Did you know that your air-conditioner in your home, and your refrigerator in the kitchen work in the same way? Rather than just cooling a small box containing food and drink, like the refrigerator does, your A/C system keeps the whole house cool. An air conditioning system consists of three main parts; the compressor, the condenser and the evaporator. The first two components are found on the outside of the property, whilst the latter, the evaporator, will be found inside the residence. Although you don’t necessarily need to know how your air conditioning system works in order to use it proficiently, it is a good idea to have a basic knowledge of how it works and the major components, in case you ever need to speak to a HVAC (heating, ventilation & air conditioning) specialist about your system and therefore have the ability to converse with him/her without getting flummoxed.

So, here’s what the basic components, that we just mentioned, do when your air conditioning system is switched on and running: The job of the compressor is to take the refrigerant chemical and to turn if from a gas and turn it into a liquid. By compressing the molecules of the chemical together it forces it to raise its temperature, and then leave the compressor as a hot, highly pressure gas. This then flows from the compressor into the condenser. When this highly pressured gas enders the condenser, the temperature is forced to cool down, and therefore turns from a gas into a liquid. The high pressure inside the condenser forces the liquid to leave the condenser and enter the evaporator, whereby the liquid’s pressure drops once more and again turns it into a gas again. As the liquid changes back into a gas it will extract the hot air around around, thus cooling the environment. And, when all is done, the gas leaves the evaporator to return to the compressor so the cycle can begin once more. This cycle will then continue over and over again, until the room temperature, that you set on the control box, has been reached, and at which point the air conditioning system will switch itself over. The A/C system will continue to monitor the temperature of the room, and if it starts to rise, then it will automatically switch itself back on and begin the cooling cycle once more. This of course is very simplified version of how your home air conditioning works, but if you watch the video above, it will give you a fuller understanding of how it all works.

The above information is simply a guide, and not meant to take the place of the advice of an experienced, and licensed HVAC specialist. If you think that you’re having problems with your air conditioning system, you’re advised to speak to your local HVAC company to seek professional advice from them.

In addition to better performance, the maximum cooling output from your air conditioning system is higher when the air around it is cooler. This is particularly crucial on the hottest summer afternoons, when you need the greatest quantity of cooling output to keep your house comfortable.

Shading the entire side of your residence and the outside air-conditioner unit is most efficient. This can be finished with trees or an awning. Especially with a brick, masonry or stucco residence, your home wall imitates a huge solar collector and in fact raises the temperature of the air around the ac system.

You can make a basic cover to shade your a/c outdoor unit. Consult your air-conditioning service provider about the correct clearance for air flow. Appropriate air flow is important for high efficiency.

One efficient a/c cover supplies both shade and storage. Depending upon how large you make this storage/air conditioner cover, you can save your garden devices, fertilizers, and so on. Also, the larger you make it, the more shade it offers.

It is essentially a plywood storage compartment built several feet back (contact your professional) from the condenser system. Construct it with a sloped roofing (for shade) that extends up over the condenser unit and attaches to your house. The sloped roof offers added height for adequate clearance and it blends better with the lines of a lot of homes.

Make the frame for the storage unit/cover with any common lumber. Cover the storage compartment with plywood siding. Install a piano hinge on the leading so you can open it.

Nail the plywood siding over the rest of the sloped top to cover the condenser unit. Leave the sides by the condenser revealed to allow for appropriate air circulation.

No matter which type of duct is utilized, be sure to seal thoroughly all the joints with duct tape. Likewise, insulate any ducts that run through an unconditioned area.

Rectangular Ducts Less Efficient Than Round

Rectangle-shaped duct work is more convenient to run between wall studs. Both kinds of duct are frequently made use of in the very same system. Round ducts can be ranged from the air handler to rectangular ducts in the walls. No matter which kind of duct is made use of, make sure to seal thoroughly all the joints with duct tape. Also, insulate any ducts that go through an unconditioned area.

Secure Your Air conditioning system

Your a/c unit will run more efficiently if it is shaded from the sun. This air conditioning system cover also supplies storage for yard and patio requirements. Sufficient clearance Home wall Air conditioner Storage compartment Hinge Plywood siding.

Different Types of Air Conditioning Systems

The fundamental types of air conditioning system are room A/C conditioners, packaged central A/C and split-system central A/C conditioners.

Room A/C Conditioners

Room a/c conditioners calm rooms instead of the entire house. If they give cooling just where they’re required, room a/c is less costly to run than central devices, although their effectiveness is typically lower than that of central a/c conditioners.

Smaller sized room a/c (i.e., those drawing fewer than 7.5 amp of electrical power) can be connected into any 15 or 20 amp, 115-volt domestic circuit that is not shown any other main appliance. Larger room ac system (i.e., those drawing more than 7.5 amp) require own devoted 115 volt circuit. The largest designs need a dedicated 230 volt circuit.

Evaporative Coolers

The evaporative cooler (likewise called a “swamp cooler”) is a totally various type of a/c unit that performs fine in hot, dry environment.

These systems cool outside air by evaporation and blow it indoor the house, triggering a cooling impact much like the process when vaporizing sweating cools your body on a hot (but not excessively humid) day. When working an evaporative cooler, windows are opened part method to enable warm inside air to get away as it is replace by cooled air.

Evaporative coolers charge about one-half as much to set up as central a/c and utilize about one quarter as much energy. However, they need more regular maintenance than refrigerated air conditioners and they are appropriate just for locations with low moisture.

Central Air Conditioners

Central air conditioners distribute cool air during a system of supply and return ducts. Supply ducts and registers (i.e., openings in the floors, walls, or ceilings enclosed by grills) bring cooled air from the a/c unit to the home. This cooled air ends up being warmer as it distributes during the house; then it recedes to the central air conditioner through return ducts and registers. A central air conditioning conditioner is either a split-system device or a packaged device.

In a split-system central air conditioning conditioner, an outside metal cabinet contains the condenser and compressor, and an indoor cabinet consists of the evaporator. In lots of split-system ac unit, this indoor cabinet likewise contains a furnace or the indoor part of a heat pump. The air conditioning system evaporator coil is installed in the cabinet or major supply duct of this furnace or heat pump. If your home currently has a heater however no a/c, a split-system is the most economical central air conditioning conditioner to set up.