It could be worthwhile to invest in a new unit when your home’s HVAC is a bit old and in need of repair. A residential HVAC expert can assist you in choosing the best solution for your home.

Most cooling systems rely on electricity to cool and heat homes, however certain gas-powered or propane air conditioners use natural gas to power furnaces and run condensers in a split system.

Evaporator

The evaporator coil inside your air conditioner is what cools your house. The evaporator is in a box attached to your gas furnace or within it (if you own 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 in your home.

The evaporator consists of one or more copper coils packed tightly together. The refrigerant reaches the coils at a low pressure, which makes it easier to transfer heat as it evaporates to gaseous form.

A fan blows warm indoor air over the coil that is used to evaporate the air. The air is then cooled through the removal of heat from the evaporator, which alters the refrigerant’s temperatures and lowers the temperature of your indoor air. The cool air then flows through your home’s ductwork to each room, where it circulates until it returns to the air conditioning system through return ducts.

The evaporator, unlike the compressor, needs to raise the boiling point of the refrigerant to a low temperature to allow for effective air cooling. The evaporator makes use of its own fans to achieve this objective.

The metering device in the evaporator helps to ensure that the refrigerant maintains the same amount of liquid in it. The low-side float is designed to be open when there’s no liquid in the evaporator and it closes when sees liquid enter the coils.

There are two kinds of evaporators: cases and uncased. A cased evaporator will be the one you’ll most likely to see in your home, since it is enclosed inside the metal casing of your air conditioning unit. An uncased evaporator is similar however it doesn’t come with the outer shell that protects it.

Both evaporators have the same function, but it is important to choose one that is able to meet the specific requirements of your home. For instance, some models are better suited to extreme working environments, while others are more suitable for milder conditions. Also, you should think about how easy it will be to clean and maintain the evaporator since this can save you time, money, and hassle in the long in the long.

Condenser

Condensers are one of the three primary components of your home’s cooling system. They assist in making it operate efficiently. It is located outside of the home, and is connected to the evaporator coil via refrigerant lines and contains a series of fans and metal fins that work to remove heat from the refrigerant gas which has been transported from the evaporator. The heat that is removed from the refrigerant gas allows it cool before turning back into liquid form.

A compressor is attached to the condenser unit. It works to pressurize low-pressure liquid refrigeration that has been pumped from the evaporator coil. The compressor’s squeezing action increases the temperature, which is then passed into the condenser to absorb heat trapped in the air. After the cooling cycle is completed the refrigerant will be pushed into the compressor, where it will be pressurized prior to being pumped back to the evaporator coil.

Because the condenser is located outside, it is exposed to the elements. Debris such as leaves or twigs grass clippings, grass clippings, or even roofing shingles, can damage the condenser. A universal HVAC condenser will protect your heating and cooling equipment from damage while not in use.

Do not shade the condenser. This can decrease air flow, forcing the compressor to work harder in order to cool your home. This could result in higher energy bills and a potential loss of refrigerant.

Regular maintenance will ensure that your HVAC system is operating properly. Regularly having a professional technician inspect the major components of your HVAC system will help prevent major problems. Additionally, having an expert service team monitor your refrigerant levels frequently can also help to keep any problems from developing. Follow these easy steps to help extend the life of your heating and cooling system and cut down on energy costs.

Compressor

A compressor is the core of your air conditioning unit and it circulates refrigerant throughout the system to keep everything cool. You can think of it like the blood in your body, in that it moves the coolant between your evaporator and condenser coils. If the compressor fails and the evaporator fails, it will not be able to perform its job and your home will be extremely hot.

There are a myriad of different kinds of HVAC compressors. Each one has its own benefits and disadvantages. A reciprocating compressor, for example, has a piston moving upwards and downwards within a cylinder. This movement creates a suction which draws in the refrigerant. As the piston moves down it reduces the volume of gas, the discharge valve opens to release the refrigerant pressurized into the condenser coil.

This type of compressor is equipped with a clutch and a crankshaft that aids the piston compress the air. A rotary compressor comes with blades that are inside the cylinder, which aid in compressing the air. This type of compressor is extremely quiet, making it a popular choice for residential use.

The HVAC compressors of both kinds are designed to raise temperature of the liquid as it is compressed. This creates a high-pressure, high-temperature vapor. The heat naturally flows from high-temperature substances down to lower-temperature substances, so the hot vapor will travel to the evaporator before returning to its liquid state.

While you can’t avoid the possibility of having a problem with your compressor, you can avoid the majority of AC issues by staying on top of your maintenance schedule. This will ensure that your AC will last for many years and provide you with peace of mind knowing that your home will always be comfortable. If you do experience an issue with the compressor, your Griffith Energy Services technician can help you decide what repair options are most suitable for you.

Thermostat

The thermostat is the brains of your heating and cooling system, enabling it to regulate the timing and manner in which it turns off and on. It compares the air temperature to a pre-set level. The thermostat will send an alert to adjust the temperature if off by a few degrees. The majority of modern thermostats utilize a digital sensor called a thermistor to gauge the temperature. The thermistor consists of two different metals that expand at different rates when they heat up and cause them to bend in opposite directions. When the thermistor reaches the temperature it was set to it sends a signal to the circuit board that your heating or AC should be turned on.

The touchscreens on newer models make it easy to program and operate. Many thermostats are programmed to automatically heat and cool your home at specific times. This saves you from having to manually set them every day. Additionally, they offer information on energy usage to help you figure out how to cut down on expenses.

If you have an older electromechanical model, it is somewhat more complicated. It consists of a bimetallic strip that is attached to a vial using mercury. When the temperature changes and the mercury inside a vial moves, either complete or breaking a circuit. When the vial is tipped, it triggers the thermostat to turn on the cooling or heating system.

You should regularly clean your thermostat to get rid of dust. Also, you should ensure that it is not loose or crooked. In some instances the thermostat could be experiencing issues in its readings due to an unclean evaporator coil or a damaged thermistor. In this instance you’ll have to contact a professional to fix the problem. If the issue is something else, such as an unresponsive screen it is possible to try changing the batteries or ensuring that your breaker hasn’t been activated. This is an example of how your HVAC system will be more efficient if you take the time to learn about it and make the most of its use.