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

If your home’s air conditioning is at its peak the high repair costs and energy bills can make it worth investing in the purchase of a new unit. A residential HVAC professional can help you select the right option for your needs.

Most cooling systems rely upon 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 in your air conditioner is what cools your home. The evaporator is in a box attached to your gas furnace or within 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 turns into a gas and absorbs heat from your home’s indoor air.

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

A fan blows warm indoor air over the coil that is used to evaporate the air. The air is then cooled as heat is taken away from the evaporator. This reduces the temperature of the air inside. The cooled air then moves through your home’s ductwork system to every room, where it circulates until it is returned to the air conditioning system via return ducts.

The evaporator, in contrast to the compressor, requires to raise the boiling point of the refrigerant down to a low temperature to achieve efficient air cooling. The evaporator has its own fans in order to accomplish this goal.

The metering device in the evaporator helps to ensure that the refrigerant has an even amount of liquid in it. The float on the low-side is designed to open when there is no liquid in the evaporator, and it closes when sees liquid enter the coils.

There are two kinds of evaporators: cased and noncased. A cased evaporator will be the one you’ll likely to see in your home since it’s enclosed within the metal casing of your air conditioning unit. A non-cased evaporator is the same, except it doesn’t have the protective outer shell.

While both evaporators serve the same purpose, it’s crucial to choose a model that’s able to meet the specific requirements of your home. Certain models are better suited for more harsh environments, while others could be better suited to more moderate conditions. Think about how easy it would be to clean and maintain your evaporator. This can save you money, time and effort.

Condenser

The condenser is one of three major components of your air conditioning system that helps keep it operating efficiently. The condenser is outside the house and is connected to the evaporator through refrigerant pipes. It is comprised of metal fins and fans that help remove heat from the refrigerant that was transferred from the evaporator. The heat removed from the refrigerant gas allows it to cool and turn back into liquid form.

A compressor is attached to the condenser unit. It is used to pressurize the low-pressure liquid refrigerant that has been taken from the evaporator coil. The compressor’s squeezing action raises the temperature, which is then carried into the condenser to absorb the heat that is trapped in the air. Once it has completed its cooling process, the refrigerant is pushed back into the compressor, where it is pressed again prior to being pumped into the evaporator coil. There, the process begins all over again.

Since the condenser is outdoors, it is vulnerable to the elements. Debris like twigs or leaves grass clippings or even roofing shingles, could cause damage to the condenser. Adding an universal HVAC condenser cover to your heating and cooling system can help protect the equipment from damage even when it’s not in use.

It is also essential to ensure that the condenser is not shaded. This can impede air flow and make the compressor work harder to cool your home. This can result in increased energy costs as well as a loss of refrigerant.

Regular maintenance will ensure that your HVAC system is operating correctly. Regularly having a professional technician check the major components of your HVAC system will aid in preventing major issues. A professional service team can also avoid problems by checking regularly the refrigerant levels. By following these simple steps, you will be able to prolong the longevity of your cooling and heating system as well as reduce your energy bills.

Compressor

A compressor is the center of your air conditioning unit, and it pumps refrigerant throughout the system to keep everything cool. It’s like the blood of your body when it pumps coolant between your evaporator coils as well as the condenser. If the compressor fails and the evaporator fails, it will not be able to perform its job and your home will get extremely hot.

There are many different types of HVAC compressors. Each one has its own advantages and drawbacks. A reciprocating compressor, for instance, has a piston moving upwards and downwards in a piston. This creates a suction that draws in refrigerant. As the piston is moved down it decreases the volume of gas, and then a discharge valve is opened to release the refrigerant pressurized into the condenser coil.

This type of compressor is also equipped with a clutch and a crankshaft which helps the piston compress the air. A rotary compressor, on the other hand, has blades inside the cylinder that assist in helping compress the air. This kind of compressor is very quiet, making it a popular option for residential applications.

Both kinds of HVAC compressors are designed to increase the temperature of the liquid refrigerant while it is compressed, ensuring that the vapor that leaves the compressor is high-pressure and high-temperature. Since heat naturally flows from higher-temperature substances to lower temperature ones the hot vapor will flow into the evaporator coils before it can change back to its original liquid state.

You can avoid the majority of AC issues 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 comfortable. Griffith Energy Services can help you choose the best repair option if you are experiencing a problem with your compressor.

Thermostat

The thermostat is the brains of your heating and cooling system, which allows it to regulate the time and frequency at which it is turned on and off. It reads the air temperature and compares it with an established desired level. The thermostat will send an alert to adjust the temperature if it is off a few degrees. The majority of modern thermostats gauge temperature using an electronic sensor referred to as a thermosistor. The thermistor is made up of two metals which expand differently when heated, causing the metals to bend in opposite directions. When the thermistor is at its temperature it sends a signal to the circuit board to start your heating or AC system.

The touchscreens on newer models make it easier to program and operate. They are often programmed to automatically heat or cool your home at specific times, which eliminates the hassle of having to manually set the temperature each day. They also provide information on energy usage so that you can find ways to cut costs.

If you have an older electromechanical model, it’s somewhat more complicated. It is made up of a bimetallic band which is joined to mercury in a vial. If the temperature changes the mercury in the vial shifts, either completing or breaking an electrical circuit. When the vial tilts the thermostat, it turns on the cooling and heating system.

To ensure that your thermostat is in good working order, you must clean it regularly to remove any dust that may have accumulated. Also, you should ensure that it is not loose or bent. In some cases the thermostat could be having trouble in its readings due to an evaporator coil that is dirty or the thermistor being damaged. In that 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 checking that your breaker isn’t connected. This is a good illustration of how you can make your HVAC system more efficient by understanding it and maximizing its use.