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 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 known as propane air conditioners make use of natural gas for heating and condensers that run.
Evaporator
The evaporator coil in your air conditioner is what cools your home. The evaporator is inside a box that is connected to your gas furnace or inside it (if you have one). If you don’t, the evaporator can be found in an air handler. The evaporator is the place where the refrigerant is transformed into a liquid, and absorbs heat in your home’s air.
The evaporator is comprised of one or more copper coils that are tightly bonded. The refrigerant is able to reach the coils at a low pressure, which makes it easier to transfer heat as it evaporates to gaseous form.
A fan blows the warm air from your home over the coil that is used to evaporate. The air is then cooled through the removal of heat from the evaporator, which alters the refrigerant’s temperature and lowers the temperature of your indoor air. The cooled air is circulated through the ductwork of your home to each room.
The evaporator, in contrast to the compressor, needs to raise the boiling point of the refrigerant to a lower temperature to ensure efficient air cooling. The evaporator also uses its own fans to help it to achieve this final goal.
The evaporator metering device makes sure that the liquid refrigerant is always at a constant 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, noncased and cased. The most common kind of evaporator you can find in your home is a cased model. It’s enclosed inside the casing made of metal that covers the air conditioning unit. Uncased evaporators resemble cases, but they do not have an outer shell with protection.
While both evaporators serve the same purpose, it’s crucial to select a model suitable for your home’s unique requirements. Some models are better suited for more harsh environments, while others could be better suited to more moderate conditions. You should also think about how easy it will be to clean and maintain the evaporator as this could save you time, money and hassle in the long time.
Condenser
Condensers are among the three major components of the cooling system in your home. They assist in making it operate efficiently. The condenser is situated outside the house and connected to the evaporator by refrigerant pipes. It has metal fins and fans which help to remove heat from the refrigerant that is being transferred from the evaporator. The heat that is removed from the refrigerant gas allows it to cool and then return to liquid form.
A compressor is attached to a condenser unit. It operates to pressurize low-pressure liquid refrigeration that has been pumped from the evaporator coil. The compressor’s squeeze action increases the temperature, and it is transferred to the condenser unit to absorb heat trapped in the air. After the cooling process and the refrigerant is pumped back into the compressor, where it is again pressurized before being pumped to the evaporator coil. There, the process starts all over again.
The condenser unit is exposed elements since it is outside. Debris such as leaves or twigs, grass clippings, or roofing shingles, can cause damage to the condenser. A universal HVAC condenser can protect your heating and cooling equipment from damage when it is not in use.
Beware of shading the condenser. This can reduce air flow, which can force the compressor to work harder 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 working properly. A professional service technician look over all of the major components of your system on a regular basis can help to prevent any major problems from occurring. 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 heating and cooling system and lower your energy costs.
Compressor
A compressor is the core of your air conditioning unit and it circulates refrigerant throughout the system to keep it cool. It’s as the blood that circulates through your body, since it moves the coolant back and forth between your condenser and evaporator coils. If something is wrong with the compressor, it will prevent the condenser and evaporator from performing their jobs and will make your home uncomfortably warm.
There are many different types of HVAC compressors. Each one has its own benefits and drawbacks. A reciprocating compressor, for example it has a piston that moves upwards and downwards in the cylindrical. This movement creates a suction which draws in the refrigerant. As the piston moves downwards it decreases the volume of gas. A discharge valve opens to release the pressurized refrigeration from the condenser.
This kind of compressor also includes a clutch and a crankshaft that helps the piston to compress air. A Rotary compressor, on other hand, has blades inside the cylinder which help compress the air. This type of compressor is quiet, which makes it a popular option for residential use.
Both kinds of HVAC compressors are designed to increase the temperature of the liquid refrigerant when it is compressed, ensuring that the vapor that exits the compressor is high-temperature and high-pressure. The heat naturally flows from high-temperature materials down to lower temperature substances and the hot vapor moves to the evaporator before returning to its liquid state.
You can avoid the majority of AC issues by staying on top with your maintenance schedule. This will ensure that your equipment will last for a long time and give you peace-of-mind knowing that your home will remain comfortable. If you do have problems with your compressor or the compressor itself, your Griffith Energy Services technician can help you decide what repair options are best for you.
Thermostat
The thermostat is your heating and cooling system’s brain, and it controls the time and frequency at which the system turns on and off. It compares the air temperature to a pre-set desired level. The thermostat will send an alert to adjust the temperature if it is off a few degrees. Most modern thermostats use an electronic sensor known as the thermistor, which measures the temperature. The thermistor is comprised of two metals which expand differently when heated, causing the metals to flex in an opposite directions. When the thermistor reaches its temperature it sends a signal to the circuit board to switch on your heating or AC system.
The touchscreens on the newer models make it easy to program and operate. They can be programmed to automatically heat or cool your home at certain times, which saves you the effort of manually setting it each day. Additionally, they offer information on energy usage so that you can figure out how to reduce costs.
If you have an older electromechanical model, it is somewhat more complicated. It consists of a bimetallic strip that is attached to a vial with mercury. When the temperature fluctuates, it causes the mercury in the vial to tilt and complete or interrupt an electrical circuit. When the vial tipping the thermostat, it turns on the cooling and heating system.
It is essential to 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 incorrect due to a dirty or damaged evaporator coil. In this case, you’ll need to call in an expert to fix the issue. If the problem is something else, like an unresponsive screen it is possible to try replacing the batteries or making sure that the breaker hasn’t been activated. This is a good illustration of how you can improve the efficiency of your HVAC system more efficient by learning about it and optimizing its use.