This summer, you’ll probably get a lot of use out of your air conditioner. From time to time, you’ve probably wondered how air conditioners even manage to cool down the air around you, especially since they aren’t as simple as fans. We’ll go over the basics and give you a better understanding of your air conditioning.
Removing the Heat
Air conditioning isn’t as simple as adding cold air to the room. It doesn’t work like that since cold air can’t just be added to a new area without warming up over time. Instead, cold is simply the absence of heat, so an air conditioner removes heat from the surrounding area.
It does this with a few specific processes. With the power of a refrigerant and the combined work of a compressor, condenser coil, and evaporator coil, the air conditioner can absorb hot air, convert it to a liquid state, and then turn it into the cold air that gets sent into the room. This continues as a cycle, with hot air entering the air conditioner and coming out as cold air, which eventually warms up and gets sent back.
Types of Air Conditioners
In addition to the complicated amount of detail, there isn’t just one type of air conditioner. There are multiple types, with their specifics to go over.
- Split-System: Using an indoor and outdoor unit, these conditioners compress and condense on the outside while evaporating and blowing on the inside.
- Packed: These contain everything in a single unit, working much the same as the split system, except without having an outside component.
- Ductless: Instead of providing central air, these only cool down one area of a house. They have a specific but less intensive installation and otherwise work similarly to a split-system conditioner.
AC Repairs
Now that you know a little more about your AC, you may be wondering what you can do if it breaks. Unfortunately, air conditioners and other HVAC systems are complicated and require a professional’s help to repair them. Contact Hardcastle Heating & Air today.
