How Does an AC Work

Air conditioners are a crucial part of our lives, especially during a hot summer day. But how does an AC work? How does it take the hot air and turn it into cool air? At first glance, this may seem like a complicated process, but in reality, it is quite simple. HVACR experts at Gustave A. Larson believe that homeowners and commercial owners should know how their AC functions if they’re to maintain it properly. In this blog post, we will explain how an air conditioner works and why it is so important for keeping us comfortable during the summer months.

Table of Contents

The Basics of Air Conditioning

An AC takes the hot air from inside your home and cools it down using a series of components. The process begins with the condenser unit located outside your home. The condenser pulls in warm outside air and passes it through two coils made out of copper or aluminum tubing filled with refrigerant gas. The refrigerant gas absorbs heat from the air as it passes through the coils, cooling them down. This cooled air is then pushed back into your home through ductwork or vents in the walls and floors.

What are the most important parts of the AC and what is their function?

The most important components of the air conditioner are the compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator. The compressor is responsible for the pressurization of the refrigerant; the condenser works to reject heat from the hot pressurized gas back into the environment; the expansion valve reduces pressure so that low-pressure liquid can enter the evaporator; and finally, the evaporator absorbs heat from the surrounding air and converts it into a cold source circulated throughout your home or business.

All of these parts working together allow us to stay cool and comfortable in our homes during those hot summer days. While all the parts are important, special attention needs to be paid to the evaporator coil and the compressor unit.

An Evaporator Coil

One of the key components in an AC is the evaporator coil which is also known as the “indoor coil”. This coil is located inside your home near the furnace or blower motor and absorbs heat from inside your home to help cool down the air even further before being circulated back into your living area. As hot humid air passes over this cold coil, moisture condenses on its surface and drips into a drain pan below where it can be safely drained away from your home. This evaporator coil also helps to dehumidify the air so that you can stay comfortable without any excess moisture in the air.

Compressor Unit

The compressor unit is another critical component in how an AC works. It pumps pressurized refrigerant gas between two sets of coils—the condenser coils which absorb heat from outside, and the evaporator coils which absorb heat from inside—to transfer heat between them, effectively cooling down both sides at once. Without this compressor unit working properly, none of these other parts would be able to do their job correctly either.

Compressor units can become worn out over time due to normal wear and tear caused by frequent use during hot summer days, so they should be inspected periodically by a professional HVAC technician to ensure they are working correctly and efficiently at all times.

Final note

Air conditioners are complex machines that require several parts working together to provide us with cool relief on hot summer days. Understanding how AC works gives homeowners valuable insight into maintaining their units properly for optimal performance throughout their lifetime. Knowing what type of maintenance needs to be done and when can help you avoid costly repairs if something goes wrong down the line, too.