The Parts
Remember – an air conditioner is different from a fan. It doesn’t just move the air; it removes the moisture, making a humid Central Texas afternoon a lot more comfortable. This process requires taking the air that’s inside your home and forcing it outside. It’s much more complicated and scientific than this, but here are the five primary “ingredients”:- Refrigerant is the cooling agent. It’s pumped through the system and changes the warm air in your home to liquid as it’s moved outside. It also keeps your HVAC unit from overheating.
- The Compressor is the heart of the system that pumps air throughout your home and the air ducts.
- The Condenser is the part of the compressor that transforms the refrigerant. Once the refrigerant is pumped into the compressor, the condenser helps turn it into liquid. This all happens when your exterior unit is running.
- The Expansion Valve is where the refrigerant basically re-cools the refrigerant. When the liquid expands (expansion valve, remember), it cools down and is ready to be pumped back into your home.
- The Evaporator Coil is the final step. The cold liquid is “evaporated” in the plenum (the metal box in your attic) before it is distributed into the ducts as cool air.