How Does Air Conditioning Work?

They say air conditioners operate just like refrigerators. Ah, yes. But do you know how refrigerators work? And firstly, why do we have to know how air conditioning works anyway? This is not just for information’s sake. Knowing how it works can help us better as we troubleshoot our air conditioning systems.

Indeed, air conditioners are refrigerators but with no box. It works like an antiseptic alcohol. On the whole, air conditioning systems draw heat and moisture away from the room air. It does not add cool air as we think. We can compare this with the effect of alcohol after it is swabbed on the skin. The alcohol does not lower skin temperature but it draws away heat as it undergoes conversion to a gaseous state leaving a cool feeling to the patient. Likewise, air conditioning leaves a cooler state as liquid evaporates resulting in an atmosphere with extensively lesser heat. This gives occupants a cooler feeling.

The quick state conversion is possible because of a refrigerant. Typically, the most common refrigerant that air conditioners use is Freon. But nowadays, R410a is used because of its safer effects to the health and environment.

So that’s it. So how do you use such knowledge as you troubleshoot your air conditioning system? Here is a more technical illustration:

To get started, let us get acquainted with the main parts of an air conditioner. Typically, it has a system comprising of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and a thermostat. The compressor and condenser compose one unit and they are virtually located outside the building. It is like serving as an exhaust for the system. Meanwhile, the evaporator or air handler unit is housed indoors (mostly on the furnace or heater pump).

Using these components, here is how air conditioning works:

First, the refrigerant in the form of a cool gas enters into the compressor. The heavy compressor depresses the refrigerant turning it to a very hot gas. The gas then goes through condensing coils outside the building. As it passes through the coils, its heat dissipates into the outside air. So by the time the gas reaches the coil ends, it is significantly cooler but has condensed so it is in a liquid form already.

The liquid or condensate is then immediately shoved through the expansion valve making it evaporate even at lower temperatures and draw heat out of the air. As the motorized fans are connected to the evaporator, distributing the cooled air is easier especially since the fans blow it across metal fins. The metal fins are like car radiators that disperse heat more quickly. The cycle goes on and on until the thermostat sets a specific temperature and shuts off the compressor.

With this know-how, who knows; you will be the next prominent manufacturer of another high class innovation of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning product. But more importantly, you can at least understand the operation of your air conditioner.