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

It may be worth investing in a replacement unit when your home’s HVAC is a bit old and in need of repair. A residential HVAC expert can assist you in choosing the best solution for your home.

Most cooling systems rely upon electricity to cool and heat homes. However, some, such as propane or gas-powered air conditioners use natural gas to fuel furnaces and operate condensers in a split system.

Evaporator

The evaporator coil in your air conditioner is the one that cools your home. The evaporator coil is in a box that is attached to or inside your gas furnace (if you have one) or inside 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 is comprised of a few copper coils that are tightly packed together. The refrigerant enters the coils at low pressure, which makes it easier to transfer heat as it evaporates into gaseous state.

A fan blows the warm air from your home to the evaporator coil. The air is then cooled through the removal of heat from the evaporator, which alters the refrigerant’s temperature and reduces your indoor air temperature. The cooled air is then circulated through the ductwork in your home, and then to each room.

In contrast to the compressor, which has to make the refrigerant gas at extremely high temperatures for efficient cooling, the evaporator only needs to raise its boiling point to a low temperature to ensure that it is cooling effectively. The evaporator uses its own fan in order to achieve this objective.

The evaporator metering device ensures that the refrigerant used in the liquid is always at the same level. The float on the low-side is designed to open when there is no liquid in the evaporator, and closes when it sees liquid enter the coils.

There are two types of evaporators, noncased and cases-based. A cased evaporator will be the one you’ll likely to find in your home because it is enclosed inside the metal casing of your air conditioning unit. Uncased evaporators resemble cased evaporators, but they do not have an outer shell that is protected.

While both evaporators serve the same purpose, it’s crucial to select one that is able to meet the specific requirements of your home. Certain models are more suited to extreme environments, whereas others might be more appropriate for more moderate conditions. Consider how easy it is to clean and maintain your evaporator. This could help you save time, money and effort.

Condenser

The condenser is one of three major components of your air conditioning system that help keep it working efficiently. It is situated outside of the house, connected to the evaporator coil by refrigerant lines. It also houses an array of fans and metal fins that remove heat from the refrigerant gas that has been transferred from the evaporator. The heat that is removed helps the refrigerant be cooled and transform to a liquid state.

A compressor is attached to an condenser unit. It is used to pressurize low-pressure liquid refrigeration that is pumped out of the evaporator coil. The compressor’s squeezing action increases the temperature, and it is passed into the condenser to absorb the heat that is trapped in the air. After the cooling cycle is completed the refrigerant is introduced into the compressor to be pressurized prior to being pumped back to the evaporator coil.

Since the condenser is situated outdoors, it is vulnerable to the elements. Debris such as twigs, leaves, grass clippings and roofing shingles too can get into the condenser unit, causing damage to it. By adding an universal HVAC condenser cover to your heating and cooling system can help to protect the equipment from damage when it isn’t in use.

Avoid shading the condenser. This could reduce air flow, forcing the compressor to work harder in order to cool your home. This can result in increased energy costs and possibility of losing refrigerant.

Regular maintenance of your HVAC system will ensure that the condenser is working correctly. Having a professional service technician look over every major component of your system regularly can aid in preventing major issues from arising. A professional service team can prevent problems by regularly checking the refrigerant level. Follow these simple steps to extend the life of your cooling and heating 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 everything cool. It’s similar to the blood in your body as it pumps coolant between your evaporator coils and condenser. If something goes wrong with the compressor, it will stop the condenser and evaporator from doing their job and will make your home uncomfortably warm.

There are a variety of HVAC compressors and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, a reciprocating compressor has pistons that move upwards and downwards within a cylinder, and this motion creates suction that draws in the refrigerant. When the piston moves downwards, it reduces the volume of gas, and then a discharge valve opens to let the refrigerant that is pressurized out into the condenser coil.

This kind of compressor also includes a clutch and a crankshaft that helps the piston in compressing the air. A Rotary compressor, on the other side, has blades within the cylinder that assist in helping compress the air. This kind of compressor is quiet, making it an ideal option for homes with a small space.

Both kinds of HVAC compressors are designed to raise the temperature of the refrigerant liquid when it is compressed, ensuring that the vapor that exits the compressor is high-temperature and high-pressure. Since heat naturally flows from higher-temperature substances to lower-temperature ones the hot vapor will flow into the evaporator coils before it can transform back to its original liquid state.

You can avoid the majority of AC problems by keeping up with your maintenance schedule. This will ensure that your AC will last for a long time and provide you with peace of mind knowing that your home will always be comfortable. If you do experience a problem with the compressor or the compressor itself, 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 decides the time and frequency at which the system is turned on and off. It measures the temperature of the air and compares it to a preset desired level. The thermostat will send an alert to adjust the temperature if it’s off a few degrees. The majority of modern thermostats measure temperature using a digital sensor known as the thermosistor. The thermistor consists of two metals that expand in different ways when heated, causing the metals to flex in an opposite directions. When the thermistor is at the temperature that it is set it informs the circuit board that your heating or AC should be switched on.

The touchscreens on the newer models make it easier to program and operate. Many thermostats can be programmed to automatically heat and cool your home at specific times. This means you don’t have to worry about having to set them manually every day. They also provide reports on energy consumption so that you can learn ways to reduce costs.

If you have an older electromechanical model, it’s a little more complicated. It is made up of a bimetallic piece that is attached to a vial by mercury. When the temperature changes the mercury in the vial moves, either complete or breaking a circuit. When the vial is tipped it triggers the thermostat to activate the heating or cooling system.

It is essential to regularly clean your thermostat in order to eliminate dust. Also, ensure that it isn’t bent or loose. In certain cases the thermostat could be experiencing issues with its readings because of an unclean evaporator coil or the thermistor being damaged. In that case, you will require an expert to fix it for you. If you’re experiencing a different problem, such as an unresponsive display try replacing your batteries or ensuring that your breaker is not in a state of being tripped. This is a good illustration of how you can make your HVAC system more efficient by gaining knowledge about it and maximizing its use.