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

If the air conditioning in your home is getting old cost of repair and energy bills could be a reason to consider the purchase of a new unit. A residential HVAC expert can help you choose the best option for your needs.

Most cooling systems rely upon electricity to cool and heat homes, however some, called gas-powered or propane air conditioners, utilize natural gas to power furnaces and run condensers in split systems.

Evaporator

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

The evaporator consists of a few copper coils that are tightly packed together. The refrigerant has a low pressure as it reaches the coils, which makes it easier to transfer heat.

A fan blows your home’s warm indoor air over 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 the ductwork of your home to every room and circulates until it is returned to the air conditioning system through return ducts.

Contrary to the compressor, which needs to produce refrigerant gas at high temperatures for efficient cooling, the evaporator requires it to bring its boiling point to a lower temperature to ensure that it is cooling effectively. The evaporator also uses its own fans to help it in achieving this objective.

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

There are two kinds of evaporators, noncased and cases-based. The most common type of evaporator in your home is the cased one. It’s enclosed inside the metal casing that surrounds the air conditioning unit. An uncased evaporator is similar however it doesn’t come with the protective outer shell.

Both evaporators share the same function, but it’s crucial to select the one that will satisfy your home’s particular needs. Some models are better suited for harsher environments, while others may be more appropriate for more moderate conditions. Think about how easy it would be to clean and maintain your evaporator. This could help you save time, money and hassle.

Condenser

Condensers are one of the three main components of the cooling system in your home. They help it work efficiently. The condenser is located outside the house and is connected to the evaporator by refrigerant pipes. It has metal fins and fans which work to remove the heat from the refrigerant which is being transported from the evaporator. The heat that is emitted helps the refrigerant to reduce in temperature and then transform to liquid form.

A compressor is connected to the condenser unit. It is used to pressurize the low-pressure liquid refrigerant that was taken from the evaporator coil. The compressor’s squeezing action raises the temperature, which is transferred to the condenser unit to absorb the heat that is trapped in the air. When the cooling process is completed the refrigerant will be pushed into the compressor to be pressurized prior to being pumped back to the evaporator coil.

Since the condenser is situated outdoors, it is susceptible to the elements. Debris like twigs, leaves, grass clippings and roofing shingles may fall into the condenser unit and cause damage to it. By adding a universal HVAC condenser cover to your cooling and heating system can help safeguard the equipment from accidental damage when it’s not in use.

It is also important to ensure that the condenser is not shaded. This can decrease the flow of air, causing the compressor to work harder in order to cool your home. This could result in increased energy costs and a potential loss of refrigerant.

Regular maintenance will ensure that your HVAC system is operating properly. Regularly having a professional technician examine the major components of your HVAC system will help prevent major problems. A professional service team can also prevent problems by regularly checking the refrigerant level. Follow these easy steps to help extend the life of your cooling and heating system and cut down on energy costs.

Compressor

A compressor is the heart of your air conditioning unit and it circulates refrigerant through the system to keep it cool. It’s like the blood of your body when it pumps the coolant between your evaporator coils and condenser. If the compressor fails then the evaporator won’t be able perform its job and your house will become uncomfortably hot.

There are a variety of types of HVAC compressors. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks. A reciprocating compressor, as an example it has a piston that moves upwards and downwards in the piston. This motion creates a suction that draws in the refrigerant. As the piston moves downward, it reduces gas volume. A discharge valve opens to let the pressurized refrigeration to the condenser.

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

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

While you cannot avoid the possibility of having a problem with your compressor, you can stop the majority of AC issues by being on top of your maintenance schedule. This will ensure that your equipment will last for many years and give you peace-of-mind knowing that your home will remain comfortable. If you do encounter an issue with the compressor or the compressor itself, your Griffith Energy Services technician can assist you in determining which repair options are best for you.

Thermostat

The thermostat is your heating and cooling system’s brain and it determines the frequency and manner in which the system is turned on and off. It compares the temperature of the air to a pre-set desired level. If it is off by one or two degrees, the thermostat will send an electronic signal to bring it closer to the desired temperature. The majority of modern thermostats employ the digital sensor, also known as a thermistor to measure the temperature. The thermistor consists of two different metals that expand at different rates when they get hot, causing them to bend in opposite directions. When the thermistor is at the temperature that it is set 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. A lot of thermostats are programmed to automatically heat and cool your home according to specific times. This means you don’t have to worry about having to manually set them each day. They also provide reports on energy consumption so that you can discover ways to reduce expenses.

If you have an old electromechanical model, it’s somewhat more complicated. It is composed of a bimetallic band which is bonded to mercury the vial. When temperatures change, the mercury in a vial tilts, completing or breaking an electrical circuit. When the vial tilts the thermostat, it turns on the cooling and heating system.

It is essential to regularly clean your thermostat to remove dust. You should also make sure that it is not loose or unbalanced. In certain cases, the thermostat’s readings could be inaccurate due to a damaged or dirty evaporator coil. If that is the situation, you’ll have to contact an expert to fix it for you. If the issue is something else, like a blank screen, you can try replacing the batteries or ensuring that your breaker hasn’t been tripped. This is an example of how your HVAC system can be more efficient when you make the effort to understand it and optimize its use.