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

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

Most cooling systems rely on electricity to cool and heat homes, but some, such as propane or gas-powered air conditioners, utilize natural gas to power furnaces and run condensers within a split system.

Evaporator

The evaporator coil in your air conditioner is the one that cools your house. The evaporator is in a box connected to your gas furnace or within 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 liquid transforms into a gas and absorbs heat from your home’s indoor air.

The evaporator consists of one or more coils of copper that are tightly packed. The refrigerant is able to reach the coils at a low pressure, making it easier to transfer heat as it evaporates into a gaseous state.

A fan blows the warm air that is escaping your home over the coil that is used to evaporate. This air is cooled when heat is removed from the evaporator. This lowers the temperature of the air inside. The cooled air is then moved through the ductwork of your home to each room and circulates until it returns to the air conditioning system via return ducts.

In contrast to the compressor, which needs to create refrigerant gas at high temperatures to allow efficient cooling, the evaporator needs to raise its boiling point to a low temperature for effective air cooling. The evaporator is also equipped with its own fans to help it achieve this final goal.

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

There are two kinds of evaporators: cased and noncased. The most common type of evaporator that you will find in your home is the one that is cased. It’s enclosed inside the metal casing that surrounds the air conditioning unit. Uncased evaporators are like cases, but they don’t have an outer shell that is protected.

While both evaporators serve the identical purpose, it’s vital to select a model able to meet your home’s unique requirements. For instance, some models are more suited to extreme working environments, while others are better suited for more moderate conditions. You should also take into consideration how easy it would be to clean and maintain the evaporator since this could save you time, money and hassle in the long time.

Condenser

The condenser is among the three main components of your home’s air conditioning system which helps to keep it running efficiently. It is located outside the house, connected to the evaporator coil via refrigerant lines. It is also home to an array of metal fins and fans that remove heat from the refrigerant gas which has been transferred from the evaporator. The heat removed from the refrigerant gas aids it cool and then return to liquid form.

A compressor is attached to the condenser unit. It works to pressurize the low-pressure liquid refrigerant that was pumped from the evaporator coil. The compressor’s squeezing action raises the temperature, which is transferred to the condenser unit to absorb heat trapped in the air. After it has completed its cooling cycle and the refrigerant is pumped back into the compressor where it is pressurized again before being pumped to the evaporator coil, where the process begins again.

Because the condenser is located outdoors, it is vulnerable to the elements. Debris such as twigs, grass clippings, leaves and even roofing shingles can get into the condenser unit and cause damage to it. A universal HVAC condenser can shield your heating and cooling equipment from damage while not in use.

It is also important to not shade the condenser. Shades can limit air flow and make the compressor work harder to cool your home. This could result in more energy costs and a possibility of losing refrigerant.

Regular maintenance will ensure that your HVAC system is operating efficiently. Having a professional service technician look over every major component of your system regularly can aid in preventing major issues from occurring. A professional service team can prevent problems by regularly checking the refrigerant level. Follow these simple steps to extend the life of your heating and cooling system and reduce energy bills.

Compressor

The compressor is the main component of your air conditioning. It circulates refrigerant through the system, which keeps everything cool. It’s like the blood in your body, in that it circulates coolant between your evaporator and condenser coils. If the compressor fails, the evaporator will not be able to perform its job, and your home will become uncomfortably hot.

There are a variety of types of HVAC compressors. Each one comes with its own advantages and drawbacks. A reciprocating compressor, as an example it has a piston that moves up and down in a piston. This motion creates a suction which draws in refrigerant. As the piston moves downward it reduces the gas volume. A discharge valve opens to release the pressurized refrigeration from the condenser.

This type of compressor is equipped with a clutch and a crankshaft that aids the piston compress the air. A Rotary compressor, on other side, has blades within the cylinder that assist in helping compress the air. This type of compressor is quiet, making it an ideal option for residential use.

Both types of HVAC compressors are designed to increase the temperature of the refrigerant liquid as it is being compressed, so that the vapor which exits the compressor is high-pressure and high-temperature. It is normal for heat to flow from high-temperature substances down to lower-temperature substances which is why the hot vapor moves to the evaporator before returning to its liquid state.

While you cannot avoid the chance of having problems with the compressor, you can stop the majority of AC problems by staying on top of your maintenance schedule. This will ensure that your AC will last for a long time and give you peace-of-mind knowing that your home will always be 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 your heating and cooling system’s brain and it determines when and how the system is turned on and off. It measures the temperature of the air and compares it to an established desired level. If it is off by a few degrees the thermostat will send an electronic signal to alter it towards the desired temperature. The majority of modern thermostats gauge temperature by using an electronic sensor referred to as a thermistor. The thermistor is made up of two different metals that expand at different rates as they get hot and bend in opposite directions. When the thermistor reaches the temperature that it is set it sends a signal to the circuit board that heating or AC should be switched on.

The latest models of thermostats feature 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 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 made up of a bimetallic band which is bonded to mercury the vial. When the temperature changes, the mercury in a vial tilts, completing or breaking an electrical circuit. When the vial is tilted, it triggers the thermostat to start the heating or cooling system.

You should regularly clean your thermostat to remove dust. Also, you should ensure that it’s not tangled or unbalanced. In some instances the thermostat may be experiencing issues with its readings because of a dirty evaporator coil or the thermistor being damaged. In this instance you’ll need to call in a professional to fix the issue. If the issue is something else, like an unresponsive screen or a blank screen, you can try changing the batteries or ensuring that your breaker hasn’t been activated. This is a good 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.