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 can make it worthwhile to invest in an upgrade. A residential HVAC professional can assist you to choose the best option for your needs.

Gas-powered air conditioners, also referred to as propane air conditioners, use natural gas for heating and running condensers.

Evaporator

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

The evaporator is comprised of a few coils of copper that are tightly packed. The refrigerant is able to reach the coils with low pressure, which makes it easier to transfer heat as it evaporates to a gaseous state.

A fan blows warm air from your home to the coil that is used to evaporate. The air is then cooled as heat is taken away from the evaporator. This reduces the temperature of the air inside. The cool air is circulated through the ductwork of your home to each room.

The evaporator, in contrast to the compressor, requires to raise the boiling point of the refrigerant down to a low temperature to achieve effective air cooling. The evaporator is also equipped with its own fans to help to achieve this objective.

The evaporator’s metering device helps to ensure that the refrigerant maintains an even amount of liquid within it. The low-side floating is designed to open if 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 popular kind of evaporator you can find in your home is the one that is cased. It’s enclosed inside the casing made of metal that covers your air conditioning unit. Uncased evaporators are similar to cased evaporators, but they don’t have an outer shell that is protected.

While both evaporators serve the same purpose, it’s important to choose a model that’s capable of meeting the requirements of your house. Certain models are better suited to extreme environments, while others may be better suited to more moderate conditions. Also, you should consider how easy it will be to clean and maintain the evaporator since this can save you time, money and effort in the long in the long.

Condenser

Condensers are one of the three major components of your cooling system. They help it work efficiently. The condenser is situated outside the home and is connected to the evaporator via refrigerant pipes. It contains metal fins and fans that work to remove the heat from the refrigerant that has been transferred from the evaporator. The heat that is emitted allows the refrigerant to be cooled and transform into a liquid state.

A compressor is attached to the condenser unit. It works to pressurize low-pressure liquid refrigeration that is pumped out of the evaporator coil. The squeezing action of the compressor increases the temperature of the coolant which is then pumped into condenser coils, which absorb the latent heat from the air around it. After the cooling cycle, 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 again.

Since the condenser is outdoors, it is susceptible to the elements. Debris such as leaves or twigs grass clippings or roofing shingles, can cause damage to the condenser. By adding the universal HVAC condenser cover to your cooling and heating system can help safeguard the equipment from damage even when it’s not in use.

Avoid shading the condenser. This could reduce air flow, which can force the compressor to work harder to cool your home. This can result in higher energy bills as well as a possible loss of refrigerant.

Regular maintenance of your HVAC system will ensure that the condenser is working properly. Regularly having a professional technician check all major components of your HVAC system can aid in preventing major issues. A professional service team can prevent problems by regularly checking the refrigerant level. Follow these simple steps to help extend the life of your cooling and heating 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 it cool. It is as the blood that circulates through your body, in that it moves the coolant between your condenser and evaporator coils. If the compressor fails then the evaporator won’t be able perform its job, and your home will be extremely hot.

There are many different types of HVAC compressors. Each one has its own benefits and drawbacks. For example, a reciprocating compressor has a piston that moves between up and down inside a cylinder, and this movement creates suction that draws in the refrigerant. When the piston is moving downwards it reduces the gas volume. A discharge valve then opens to release the pressurized refrigeration to the condenser.

This kind of compressor also comes with a clutch and a crankshaft that helps the piston to compress the air. A rotary compressor, on the other side, has blades within the cylinder which help compress the air. This kind of compressor is very quiet, making it a popular choice for residential applications.

The HVAC compressors of both kinds are designed to increase the temperatures of the liquid when it is compressed. This creates the formation of a high-temperature, high pressure liquid. 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 liquid state.

While you can’t avoid the occasional problem with the compressor, you can avoid 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. Griffith Energy Services can help you decide on the best repair option if you are experiencing a problem with your compressor.

Thermostat

The thermostat is the brain of your cooling and heating system, allowing it to decide when and how it turns off and on. It compared 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 alter it towards the desired temperature. Most modern thermostats use a digital sensor called a thermistor to measure the temperature. The thermistor consists of two metals that expand differently when heated up and cause the metals to bend in an opposite directions. When the thermistor reaches its temperature set, it signals the circuit board to turn on your heating or AC system.

The latest models of thermostats feature touchscreens that make them simple to operate and program. Many thermostats can be programmed to automatically cool and heat your home at certain times. This will save you from having to set them manually each day. In addition, they provide reports on energy usage to help you figure out how to cut back on costs.

If you have an older electromechanical model the way that it works is a bit more complicated. It is comprised of a bimetallic strip which is attached to a vial by mercury. When the temperature changes and the mercury inside a vial shifts, either completing or breaking an electrical circuit. When the vial tipping the thermostat, it activates the cooling and heating system.

You should regularly clean your thermostat to get rid of dust. Also, make sure it isn’t bent or loose. In certain cases, the thermostat’s readings could be inaccurate due to a damaged or dirty evaporator coil. In this situation, you’ll need to call in an expert to fix the issue. If the problem is something else, like blank screens it is possible to try changing the batteries or ensuring that your breaker hasn’t been activated. This is a good example of how you can make your HVAC system more efficient by understanding it and optimizing its use.