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 be a reason to consider the purchase of a new unit. A residential HVAC expert can assist you in selecting the right option for your home.

Most cooling systems rely upon electricity to cool and heat homes. However, some, called gas-powered or propane air conditioners, utilize natural gas to fuel furnaces and operate condensers in a split system.

Evaporator

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

The evaporator consists of one or more coils of copper that are tightly packed. The refrigerant is in low pressure when it gets to the coils, which makes it easier to transfer heat.

A fan blows warm air through the evaporator coil. This air is cooled as heat is removed from the evaporator. This lowers the temperature of your indoor air. The cool air is circulated through the ductwork of your home to each of the rooms.

In contrast to the compressor, which requires to create refrigerant gas at high temperatures to ensure efficient cooling, the evaporator needs to raise its boiling point to a lower temperature for effective air cooling. The evaporator uses its own fans in order to accomplish this objective.

The metering device in the evaporator helps to ensure that the refrigerant has the same amount of liquid within it. The low-side floating is designed to open when there is no liquid in the evaporator, and close when liquid is introduced into the coils.

There are two types of evaporators: noncased and cased. The most common kind of evaporator you can find in your home is the one that is cased. It is housed inside the metal casing that surrounds the air conditioning unit. Uncased evaporators are similar, except it doesn’t have the protective outer shell.

While both evaporators serve the identical purpose, it’s vital to select a model capable of meeting the specific requirements of your home. Certain models are better suited for harsher environments, whereas others might be more appropriate for more moderate 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 effort in the long run.

Condenser

The condenser is among the three major components of your home’s air conditioning system that help keep it working efficiently. It is situated outside of the home, and is connected to the evaporator’s coil by refrigerant lines and contains an array of metal fins and fans that work to remove heat from the refrigerant gas that was transported from the evaporator. The heat that is removed helps the refrigerant to be cooled and transform into a liquid state.

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

The condenser unit is exposed to the elements because it is outside. Debris such as twigs, grass clippings, leaves, and roofing shingles may get into the condenser unit, causing damage to it. A universal HVAC condenser can shield your heating and cooling equipment from damage while not in use.

Do not shade the condenser. Doing so can restrict air flow and make the compressor work harder to cool your home. This could lead to higher energy bills and a possibility of losing refrigerant.

Regular maintenance will ensure that your HVAC system is working efficiently. Regularly having a professional technician check all 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. By following these simple steps, you can help to extend the longevity of your heating and cooling system and lower your energy costs.

Compressor

A compressor is the heart of your air conditioning unit, and it circulates refrigerant throughout the system to keep it cool. It’s like the blood in your body, pumping the coolant between the evaporator coils and condenser. If something is wrong with the compressor, it will prevent the condenser and evaporator from doing their job and leave your home uncomfortably warm.

There are many different types of HVAC compressors. Each one has its own benefits and disadvantages. For example the reciprocating compressor is comprised of pistons that move between up and down inside the cylinder. This movement creates suction that draws in refrigerant. As the piston moves down, it reduces the volume of gas, and then a discharge valve is opened to let the refrigerant that is pressurized out into the condenser coil.

This type of compressor is also equipped with a clutch and a crankshaft that aids the piston to compress air. A rotary compressor is equipped with blades that are inside the cylinder to help compress the air. This type of compressor is quiet, which makes it a popular option for homes with a small space.

The HVAC compressors of both types are designed to raise temperature of the liquid as it is compressed. This results in an extremely high-temperature, high-pressure vapor. Heat naturally flows from high-temperature substances to lower temperatures which is why the hot vapor will travel to the evaporator and return to its liquid state.

While you can’t prevent the occasional problem with the compressor, you can avoid the majority of AC problems by being on top of your maintenance schedule. This will ensure that your AC will last for a long time and provide you with peace of mind knowing that your home will always be comfortable. Griffith Energy Services can help you decide on the best repair options should you are experiencing a problem with your compressor.

Thermostat

The thermostat is your heating and cooling system’s brain and it decides when and how the system turns on and off. It compared the temperature of the air to a pre-set level. The thermostat will send an alert to adjust the temperature if it’s off by a few degrees. The majority of modern thermostats gauge temperature by using the digital sensor, also known as the thermosistor. The thermistor consists of two metals that expand differently when heated and cause the metals to flex in an opposite directions. When the thermistor reaches the temperature set it sends a signal to the circuit board that 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 heat and cool your home according to specific times. This saves you from having to manually set them every day. In addition, they provide information on energy usage to help you figure out how to cut down on costs.

If you have an old electromechanical model, it is a little more complicated. It consists of a bimetallic strip that is attached to a vial with mercury. When the temperature changes it causes the mercury inside the vial to move, completing or interrupting an electrical circuit. When the vial is tipped it triggers the thermostat to activate the cooling or heating system.

To ensure that your thermostat is in good working condition You must clean it frequently to get rid of any dust that has built up. Also, ensure that it is not crooked or loose. In certain cases the thermostat may be experiencing issues with its readings due to a dirty evaporator coil or the thermistor being damaged. In this instance you’ll need to get an expert to resolve the problem. If you’re experiencing a different problem, such as an unresponsive display Try changing your batteries or checking that your breaker is not in a state of being tripped. This is a good example of how your HVAC system can be more efficient when you make the effort to research it and improve its use.