In essence, an air conditioning system moves refrigerant from two main areas: the outdoor unit (compressor and condenser coil) to an indoor unit (the evaporator coil). Heat is absorbed from the air inside of the home and released to the outdoors as the refrigerant moves from a gaseous to liquid state within the refrigerant lines,
Here are some basic components of an air conditioning system and air conditioning terminology.
Condenser Coil– This is the part of air conditioner that removes heat from the refrigerant. It is sometimes called an outdoor coil. As the heat is removed the vapor refrigerant turns back into liquid which moves back to the machine.
Compressor– A compressor is usually located in the outside portion of the air conditioning unit. This part acts as a pump that moves the refrigerant from the evaporator coil to the condenser coil and then back to the evaporator coil again.
Evaporator Coil– The evaporator coil is located inside of the home usually with the furnace blower motor unit. This part takes the heat and moisture out of the ambient air as it moves over the coils. The refrigerant at this stage reverses from liquid to gas.
Refrigerant– Refrigerants are technically lubricant chemicals that are used to cool or heat air. As it expands into vapor form, it gathers hot air. As it contracts, it reverts into its liquid state to cool the air.
Refrigerant Line– this is the tubing (usually copper) in which the refrigerant moves throughout the system.
SEER– SEER is an acronym for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. This is a number that is used to represent the efficiency of your air conditioner. The higher the number, the more efficient the unit will be and more cost effective in the long term. SEER can range from 10 to 22
Single Stage– A Single stage air conditioner is the more simple of air conditioning modes. It is either on or off. As your home rises above your thermostat setting, the unit will turn on 100% (full blast) until your desired temperature is reached and then it will turn off completely.
Two Stage– A two stage air conditioning unit acts more like a fan switch with varying speeds. When your air conditioner needs to cool your home a few degrees, it will use a lower fan setting to achieve your desired temperature more efficiently. When the cooling demands are higher, it will adjust its strength accordingly.
Some factors that can affect an air conditioning systems’ ability to perform correctly or incorrectly are:
The shape and size of the unit– Air Conditioners are measured by tonnage- A “ton” is a measure of an air conditioner’s ability to cool. One ton is the ability of your air conditioner to cool 12,000 BTUs (British Thermal Unit) in an hour. A“2-ton” central air conditioner is able to cool 24,000 BTUs per hour and so forth and so on. Most residential applications go up to 5 tons. Proper sizing depends on the square footage of the home, size of the ducting, and zone of application.
Running costs– As we have mentioned before, an air conditioner can vary in its efficiency, so this is a direct reflection on its ability to effectively cool the air within the home. Also, things like properly insulating the refrigerant line, the cleanliness of the condenser coil and evaporator coil all directly affect the running costs. If you observe a spike in your energy costs, there could be reason to have your air conditioner inspected. The heating and cooling cost compose 48% of consumer energy use in American households.
Proper ducting– Ducts are the tubes that the air travels through to move about the home. Proper duct sizing is one of the most common reasons that an air conditioning system fails. Often, ducts are too small or even too big to properly distribute the air throughout the home. Air Quality and ducting is just as important as the machinery of the air conditioner and heater.
Auxillary Components- to help your system run better- certain additions to your heating service and air conditioning system can enhance system performance. There are such items as: programmable thermostats, humidification systems, electronic filtration, and UV light treatment, if you are currently missing some of these, we’d suggest getting an assessment by a qualified AC Contractor.
