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

If your home’s air conditioning is in its senior years cost of repair and energy bills may make it worth investing in an upgrade. A residential HVAC expert can help you choose the right 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, utilize natural gas to power furnaces and run condensers within a split system.

Evaporator

The evaporator coil inside your air conditioner is the one that cools your home. The evaporator can be found in a box attached to your gas furnace, or inside it (if you have one). If you don’t, the evaporator can be found inside an air handler. The evaporator is where the refrigerant liquid is transformed into gas and absorbs heat from the home’s indoor air.

The evaporator consists of a few copper coils that are tightly packed together. The refrigerant reaches the coils at a low pressure, making it easier to transfer heat as it evaporates into a gaseous state.

A fan blows your home’s warm indoor air over the coil that is used to evaporate the air. This air is cooled as heat is removed from the evaporator. This reduces the temperature of your indoor air. The cooled air is then circulated through the ductwork of your home, and then to each room.

The evaporator, unlike the compressor, only needs to raise the boiling point of the refrigerant down to a low temperature to ensure effective air cooling. The evaporator is also equipped with its own fans to help it in achieving this goal.

The evaporator metering system ensures that the refrigerant in the liquid remains at the same level. The low-side floating is designed to be open when there is no liquid in the evaporator, and close when liquid is introduced into the coils.

There are two kinds of evaporators, noncased and cased. The most popular kind of evaporator you can find in your home is a cased model. It is enclosed within the metal casing that protects the air conditioning unit. Uncased evaporators resemble cased evaporators, but they do not have a protective outer shell.

Both evaporators share the same purpose but it is important to choose the one that will satisfy your home’s particular needs. Some models are better suited for extreme environments, while others could be more appropriate for milder conditions. You should also take into consideration how easy it would be to clean and maintain the evaporator, as this can save you time, money and hassle in the long time.

Condenser

The condenser is among the three main components of your air conditioning system which helps to keep it running efficiently. The condenser is outside the home and is connected to the evaporator by refrigerant pipes. It has fans and metal fins which help to remove heat from the refrigerant which is being transferred from the evaporator. The heat removed helps the refrigerant be cooled and transform into a liquid state.

A compressor is attached to a condenser unit. It works to pressurize low-pressure liquid refrigeration that is pumped out of the evaporator coil. The squeeze action of the compressor raises the temperature of the coolant, which then passes into the condenser coils to take in heat that is not being absorbed by the air surrounding it. When the cooling process is completed the refrigerant is pushed into the compressor to be pumped under pressure before being sent back to the evaporator coil.

Since the condenser is situated outdoors, it is susceptible to the elements. Debris like twigs or leaves, grass clippings, or even roofing shingles, can cause damage to the condenser. A universal HVAC condenser can shield your heating and cooling equipment from damage when it is not in use.

Beware of shading the condenser. This can impede air flow and force the compressor to work harder to cool your home. This can result in more expensive energy bills and a potential loss of refrigerant.

Regular maintenance of your HVAC system will ensure that the condenser works correctly. A professional service technician examine every major component of your system on a regular basis will aid in preventing major problems from occurring. Additionally, having a professional service team check your refrigerant levels frequently can help avoid any issues from arising. By following these steps, you’ll be able to prolong the life of your heating and cooling system and lower your energy costs.

Compressor

A compressor is the center of your air conditioning unit, and it circulates refrigerant throughout the system to keep everything cool. It is like the blood in your body, pumping coolant between your evaporator coils as well as the condenser. If something goes wrong with the compressor, it will prevent the evaporator and condenser from performing their jobs and leave your home warm and uncomfortable.

There are many different types of HVAC compressors. Each comes with its own advantages and drawbacks. For instance the reciprocating compressor features a piston that moves up and down within a cylinder, and this motion creates suction that draws in the refrigerant. When the piston moves downwards it decreases the volume of gas, and the discharge valve opens to expels the pressurized refrigerant into the condenser coil.

This kind of compressor also has a clutch as well as a crankshaft, which helps the piston in compressing the air. A rotary compressor, on the other side, has blades within the cylinder that assist in helping compress the air. This type of compressor is extremely quiet, making it a popular option for residential applications.

Both types of HVAC compressors are designed to increase the temperature of the refrigerant’s liquid while it is compressed, so that the vapor which exits the compressor is high-temperature and high-pressure. Since heat naturally flows from high-temperature substances to lower temperature ones, the hot vapor will flow into the evaporator coils, and transform back to its original liquid state.

You can prevent most AC problems by keeping up with your maintenance schedule. This will ensure that your equipment will last for many years, and it will give you peace of mind knowing that your home is always at ease. If you do encounter an issue with the compressor then your Griffith Energy Services technician can assist you in determining what repair options are best for you.

Thermostat

The thermostat is the brain of your cooling and heating system, allowing it to decide the time and frequency at which it turns on and off. It reads the air temperature and compares it with a preset desired level. The thermostat will send an indication to alter the temperature if it is off a few degrees. The majority of modern thermostats employ the digital sensor, also known as a thermistor to measure the temperature. The thermistor is composed of two different metals that expand at different rates when they warm up and cause them to bend in opposite directions. When the thermistor is at the temperature it was set to it sends a signal to the circuit board that your heating or AC should be turned on.

Modern thermostats come with touchscreens that make them simple to operate and program. Many thermostats are programmed to automatically cool and heat your home according to specific times. This will save you from having to set them manually each day. They also provide reports on energy consumption so that you can learn ways to reduce costs.

If you have an older electromechanical model, the way that it works is a bit more complicated. It is comprised of a bimetallic band that is bonded with mercury to a vial. When temperatures change, the mercury in a vial shifts, either completing or breaking an electrical circuit. When the vial tipping the thermostat, it turns on the cooling and heating system.

It is essential to regularly clean your thermostat to remove dust. Also, ensure that it isn’t bent or loose. In certain cases, the thermostat’s readings could be inaccurate due to a damaged or dirty evaporator coil. If that is the scenario, you’ll require an expert to fix it for you. If you are experiencing a different issue, for instance an unresponsive display Try changing your batteries or making sure that your breaker isn’t in a state of being tripped. This is a good illustration of how your HVAC system can be more efficient when you take the time to research it and optimize its use.