How do Air conditioning units work?

In this day and age, it seems almost impossible to survive without an air conditioning system. Think of a hot sunny day and you’ll immediately want to turn on your AC. Find the best air conditioning service in Katoomba, if your air conditioning system is out of order this season. It can be hard to cope with the weather otherwise!

What does an air conditioner do?

Air conditioning systems are often associated with cooling systems; but, contrary to popular belief, they function both ways. They can turn hot air cool and also turn cool air warm. In essence, they work as both heaters and coolers.

While most people think the air conditioners operate by giving off cool air, it’s the opposite. The air conditioners work by removing the hot air from the system.

Understanding the parts of an air-conditioner

For easier understanding, think of an air conditioning unit as a refrigerator, with the only difference being size.  The inside unit of an air conditioner works like the chiller compartment of the refrigerator, absorbing all the heat in the room. And the outer unit functions as the grid of fins located on the back of the refrigerator that gives off the heat, gradually lowering the temperature inside the compartment.

What goes on inside an air conditioning unit?

You might still be thinking about how does an air conditioner transfer the heat outside the room. The answer is a cooling agent, better known as “refrigerant”. 

The inner units of the air conditioner contain a series of coils that carry the refrigerant. The coil carrying the refrigerant follows a path from inside your home to the outside, and back in, passing through a sequence of compartments along its way, that changes its temperature, pressure and state. These stations are called condenser, evaporator, and compressor.

If any of the stations of your air conditioners become faulty, and the AC stops working, you should call an air conditioning service in Katoomba.

Let’s dig deeper into the process

Now that we have an idea of the basic working mechanism of an air conditioner, let’s take an in-depth look into the procedure.

Step 1: Evaporator coil absorbs the heat

The process begins when the warm air inside your house gets sucked into the vent and is blown over the evaporator coil that’s cold. This section is located indoors and is responsible for absorbing the air from the house and turning it into cool air. A fan will then blow this air through the ducts that will distribute the cool air throughout your home.

As the heat is absorbed by the refrigerant, through the passing warm air, it changes the state of the refrigerant from liquid to gas. It then continues on its journey towards the compressor.

Step 2:  Refrigerant’s temperature increases in Compressor

As the name suggests, the compressor presses the refrigerant gas tightly between two hard objects. As a simple law of physics, the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant rise. It then becomes ready for the condensation process. 

Step 3: The heat is passed to the outer unit

This is the stage where the condensation of the gas happens. The refrigerant arrives at the condenser, which is located in the outer unit of the air conditioner. By this time, the refrigerant is in a vaporized state, with lots of heat.

The heat of the refrigerant is absorbed by the air outside, in turn lowering the temperature of the refrigerant, and changing its state from gas to liquid, once again.

Step 4: Refrigerant is ready to go back into the cycle

As the refrigerant is cooled down, giving off its heat to the outside environment, it is transported back into the indoor unit, where it reabsorbs the heat from your room, and the process repeats. 

This process continues in the loop until the room reaches your desired temperature. This temperature sensing is done by the thermostat, which in turn signals the compressor to turn on or off accordingly. 

Different types of Air Conditioners, and how they work

There are mainly two types of air conditioners, the central air conditioners, and the ductless split systems.

Central air conditioners

Apart from the packaged air conditioners, all of the central air conditioners comprise an indoor and an outdoor unit. They are designed to cool entire houses or offices, through a special duct system, that fans out the cool air to all the rooms of your house.

These systems are larger than the ductless systems and also less energy efficient.  These systems suit you best if you have basements and need a cooling system for your entire house. If you want more information regarding which system to install, contact the air conditioning service in Katoomba. 

Ductless air conditioners or Split systems

Ductless systems are fundamentally different from the central system as they blow the cool air directly to the rooms without the need for ducts to distribute the air through the home. However, they also comprise the same two units, indoor and outdoor. 

The ductless system further divides into two branches:

The split system

The split system does not have a 1:1 ratio of indoor to outdoor units, in that, it can connect 1 outdoor unit with up to 5 indoor units. That means one outdoor unit will be able to cool up to 5 rooms without the need for ducts!

The mini-split system

These are ductless systems with a 1:1 ratio of indoor to the outdoor unit. The are very energy efficient units and are called mini-splits because they can only cool smaller spaces.

Which air conditioning system is better for you?

The air conditioner that will work the best for you, is dependent upon what you require from your air conditioner. Whether your requirement is an energy-efficient unit, central air conditioning, or you have one-room apartment that needs a smaller unit.

Based on these requisites, you can decide what type of air conditioner to buy. If you are still unsure about your purchase, it’s better to consult an air conditioning service in Katoomba.

Disclaimer: This is a generic Information & post; content about the services can be changed from time to time as per your requirements and contract. To get the latest and updated information, contact us today or visit our website.