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

If the air conditioning in your home is at its peak, high repair costs and energy bills may be a reason to consider a new unit. A residential HVAC expert can assist you in choosing the best option for your home.

Most cooling systems rely on electricity to cool and heat homes, but certain gas-powered or propane air conditioners use natural gas to fuel furnaces and operate condensers within a split system.

Evaporator

An Evaporator coil is the component of your air conditioner that cools your home. The evaporator is within a box connected 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 where the refrigerant turns into a liquid and then absorbs heat in your home’s air.

The evaporator consists of one or more copper coils that are tightly packed. The refrigerant is at low pressure when it reaches the coils, making it easier to transfer heat.

A fan blows warm air that is escaping your home over the evaporator coil. The air is cooled by the removal of heat from the evaporator, which alters the refrigerant’s temperatures and lowers the temperature of your home’s air. The cool air then flows through your home’s ductwork system to every room, where it circulates until it is returned to the air conditioning system via return ducts.

The evaporator, unlike the compressor, needs to raise the boiling point of the refrigerant to a low temperature to allow for efficient air cooling. The evaporator is also equipped with its own fans to help achieve this objective.

The evaporator metering system ensures that the refrigerant used in the liquid remains at a constant level. The low-side floating is designed to be open when there is no liquid in the evaporator and close when liquid is introduced into the coils.

There are two kinds of evaporators: cases and uncased. The most popular type of evaporator that you will find in your home is the one that is cased. It is housed inside the metal casing that protects the air conditioning unit. Uncased evaporators are like the cased evaporators, however they do not have an outer shell with protection.

While both evaporators have the identical purpose, it’s vital to choose a model that’s suitable for the requirements of your house. For instance, some models are more suited to more harsh working environments, whereas others are more suitable for milder conditions. Think about how easy it is to clean and maintain your evaporator. This can save you money, time and hassle.

Condenser

Condensers are one of the three primary components of the cooling system in your home. They assist in making it operate efficiently. It is located outside the home, and is connected to the evaporator coil via refrigerant lines and contains an array of fans and metal fins that remove heat from the refrigerant gas that has been transported here from the evaporator. The heat removed from the refrigerant gas helps it cool before turning back into liquid form.

A compressor is attached to a condenser unit. It is used to pressurize low-pressure liquid refrigeration that is pumped out of the evaporator coil. The squeeze action of the compressor increases the temperature of the coolant which then passes into the condenser coils to take in heat that is not being released from the air around it. When the cooling process is complete the refrigerant will be moved 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 like twigs, grass clippings, leaves and even roofing shingles can fall into the condenser unit and damage it. Adding an universal HVAC condenser cover to your heating and cooling system can help protect the equipment from damage even when it’s not in use.

Do not shade the condenser. This can reduce the flow of air, causing the compressor to work harder in order to cool your home. This could result in higher energy bills as well as a possible loss of refrigerant.

Regular maintenance will ensure that your HVAC system is running efficiently. Having a professional service technician examine every major component of your system on a regular basis can assist in preventing any major issues from occurring. A professional service team can also avoid problems by checking regularly the refrigerant level. Follow these steps to extend the life of your heating/cooling system and reduce energy bills.

Compressor

A compressor is the core of your air conditioning unit and it pumps refrigerant throughout the system to keep it cool. It’s similar to the blood in your body when it pumps the coolant between your evaporator coils and condenser. If the compressor fails, the evaporator will not be able to do its job, and your home will be extremely hot.

There are a myriad of different kinds of HVAC compressors. Each one comes with its own advantages and drawbacks. For example the reciprocating compressor features a piston that moves upwards and downwards within the cylinder. This motion creates suction that draws in refrigerant. As the piston is moved down it decreases the volume of gas, then a discharge valve opens to let the refrigerant that is pressurized out into the condenser coil.

This type of compressor also includes a clutch and a crankshaft that helps the piston to compress air. A Rotary compressor, on other side, has blades within the cylinder that help to compress the air. This kind of compressor is quiet, which makes it an ideal option for residential use.

The HVAC compressors of both types are designed to raise temperatures of the liquid when it is compressed. This results in a high-pressure, high-temperature vapor. Since heat naturally flows from higher-temperature substances to lower temperature ones the hot vapor will move into the evaporator coils before it can return to its liquid state.

You can prevent most 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. 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 the brain of your cooling and heating system, enabling it to decide when and how it is turned on and off. It compares the temperature of the air to a pre-set level. If it is off by one or two degrees, the thermostat will send an electronic signal that changes it to bring it closer to the desired temperature. The majority of modern thermostats measure temperature by using the digital sensor, also known as the thermistor. The thermistor is composed of two different metals that expand at different rates as they warm up and cause them to bend in opposite directions. When the thermistor is at the temperature set it informs the circuit board that your heating or AC should be turned on.

The touchscreens on the newer models make it easy to program and operate. They are often programmed to automatically heat or cool your home at specific times, which eliminates the effort of having to set the temperature each day. In addition, they provide reports on energy consumption so that you can figure out how to cut back on expenses.

If you have an older electromechanical model the method of operation is a bit more complicated. It is comprised of a bimetallic strip that is bonded to a vial using mercury. If the temperature changes in the vial, it causes the mercury in the vial to shift and complete or interrupt an electrical circuit. When the vial tipping, the thermostat turns on the cooling and heating system.

You must regularly clean your thermostat to get rid of dust. You should also make sure that it’s not tangled or unbalanced. In some instances the thermostat could be experiencing issues in its readings due to a dirty evaporator coil or the thermistor being damaged. In this situation you’ll need to call in an expert to fix the problem. If you’re experiencing a different issue, for instance a blank display Try changing your batteries or making sure that your breaker is not tripped. This is a good example of how you can make your HVAC system more efficient by gaining knowledge about it and maximizing its use.