A/C 101 - How Central A/C Systems Work

1. Can you envision life without air conditioning? Sweltering heat waves that can melt the rubber on your shoes, cook an egg on the dashboard of your automobile, and make it almost difficult to have a good night's rest-- sounds miserable! Let's face it, life without A/C would not be the very same. Did you know, that before the 20th century, ice was really harvested for refrigeration? It was cut into 1-ton blocks, provided throughout the country and used in 'ice- boxes' to keep food fresh. Fortunately today, refrigeration has been significantly improved because its intro in 1834. By knowing how your home's A/C system works, you'll have the ability to make it run better and longer, and if it should break during the dog days of summer season, more confident discovering a replacement. What is Central Air? Because the 1960s, central air systems have actually been the most typical design of cooling in America. Best characterized by the condenser unit outdoors and ducts bring cool air throughout the house, a central air conditioning is in some cases referred to as a "split-system" due to the fact that the indoor and outdoor parts are separated. How It Functions Comparable to how a sponge takes in water, central air conditioners absorb the heat from inside the house and eject it outside through a process called "the refrigeration cycle." It's easy to understand how an ac system works as soon as you see how the parts run together. Parts of a Cooling System Divide into 2 parts; a system will consist of an outside condenser unit (listed below) and a coil housed on top of the heating system or inside air handler. The outside condenser, which does many of the work, operates in tandem with the air handler/furnace that distributes the conditioned air into spaces of your house. The Refrigeration Cycle The cooling process starts when the thermostat detects the interior temperature has actually increased above the setpoint. It signifies the control panel in the air handler and enters into action. 1) The internal blower draws in air conditioner contractors edmonton the hot, damp indoor air from the return ducts into the air handler/furnace cabinet to be conditioned. 2) Filthy air getting in the cabinet first goes through an air filter that traps dirt and particles. 3) The tidy air then goes through the evaporator coil. Utilizing metal fins to increase its area, the evaporator coil extracts heat and moisture from the warm air as the air travels through it. The clean, cool air is circulated throughout the home. 4) A pair of copper tubes consisting of refrigerant, called a Line Set, link the indoor coil with the outside condenser.

2. 5) The condenser dissipates the heat trapped inside the line originating from the evaporator coil by biking it through its coils where a fan at the top presses air to speed up the process. The refrigerant is then compressed and travels back to the indoor evaporator coil, where the cooling process continues. A/C Cheat Sheet It's a great idea to acquaint yourself with the technical language used by A/C professionals to understand your system when it concerns making repairs or buying a brand-new unit. HEATING AND COOLING - Represents heating, ventilation, and cooling. This acronym is utilized to classify all equipment utilized to control air temperature level, humidity, and air quality. Split-System - In reference to parts of the system running both indoors and outdoors. In a split system, the condensing unit is found outside. BTU - British Thermal Units - a measurement of just how much heat can be gotten rid of from the air in an hour. Lot - A measurement that refers to the cooling capability your unit can provide under regular conditions. 1 Ton amounts to approximately 12,000 BTU's. Heaps are often utilized when sizing an unit for your home, which can be identified based on the square video footage required to be cooled or warmed. Unmatched Know-how Easily, the heater, cooling, and electrical systems all work immediately, without us needing to fumble around in the basement or worse, a hot attic. Till something fails. Understanding your air conditioning system might seem frustrating in the beginning, once you have the fundamentals down, you'll be able to comprehend not just how your system works, but likewise understand lingo to make purchasing a replacement simple. http://edition.cnn.com/search/?text=hvac