What Are the Main Parts of Your Heating Air Conditioning Unit?
If your home’s HVAC is in its senior years cost of repair and energy bills could make it worth investing in the purchase of a new unit. A residential HVAC expert can help you choose the best option for your home.
Gas-powered air conditioners, also known as propane air conditioners use natural gas for heating and running condensers.
Evaporator
The evaporator coil in your air conditioner is the one that cools your house. The evaporator coil can be found in a box that is attached to or within your gas furnace (if you have one) or in an air handler, in the absence of. The evaporator is where the refrigerant is transformed into a liquid, and absorbs heat in your home’s air.
The evaporator is comprised of one or more coils of copper that are tightly packed together. The refrigerant enters the coils at low pressure, making it easier for it to transfer heat as it evaporates to gaseous form.
A fan blows warm air that is escaping your home over the evaporator coil. This air is cooled as heat is removed from the evaporator. This reduces the temperature of the air inside. The cooled air is then circulated through the ductwork in your home to each room.
The evaporator, in contrast to the compressor, requires to raise the boiling point of the refrigerant to a low temperature to achieve efficient air cooling. The evaporator has its own fans in order to accomplish this objective.
The evaporator metering system ensures that the refrigerant in the liquid remains at an unchanging level. The float on the low-side is designed to open when there’s no liquid in the evaporator, and it closes when detects liquid entering the coils.
There are two primary types of evaporators: cased and uncased. A cased evaporator will be the one you’ll most likely to find in your home, since it’s enclosed within the metal casing of your air conditioning unit. Uncased evaporators resemble cased evaporators, but they don’t have an outer shell with protection.
Both evaporators have the same purpose, however it is important to choose the one that will satisfy your home’s particular needs. Certain models are more suited to more harsh environments, whereas others might be more appropriate for more moderate conditions. Think about how easy it would be to clean and maintain your evaporator. This can save you time, money and hassle.
Condenser
Condensers are one of the three primary components of your cooling system. They assist in making it operate efficiently. It is located outside of the house, connected to the evaporator coil by refrigerant lines. It is also home to an array of metal fins and fans that remove heat from the refrigerant gas that has been transported here from the evaporator. The heat removed helps the refrigerant cool down and transform back into a liquid state.
A compressor is connected to an condenser unit. It works to pressurize low-pressure liquid refrigeration that has been pumped out of the evaporator coil. The compressor’s squeezing action raises the temperature, and it is passed into the condenser to absorb latent heat in the air. After the cooling process, the refrigerant is pushed back into the compressor, where it is pressed again prior to being pumped to the evaporator coil, where the process starts all over again.
Since the condenser is situated outside, it is exposed to the elements. Debris such as twigs, leaves, grass clippings and roofing shingles may be thrown into the condenser unit and cause damage to it. By adding the universal HVAC condenser cover to your heating and cooling system can help to protect the equipment from damage when it’s not in use.
It is also important to not shade the condenser. Doing so can restrict air flow and make the compressor work harder to cool your home. This could result in increased energy costs as well as a possible loss of refrigerant.
Regular maintenance of your HVAC system can help ensure that the condenser works effectively. Having a professional service technician look over all of the major components of your system regularly can help to prevent any major problems from occurring. Additionally, having a professional service team check your refrigerant levels frequently can help prevent any problems from developing. By following these simple steps, you will be able to prolong the longevity of your heating and cooling system as well as reduce your energy bills.
Compressor
The compressor is the core of your air conditioning. It circulates refrigerant throughout the system, keeping everything cool. It is like the blood that flows through your body when it pumps the coolant between your evaporator coils and condenser. If something is wrong with the compressor, it can stop the condenser and evaporator from doing their job and leave your home uncomfortably warm.
There are many different types of HVAC compressors. Each one has its own advantages and drawbacks. For example, a reciprocating compressor has pistons that move upwards and downwards within a cylinder, and this motion creates suction that draws in refrigerant. As the piston moves down, it reduces the volume of gas, the discharge valve opens to release the refrigerant pressurized into the condenser coil.
This type of compressor has a clutch as well as crankshaft, which assists the piston to compress air. A rotary compressor, on the other side, has blades within the cylinder which help compress the air. This type of compressor is very quiet, making it a popular option for residential applications.
Both types of HVAC compressors are designed to raise the temperature of the liquid refrigerant when it is compressed, so that the vapor which exits the compressor is high-temperature and high-pressure. Since heat naturally flows from high-temperature substances to those with lower temperatures the hot vapor will flow into the evaporator coils, and return to its original liquid state.
You can prevent most AC issues by keeping up with your maintenance schedule. This will ensure that your equipment will last for many years, and will give you peace of mind knowing your home is always comfortable. If you do have problems with your compressor, your Griffith Energy Services technician can assist you in determining which repair options are most suitable for you.
Thermostat
The thermostat is your heating and cooling system’s brain, and it decides the time and frequency at which the system turns on and off. It compares the air temperature to a pre-set desired level. If it is off by a few degrees it will send an electronic signal to alter it towards the desired temperature. The majority of modern thermostats monitor temperature by using a digital sensor known as the thermistor. The thermistor consists of two metals which expand differently when heated which causes the metals to bend in opposite direction. When the thermistor reaches its temperature set, it signals the circuit board to turn on your heating or AC system.
The latest models of thermostats feature touchscreens that make them easy to use and program. They can be programmed to automatically heat or cool your home at certain times, which saves you the headache of manually setting it each day. They also provide information on energy usage so that you can learn ways to reduce expenses.
If you have an old electromechanical model, it’s somewhat more complicated. It is composed of a bimetallic ring that is bonded to mercury a vial. When the temperature fluctuates it causes the mercury inside the vial to tilt in a way, interrupting or completing an electrical circuit. When the vial tips the thermostat, it turns on the heating and cooling system.
To ensure that your thermostat is in good working order You must be sure to clean it on a regular basis to remove any dust that has built up. You should also make sure that it’s not tangled or bent. In some cases the thermostat could be having issues with its readings due to an evaporator coil that is dirty or the thermistor being damaged. In this case you’ll have to call in a professional to fix the problem. If the problem is something else, such as a blank screen or a blank screen, you can try changing the batteries or checking that your breaker hasn’t been tripped. This is a good illustration of how your HVAC system can be more efficient when you spend the time to learn about it and make the most of its use.