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

It might be worth investing in a new unit in the event that your home’s air conditioner is old and in need of repairs. A residential HVAC expert can help you 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

An evaporator coil is a component of your air conditioner that cools your home. The evaporator can be found within a box attached to your gas furnace, or inside it (if you own 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 turns into gas and absorbs heat from the home’s indoor air.

The evaporator is comprised of a few coils of copper that are tightly packed. The refrigerant is in low pressure when it gets to the coils, making it easier to transfer heat.

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

Unlike the compressor, which needs to make the 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 also has its own fans to help in achieving this goal.

The metering device of the evaporator assists to ensure that the refrigerant is at an even amount of liquid inside it. The low-side floating is designed to be open when there is no liquid in the evaporator. It will close when liquid enters the coils.

There are two main types of evaporators: cased and uncased. The most commonly used type of evaporator that you will 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. A non-cased evaporator is the same however it doesn’t come with the protective outer shell.

While both evaporators serve the identical purpose, it’s vital to select one that is suitable for your home’s unique requirements. For instance, some models are better suited for extreme working environments, while others are better suited to more moderate conditions. Also, you should consider how easy it will be to clean and maintain the evaporator as this can save you time, money, and hassle in the long run.

Condenser

Condensers are one of the three main components of the cooling system in your home. They assist in making it operate efficiently. The condenser is outside the house and connected to the evaporator through refrigerant pipes. It has metal fins and fans which help to remove heat from the refrigerant which has been transported from the evaporator. The heat removed from the refrigerant gas aids it cool and turn back into liquid form.

A compressor is attached to an condenser unit. It works to pressurize low-pressure liquid refrigeration that has been pumped out of the evaporator coil. The compressor’s squeeze action increases the temperature, which is then carried into the condenser to absorb the heat that is trapped in the air. After the cooling cycle is complete, the refrigerant will be introduced into the compressor, where it will be pressurized before being pumped back to the evaporator coil.

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

It is also crucial to not shade the condenser. This can reduce air flow, forcing the compressor to work harder in order to cool your home. This could result in more expensive energy bills and a potential loss of refrigerant.

Regular maintenance will ensure that your HVAC system is running efficiently. Having a professional service technician look over all of the major components of your system on a regular basis will assist in preventing any major issues from arising. Additionally having a professional service team check your refrigerant levels frequently can help prevent any problems from developing. Follow these steps to prolong the life of your heating and cooling system and reduce energy bills.

Compressor

The compressor is the core of your air conditioner. It pumps refrigerant through the system, keeping everything cool. It’s similar to the blood of your body when it pumps coolant between the evaporator coils and condenser. If the compressor fails and the evaporator fails, it will not be able to perform its job and your house will get extremely hot.

There are a variety of HVAC compressors and each has its own pros and cons. A reciprocating compressor, as an example it has a piston that moves upwards and downwards in a cylinder. This motion creates a suction that draws in the refrigerant. When the piston moves downwards, it reduces the volume of gas, and then a discharge valve is opened to release the refrigerant pressurized into the condenser coil.

This type of compressor comes with a clutch and crankshaft, which assists the piston in compressing the air. A rotary compressor has blades inside the cylinder to assist in compressing the air. This type of compressor is extremely quiet, which makes it a popular option for homes.

Both types of HVAC compressors are designed to increase the temperature of the liquid refrigerant as it is being compressed, ensuring that the vapor which exits the compressor is high-pressure and high-temperature. Since heat naturally flows from higher-temperature substances to lower-temperature ones the hot vapor will move into the evaporator coils and return to its liquid state.

You can avoid the majority of AC problems by keeping up with your maintenance schedule. This will allow your equipment to last for many years, and will provide you with peace of mind knowing your home is always in good condition. Griffith Energy Services can help you determine the best repair options if you experience a compressor problem.

Thermostat

The thermostat is your heating and cooling system’s brain and it decides when and how the system turns on and off. It reads the air temperature and compares it with a preset desired level. The thermostat will send an indication to alter the temperature if off a few degrees. The majority of modern thermostats monitor temperature by using a digital sensor known as the thermistor. The thermistor is made up of two metals that expand in different ways when heated up and cause the metals to bend in opposite directions. When the thermistor reaches the temperature it was set to it sends a signal to the circuit board that heating or AC should be turned on.

The touchscreens on the latest models make it easier to program and operate. They are usually programmed to automatically heat or cool your house at specific times, which saves you the headache of having to set it each day. In addition, they provide reports on energy usage to help you figure out how to reduce costs.

If you have an older electromechanical model the method of operation is a little more complex. It is composed of a bimetallic band that is joined to mercury in a vial. If the temperature changes, the mercury in a vial moves, either complete or breaking a circuit. When the vial is tilted, it triggers the thermostat to start the cooling or heating system.

To keep your thermostat in good working order, you must clean it frequently to get rid of any dust that has built up. Also, you should ensure that it is not loose or unbalanced. In some cases the thermostat could be having issues in its readings due to an evaporator coil that is dirty or the thermistor being damaged. In this case, you will need to call a professional to fix it for you. If the issue is something else, like an unresponsive screen or a blank screen, you can try replacing the batteries or ensuring that the breaker hasn’t been activated. This is a good example of how you can make your HVAC system more efficient by learning about it and maximizing its use.