AC 101

You’re starting to feel stuffy so you crank the thermostat down and the air conditioning kicks on pumping out a stream of cool air to keep you and your family cool and comfortable throughout the hot New Jersey summer months. Most people don’t really think about the way that their HVAC unit operates, they just flip the switch and chill out…maybe changing out the filter every few months. The truth is air conditioning units are quite complex involving physics and chemistry to cool your home the way you want it.

Six Critical Components of an Air Conditioning System

Having a basic understanding about how your AC unit works will help you to better identify the source of a problem if a malfunction happens. Below are six critical components of an air conditioning system:
  1. Evaporator– The evaporator is located on the cold side of the AC unit and is paired with a fan that blows air over chilled cooling coils and into your home. The evaporator receives the liquid refrigerant and converts it to gas through a drop in pressure and removes the humidity from the air as it circulates over the coils.
  2. Condenser– Working opposite of the evaporator, the condenser collects and converts the evaporated refrigerant back into a liquid (known as “heat transferring”) and releases it into the air outside your home.
  3. Expansion valve- Located in between the evaporator and condenser coils is the expansion valve, which removes pressure from the liquid refrigerant, allowing the gas conversion that occurs in the evaporator.
  4. Compressor– Compressors re-pressurize refrigerant gas in order to turn it back into liquid. It pumps the used refrigerant within the evaporator and the condenser through the system.
  5. Filter– Removing particles to improve air quality, the filter is particularly important if you suffer from allergies or other health conditions.
  6. Thermostat– When used correctly, thermostats can save you up to 15% a year on energy costs. Thermostats regulate the amount of air that needs to be cooled and is the control system driving the AC unit.

Schedule Your Next Air Conditioning Service

By scheduling regular air conditioning maintenance, you can maintain your unit’s efficiency. Lawes Heating and Cooling Company provides all the essential repairs, tune-ups, and installations for your cooling needs. Whatever brand or model your central air unit may be, we can service it! We provide air conditioning technicians available 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, so protect your family, and give us a call today at (732) 741- 6302! To view our service plans, click here.