The air conditioner in your Deerfield, Illinois, home is essential for keeping your house comfortable during the long, hot, humid months. While there are many components that make up your air conditioning system, the evaporator and condenser coils are crucial parts that keep your home cool. We are going to discuss the basics of how an air conditioner works as well as describe the roles that the parts play.
Air Conditioner Basics
While you may think that an air conditioner generates cold air, it actually works by removing hot air from inside of your home. The air conditioning system is made up of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit houses the air handler; air filters that help to trap dirt, dust, and pollutants; the evaporator coil; the blower fan; and an expansion valve. The outside unit houses the compressor, condenser coil, and a fan. When all of these parts are well maintained, they work harmoniously together to cool your home. Let’s look at the importance of the following components.
The Refrigerant
The chemical refrigerant is what really cools your house. This amazing chemical has the ability to absorb heat from inside your home and through a series of pressurization and compression, the refrigerant changes from a gas to a liquid and back again. Through the various stages, the refrigerant absorbs the heat and then expels it to the outside. While the air conditioner is on, this removal of hot air runs in a continuous loop.
If there is a leak in the system and the refrigerant gets too low, it can’t absorb enough heat to sufficiently cool your home. Regular maintenance can prevent any leaks from occurring.
The Evaporator Coil
Most evaporator coils utilize material that allows for heat transfer, such as copper. There are fins and vanes on the coil that help with the capture of the heat. The evaporator coil holds the cold phase of the refrigerant and helps to facilitate heat absorption. As air blows over the coil, the refrigerant inside of it begins to evaporate, hence the name evaporator coil. Once the refrigerant has absorbed the heat, it then travels through tubing to the outside unit. It then enters into the compressor where it gets pressurized and turns into a hot, high-pressure gas. After going through the compressor, the refrigerant then goes into the condenser coil.
The Condenser Coil
The condenser coil sits in the outdoor unit, and its primary responsibility is to disperse the heat that the refrigerant has absorbed from inside your home. Similar to the evaporator coil, the condenser coil uses copper or another heat diffusing material and has fins and vanes for efficient heat dispersal. Once the hot refrigerant leaves the compressor and enters into the condenser coil, fans blow air over the coils, causing the refrigerant to lose the heat it has absorbed. The hot air then gets blown to the outside of the condenser unit.
Once the refrigerant releases the heat and begins to cool, it changes from the hot gas back to a liquid state. It gets circulated back to the inside unit where it passes through an expansion valve. The valve allows the pressurized refrigerant to expand from a liquid state back to a vapor where it flows back into the evaporator coil to get cooled once again.
As you can see, the process of cooling your home is quite complex. It is essential that any repairs or maintenance be performed by our highly skilled technicians. The refrigerant needs careful handling, and the condenser coils are often hot, so be careful not to touch them when the air conditioner is running. Because having your air conditioner running properly is so crucial in cooling your home, consider investing in a maintenance contract with us to have your system inspected and serviced regularly and in a timely manner.
If you would like to have your air conditioner maintained or repaired, give us a call. As we approach the heating season, it’s time to make sure your heating system is ready for cold temperatures. Call our experts at Ireland Heating & Air Conditioning Co. today to schedule an appointment. We are ready to speak with you at 847-388-0108.
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