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

It may be worth investing in a new unit when your home’s HVAC is a bit old and in need of repair. A residential HVAC expert can help you choose the right option for your home.

The majority of cooling systems rely on electricity to cool and heat homes. However, certain gas-powered or propane air conditioners, use natural gas to fuel furnaces and operate condensers in a split system.

Evaporator

The evaporator coil in your air conditioner is what cools your house. The evaporator coil is in a box attached to or inside your gas furnace (if you have one) or in an air handler in the event that you don’t have. The evaporator is the place where the refrigerant liquid transforms into gas and absorbs heat from your home’s indoor air.

The evaporator consists of one or more copper coils that are packed tightly together. The refrigerant is in low pressure when it gets to the coils, which makes it easier to transfer heat.

A fan blows warm air through the evaporator coil. This air is cooled when heat is taken away from the evaporator. This lowers the temperature of your indoor air. The cool air then flows through your home’s ductwork system to each room, where it circulates until it returns to the air conditioning system via return ducts.

Contrary to the compressor, which needs to create refrigerant gas in high temperatures to ensure efficient cooling, the evaporator needs to raise its boiling point to a low temperature to allow for efficient air cooling. The evaporator has its own fan in order to accomplish this goal.

The evaporator metering system ensures that the liquid refrigerant remains at the same level. The low-side float is designed to open when there’s no liquid in the evaporator and it closes when it sees liquid enter the coils.

There are two primary types of evaporators: cased and uncased. The most common type of evaporator in your home is a cased model. It is enclosed within the casing made of metal that covers the air conditioning unit. Uncased evaporators are like the cased evaporators, however they do not have an outer shell that is protected.

Both evaporators serve the same purpose but it is important to choose a model that can meet the specific requirements of your home. For instance, some models are better suited to harsher working environments, while others are better suited for more moderate conditions. Also, you should think about how easy it will be to clean and maintain the evaporator since this could save you time, money, and hassle in the long run.

Condenser

Condensers are among the three primary components of your home’s cooling system. They help it work efficiently. The condenser is situated outside the home and is connected to the evaporator by refrigerant pipes. It is comprised of metal fins and fans which help remove heat from the refrigerant which has been transferred from the evaporator. The heat that is removed allows the refrigerant to cool down and transform back to a liquid state.

A compressor is connected to the condenser unit. It helps to pressurize the low pressure liquid refrigerant that was taken from the evaporator coil. The compressor’s squeeze action increases the temperature, which is passed into the condenser to absorb the heat that is trapped in the air. After the cooling cycle is complete the refrigerant will be moved into the compressor, where it will be pressurized prior to being pumped back to the evaporator coil.

Because the condenser is located outdoors, it is vulnerable to the elements. Debris like twigs or leaves grass clippings or roofing shingles, can cause damage to the condenser. A universal HVAC condenser can protect your heating and cooling equipment from damage when not in use.

It is also crucial to avoid shading the condenser. This can impede air flow and force the compressor to work harder to cool your home. This could result in higher energy bills and a possibility of losing refrigerant.

Regular maintenance of your HVAC system can help ensure that the condenser is operating correctly. Regularly having a professional technician examine all major components of your HVAC system can aid in preventing major issues. Additionally, having a professional service team check the refrigerant levels on a regular basis can help avoid any issues from arising. By following these easy steps, you can help to prolong the life of your cooling and heating system and reduce the cost of energy.

Compressor

A compressor is the center of your air conditioning unit, and it circulates refrigerant throughout the system to keep everything cool. It’s similar to the blood of your body as it pumps coolant between your evaporator coils as well as the condenser. If the compressor fails and the evaporator fails, it will not be able to perform its job and your house will be extremely hot.

There are several different kinds of HVAC compressors and each has its own pros and cons. A reciprocating compressor, for example is one that has a piston moving upwards and downwards in the piston. This creates a suction that draws in refrigerant. As the piston moves down it reduces 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 is also equipped with a clutch and a crankshaft that helps the piston compress the air. A rotary compressor has blades that are inside the cylinder to help compress the air. This type of compressor is very quiet, which makes it a popular choice for homes.

Both types of HVAC compressors are designed to raise the temperature of the refrigerant’s liquid when it is compressed, ensuring that the vapor that exits the compressor is high-temperature and high-pressure. 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.

While you cannot avoid the possibility of having a problem with your compressor, you can avoid the majority of AC issues by keeping track of your maintenance schedule. This will help your equipment 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 should you are experiencing a problem with your compressor.

Thermostat

The thermostat is the brain of your cooling and heating system, allowing it to decide the time and frequency at which it is turned on and off. It measures the temperature of the air and compares it with an established desired level. If it is off by a few degrees, the thermostat will send an electronic signal that changes it to bring it closer to the desired temperature. The majority of modern thermostats employ an electronic sensor known as a thermistor to measure the temperature. The thermistor is comprised of two metals which expand differently when heated which causes the metals to bend in an opposite directions. When the thermistor is at 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 simple to program and operate. A lot of thermostats are programmed to automatically heat and cool your home according to specific times. This means you don’t have to worry about having to set them manually every day. Additionally, they offer reports on energy consumption so that you can figure out how to cut down on expenses.

If you have an old electromechanical model, it is slightly more complex. It consists of a bimetallic strip that is attached to a vial using mercury. When the temperature changes it causes the mercury inside the vial to shift in a way, interrupting or completing an electrical circuit. When the vial is tipped, it triggers the thermostat to turn on the cooling or heating system.

You should regularly clean your thermostat in order to eliminate dust. You should also make sure that it isn’t sagging or bent. In certain cases the thermostat may be having issues with its readings because of an unclean evaporator coil or the thermistor being damaged. In this situation you’ll have to get a professional to fix the issue. If you’re experiencing other issue, like an unresponsive display, try changing your batteries or making sure that your breaker isn’t in a state of being tripped. This is a good example of how you can improve the efficiency of your HVAC system more efficient by learning about it and optimizing its use.