How Does An AC Unit Work?

Air conditioners are fascinating devices. Developed by Willis Carrier in the early 20th century, air conditioners keep us cool in the blazing summer months, and many units can be switched to heat in the winter.

How they do that is an ingenious design, and many homeowners don't have the first clue as to how they work. Do they pull in outside air or recycle the inside air? How does it cool the air and remove moisture? Knowing how your air conditioner works can help you prevent the need for a/c repair.

NO! an air conditioner does not use outside air! So why is there a unit located outside your home? Air is pulled into the unit through an intake vent which is protected by a filter and that air flows over coils that are filled with refrigerant that cools the air. This air is then blown back into the home via a fan so that the house slowly cools down.

As the refrigerant removes heat, it naturally gets hot causing it to turn into a gas. It flows through the coils to the outside unit where the compressor and condenser coils cool down the refrigerant by dispersing the heat.

As this heat is exhausted, the refrigerant becomes cool again and flows back into your home through the evaporator which causes the refrigerant to expand back into a liquid and consequently become very cold. The refrigerant then flows back into the home, and the cycle repeats itself.

You may be wondering where all the heat goes. The coils the refrigerant flows through are located very close to metal fins that collect the heat from the coils and with the help of a fan the heat is blown out of the unit to the outside air.

AC Repair and AC Installation

An air conditioner is a complicated device as you may now know, and that means that air conditioner problems can frequently happen and at any time. Also, a/c installation can be tricky. When any part of the system fails or if the system isn't installed properly, the entire unit can malfunction, leaving you sweltering in the Houston heat and need of a/c repair services.

Because air conditioners are so complicated, regular maintenance is a necessity to keep the device running and working efficiently. You can set up a regular maintenance schedule with your HVAC technician at Custom Air Systems to keep your air conditioner running and catch any potential problems before they cause the device to malfunction. Contact us at All Pro Ac and Heating today to schedule an appointment with one of our HVAC technicians and stay cool all summer long.

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