An air conditioner may seem magical – turning electricity into cold air – but it’s actually based on some relatively simple, clever engineering that’s been in use for over a century.
There are only four main components in an air conditioner when it comes down to it, and you’ll see them in any modern AC system, from large standalone units to small mini-splits. Whether you’re considering an air conditioning installation or already own a unit, understanding how it works is always good.
The Most Important Components in Your A/C Unit, And How They Function
In short, air conditioners function by selectively condensing and expanding a refrigerant liquid, which flows continuously through four main components.
1. The compressor
When the refrigerant enters the condenser coil, it’s in the form of warm gas, containing significant amounts of heat energy from the environment. As the name suggests, the compressor coil compresses the refrigerant – turning it into an extremely hot liquid. This process causes the refrigerant to absorb a lot of heat in the environment, capturing it within the AC system.
(This is also the part of the A/C unit which uses the most electricity.)
2. The condenser coil
Once the refrigerant is compressed into a hot liquid, it goes into the condenser coil. Air is blown constantly over the coil, causing the liquid to radiate heat. This heat is then blown into the outdoors, either directly in outdoor units, or via a vent. In this way, it ‘removes’ heat from your home.
3. The expansion valve
This valve is located between the condenser coil and the next stop, the evaporator. The valve’s purpose is to utilize a difference in atmospheric pressure to force the liquid refrigerant to vaporize. In turning into a gas, it loses most of its heat energy and becomes cool.
4. The evaporator
The cool gas passes through the evaporator coils, which are usually made of copper, causing it to become colder. Fans take the cold air produced and blow it into your home. Then the coolant passes back into the compressor and is ready for another cycle.
For Top-Quality Air Conditioning Installation & Repair, Call in Melton’s Heating!
For years, Melton’s Heating & Air Conditioning has been the name to call in the Salem, OR, area whenever you’re having issues with your heating or air conditioning systems. From air conditioning installation to troubleshooting your heater in the winter to doing custom installs in new homes, we have the experience to build a great HVAC system for you. Contact us for an appointment.
Are you considering changing how you heat and cool your home? If so, the heat pump sales team from Melton’s Heating & Air Conditioning has collected some important information about one of today’s most reliable heating and cooling solutions: the ductless heat pump.
Below you’ll find everything you need to know about ductless heat pumps and their benefits, so read on!
Why Are Ductless Heat Pumps so Popular?
These days, ductless heat pumps are so prevalent in various homes because they are easy to install and can effectively cool a household without the need to rely on complicated vents and ductwork. They can also decrease your utility bills and efficiently heat/cool specific rooms of your home to whatever specific temperature you would like.
How Do They Work?
Ductless heat pumps require several integral components to work correctly. One of them is the evaporator, a coil that extracts the hot air from indoors and then expels it onto a refrigerant to cool it down—then recirculated when cooled. Condensers are similar to evaporator coils, but instead of releasing cool air, they extract the hot air created from the refrigerant back outside again.
Compressors compress the refrigerant’s pressure and temperature to make it more efficient. It also helps make it easier for the refrigerant to flow through the evaporator coil. Lastly, a ductless heat pump’s expansion valve then helps cool the refrigerant back down to a low-pressure, liquid state.
What Are Some of the Key Advantages of Ductless Heat Pumps?
Some of the leading advantages of ductless heat pumps include:
They take up much less space due to there being no ductwork.
You can easily create multiple heating and cooling zones to maximize comfort.
They’re more efficient than pumps with ducts, in some cases boasting a SEER rating as high as 30.
With the filters present in ductless heat pumps, you can easily control the air quality of your home if you clean them regularly.
Contact us for ductless heat pump sales in your area!
With over thirty years of experience in furnace sales, installation, and repairs around Oregon, we’ve seen many new home heating technologies come and go. However, none seem to be revolutionizing the market quite like heat pumps. More and more residents of Salem and Keizer are looking into upgrades to heat pumps, and we don’t blame them. This latest form of home heating has many advantages, and not many disadvantages, compared to traditional furnaces.
Today, we wanted to briefly look at how heat pumps work and what makes them different from standard gas or electric furnaces.
Four Major Differences Between Heat Pumps and Furnaces
1. Method of operation
The genius of the heat pump is that it’s so simple. A heat pump is just an air conditioner – except that it’s reversible. The heat pump can, in effect, “air condition” the outside, which means pumping heat into your home as a side effect. This dual-way method of operation means that heat pumps can act as both heating and cooling units depending on the season!
2. Options for per-room heating
Some heat pumps are large central units, like your existing furnace, and utilize your ductwork to heat the entire house. However, there’s another alternative in heat pump technology – ductless systems, also called mini-splits. These are per room heaters and coolers connected via small pipes to a miniature outdoor unit. A set of mini-splits allows you to precisely control the climate in every room of your house, something that’s impossible with an old-style central furnace.
3. Energy efficiency
This is the most significant difference between heat pumps and traditional furnaces: heat pumps are much cheaper to run. We’re not exaggerating – you can expect to see your heating bills reduced by anywhere between 25% and 50% if you install a heat pump. They are the most efficient form of home heating yet invented and are likely to overtake the industry in short order.
4. Below-freezing performance
The only area where traditional furnaces still work better than heat pumps is extremely cold when it’s well below freezing. Heat pumps struggle in deep cold. They will still warm your house somewhat, but traditional furnaces are more effective – although you’ll be paying dearly for that extra heat due to how inefficient furnaces are.
