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

If the air conditioning in your home is at its peak the high repair costs and energy bills may make it worth investing in an upgrade. A residential HVAC expert can assist you in choosing the right solution for your home.

Gas-powered air conditioners, also known as propane air conditioners make use of natural gas to heat and condensers to run.

Evaporator

An evaporator coil is a component of your air conditioner that cools your home. The evaporator is within a box connected to your gas furnace or within it (if you have 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 absorbs heat in your home’s air.

The evaporator is comprised of one or more copper coils that are tightly packed. The refrigerant has a low pressure as it reaches the coils, which makes it easier to transfer heat.

A fan blows your home’s warm indoor air over the coil that is used to evaporate the air. The air is then cooled through the removal of heat from the evaporator, which changes the refrigerant’s temperature and lowers the temperature of your indoor air. The cooled air then moves through your home’s ductwork system to each room which is where it circulates until it is returned to the air conditioning system via return ducts.

The evaporator, in contrast to the compressor, only needs to raise the boiling point of the refrigerant down to a low temperature to ensure effective air cooling. The evaporator has its own fan in order to achieve this objective.

The evaporator’s metering device helps to ensure that the refrigerant maintains the same amount of liquid within it. The low-side floating is designed to open if there is no liquid in the evaporator. It will close when liquid gets into the coils.

There are two kinds of evaporators, cased and noncased. The most common type of evaporator in your home is the one that is cased. It is housed inside the metal casing that surrounds the air conditioning unit. Uncased evaporators are similar, except it doesn’t have the outer shell that protects it.

While both evaporators serve the same purpose, it’s important to choose a model that’s capable of meeting the requirements of your house. Some models are more suited to harsher environments, while others could be more suitable in milder conditions. Consider how easy it is to clean and maintain your evaporator. This can save you time, money and hassle.

Condenser

Condensers are one of the three major components of your cooling system. They help it work efficiently. The condenser is situated outside the home and is connected to the evaporator by refrigerant pipes. It has fans and metal fins which help to remove heat from the refrigerant that has been transported from the evaporator. The heat removed from refrigerant gas aids it to cool and then return to liquid form.

A compressor is connected to the condenser unit. It is used to pressurize low-pressure liquid refrigeration that has been pumped from the evaporator coil. The compressor’s squeezing action increases the temperature, which is then passed into the condenser to absorb latent heat in the air. After the cooling cycle is completed, the refrigerant will be pushed into the compressor, where it will be pressurized prior to being pumped back to the evaporator coil.

Since the condenser is situated outdoors, it is susceptible to the elements. Debris, such as twigs grass clippings, leaves and roofing shingles may be thrown into the condenser unit and damage it. The addition of an universal HVAC condenser cover to your cooling and heating system can help protect the equipment from accidental damage even when it’s not in use.

It is also essential to avoid shading the condenser. This could reduce air flow, which can force the compressor to work harder 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 working correctly. A professional service technician inspect all the major components of your system on a regular basis will aid in preventing major problems from occurring. A professional service team can keep your system in good working order by regularly checking the refrigerant level. By following these simple steps, you can help to extend the life of your heating and cooling system as well as reduce your energy bills.

Compressor

The compressor is the core of your air conditioning. It circulates refrigerant throughout the system, keeping everything cool. It’s as the blood that circulates through your body, as it moves the coolant back and forth between your condenser and evaporator coils. If something goes wrong with the compressor, it will stop the condenser and evaporator from doing their job and leave your home warm and uncomfortable.

There are several different kinds of HVAC compressors, and each one has its own pros and cons. A reciprocating compressor, as an example, has a piston moving upwards and downwards within a piston. This produces a suction that draws in the refrigerant. As the piston moves down it reduces the gas volume, and the discharge valve opens to release the refrigerant pressurized into the condenser coil.

This type of compressor is equipped with a clutch and a crankshaft that aids the piston compress the air. A rotary compressor, on the other hand, has blades inside the cylinder that assist in helping compress the air. This type of compressor is very quiet, which makes it a popular option for residential applications.

Both types of HVAC compressors are designed to raise the temperature of the refrigerant liquid while it is compressed, ensuring that the vapor that exits the compressor is high-pressure and high-temperature. Since heat naturally flows from high-temperature substances to lower-temperature ones, the hot vapor will move into the evaporator coils, and change back to its original liquid state.

You can avoid the majority of AC issues by keeping up with your maintenance schedule. This will ensure that your AC will last for a long time and give you peace-of-mind knowing that your home will remain comfortable. If you do experience problems with your compressor then your Griffith Energy Services technician can assist you in determining what repair options are best for you.

Thermostat

The thermostat is your heating and cooling system’s brain and it determines when and how the system turns on and off. It determines the temperature of the air and compares it to an established desired level. If it is off by just a few degrees, the thermostat will send an electronic signal that changes it closer to the desired temperature. The majority of modern thermostats gauge temperature with the digital sensor, also known as the thermistor. The thermistor is made up of two metals which expand differently when heated, causing the metals to bend in an opposite directions. When the thermistor is at the temperature set it informs the circuit board that your heating or AC should be turned on.

Modern thermostats come with touchscreens that make them simple to use and program. They are usually programmed to automatically heat or cool your house at specific times, which saves you the effort of manually setting the temperature each day. They also provide reports on energy consumption so you can discover ways to reduce costs.

If you have an old electromechanical model, it’s slightly more complex. It is comprised of a bimetallic strip that is attached to a vial using mercury. If the temperature changes in the vial, it causes the mercury in the vial to move, completing or interrupting an electrical circuit. When the vial tipping, the thermostat turns on the heating and cooling system.

To ensure that your thermostat is in good condition, you must clean it frequently to get rid of any dust that has built up. You must also ensure that it isn’t sagging or crooked. In some cases the thermostat may be having issues with its readings due to an unclean evaporator coil or a damaged thermistor. In this case, you’ll need to call in an expert to resolve the issue. If the problem is something else, such as an unresponsive screen, you can try replacing the batteries or making sure that your breaker hasn’t been activated. This is an example of how your HVAC system can be more efficient when you make the effort to learn about it and improve its use.