How does air conditioning work?

Your air conditioner actually works the same as your refrigerator. It uses special gases that can easily transfer from the gaseous to the liquid state and extract the heat from your home, releasing it outside. There are three phases of this process:

1. The air conditioner sucks the air from the room.
2. Refrigerant gas extracts the heat from the air by shifting from liquid and gaseous state quickly.
3. Hot air is ventilated outside, and the cool air is returned into the room.
4. Refrigerant repeats the cycle.

Air conditioners owe their efficiency to the ability of the refrigerant to shift from liquid to gas and back quickly. In more detail, this is how the entire process actually works.

First, let’s list the important elements of any air conditioning system. Every one of them has:

• Compressor
• Condenser
• Evaporator
• Fans
• Refrigerator

What Is the Working Principle of Air Conditioners?

Here are the steps of the entire air conditioning cycle:

1. In the compressor, the refrigerant is heated up under pressure until it becomes a gas and moves toward the condenser, releasing the heat.
2. In the condenser, the refrigerant releases the pressure and cools down, turning it into liquid. Partly, this happens because there are condenser fans that blow over the condenser, cooling down the refrigerant. This refrigerant is then pushed through a tight opening, so its pressure suddenly drops as it passes it.
3. This happens as the refrigerant enters the evaporator. With the pressure dropped, the molecules spread, and the refrigerant is in a gaseous state again.
4. This chilled gas is finally used to cool down the air that fans suck into the air conditioner.
5. The cooled-down air is returned to the room, and the refrigerant returns to the compressor to repeat the cycle.

There are different types of residential air conditioners, but this is the system they all operate on. The compressor is one of the most important parts of the air conditioning system, so as long as it lasts, the air conditioning system is operational.

This system can sound more or less complicated to you, but one thing is for sure: you need an experienced professional to install and maintain your air conditioner. Such experts will know this system and notice the possible weak spots right away, even during the initial air conditioner installation.

Find the best and the most reliable air conditioner installer by using the Service Seeking website. You’ll be able to gather many quotes before making your choice.

Which Gas Is Used in AC?

Your split system air conditioner uses the hydrofluorocarbon gas R410a. Since the most commonly used refrigerant, R22, has been phased out, the alternatives that are used are hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) and natural refrigerants. Usually, the gasses used in ACs are HFCs R134a and R404a, besides the usual R410a.

The phasing out of the R22 occurred due to its harmful impact on the environment. There are still some refrigerating systems that use it, but residential air conditioning systems have abandoned its use entirely.

R410a is much more efficient than R22 it runs cooler and it reduces the chances of overheating the system. Its specifics and the ability to shift from liquid to gas quickly make it a perfect replacement.

What are the Different Types of Air Conditioners?

There are two main types of air conditioners: ductless split systems and central air conditioning systems. Other air conditioning types are variations or combinations of these systems.

The split system is the air conditioning system in which there is an inside and an outside unit. The inside unit is where the compressor is, and the inside unit is where the cool air comes from.

Central air conditioning system also has an outside compressor, but the air is distributed throughout the house through the system of built-in ducts.

The other types of air conditioning systems include:

• Multi-split system is the same as the regular split system, but there can be five or more internal units.
• Portable air conditioner is a stand-alone device that is used for regulating temperature in individual spaces. The exhaust hose is guided through the window to release the hot air.
• Unitary air conditioner is installed in a window and can only cool down one room. It is also called a window air conditioner.

New air conditioning devices and systems are being invented every day, mainly due to the environmental concerns air cons represent. For now, you can help the environmental efforts by choosing air conditioning systems with good energy efficiency ratings.

How Does a Central Air Conditioner Work?

The working principle of the central air conditioner is the same as the principle of a mini-split system. The compressor pushes the refrigerator gas into the condenser, where it gets transformed back into liquid and then back again into a cooling gas in the evaporator. Along the way, this refrigerant cools down the room air, and the system releases the heat outside.

The specifics of the central air conditioner are in the fact that it has a furnace, usually in the basement or even the attic in some instances, which pumps the cooled gas throughout the house. The well-designed system of ducts distributes the cool air and leads the hot air away. The compressor is located outside.

Image from adamshomes

Of course, in order for the entire system to work, the thermostat needs to be set to the desired temperature. The best temperature is 24 to 27 Celsius, or 26 C during heat waves. Whichever temperature you choose, it should be kept steady to ensure the most optimum performance.

How Does Air Conditioning Heating Work?

The trick is in the reversing valve. Normally, the air conditioning system takes heat from one side of the system and transfers it to the other side. Once the reversing valve is turned to heating, the process simply goes the other way around.

The system stops cooling down the inside air, releasing the hot air outside, and starts pumping the hot air in. These systems are also called heat pumps. The most efficient heat pumps use the inverter technology because it allows for adjusting the power and that means less shock to the system.

You know the basics of the way air conditioning works. While this makes you very well-informed, it still doesn’t make you an expert. You still need a professional to do your air conditioner installation.

Get the best quotes for air conditioning installation from Seeking Services. With all this knowledge, you will be able to understand all the reasoning behind the air conditioning installer’s pricing and ideas.