Big or small, all air conditioners work the same

by | Oct 3, 2013 | Air Conditioning and Heating

Air conditioning is a process and regardless of the size of the air conditioner or the way in which it is made, they all have the same components and they all work in the same way. Let’s look at the way a typical window unit functions, as all the components are in one cabinet it may be easier to understand than split or central units. One thing is for sure, AC cleaning in Chicago is mandatory for any and all sizes and types of units.

A typical air conditioner consists of an evaporator coil and a condenser coil, the evaporator coil is the one which is located on the “room side” of the unit. Sitting between the two coils is the condenser, the blower and a fan along with a few controls. What is seen from room side is the front grille and control panel. The grille hides the filter and the temperature sensor which is basically a thermostat.

When the air conditioner is started, immediately the blower kicks in and a few seconds later, the compressor starts. The moment the compressor starts to operate the evaporator coil begins to get cold. The blower is located behind the cooling coil, the blower sucks warm air from the room. As the air is pulled toward the blower it travels over the filter which takes out the dust and other impurities that are airborne. It is the filter that is very important for the overall efficiency of the unit and a prime candidate for AC cleaning Chicago.

Once the warm room air has passed through the filter it passes over the cooling coil, the air is cooled and the heat is absorbed by the refrigerant inside the coil. This lower temperature air which has been dehumidified as well is then returned to the room. This cycle of warm air in, cool air out continues until the machine is shut off.

This is the room air side, on the hot air side there is another thing happening. The heated refrigerant then travels to the condenser coil which is on the exterior of the unit. The fan which is located behind the condenser sucks in air from the atmosphere blows it across the coil, reducing the refrigerant temperature.

Although this is a very rudimentary description of how an air conditioner works, one thing is common, the need for AC cleaning in Chicago.

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