HOW AN AIR CONDITIONER WORKS

Taken literally, air conditioning includes the cooling and heating of air, cleaning and
controlling its moisture level as well as conditioning it to provide maximum indoor
comfort.

An air conditioner transfers heat from the inside of a building, where it is not wanted, to
the outside. Refrigerant in the system absorbs the excess heat and is then pumped
through a closed system of piping to an outside coil. A fan blows outside air over the hot
coil, transferring heat from the refrigerant to the outdoor air. Because the heat is
removed from the indoor air, the indoor area is cooled.

An air conditioning system generally consists of five mechanical components:

1. Compressor

2. Fan

3. Condenser Coil (Hot)

4. Evaporator Coil (Cool)

5. Chemical Refrigerant

Most central air conditioning systems include a “hot” side, outside your home, and a
“cool” side, inside your home. The “hot” side generally consists of a condensing coil, a
compressor and a fan.

The “cool” side is usually located within your furnace. The furnace blows air through an
evaporator coil, which cools the air, and routes this cool air throughout your home using
a series of air ducts.

The cleaning function of air conditioners is performed by filters, which remove dust and
contaminants from the air. In some systems, the filters are permanent and can be
washed periodically to remove accumulated dirt. Most systems have disposable filters
which can be replaced. When filters become clogged, they restrict the flow of air and
cause the system to operate inefficiently.
HOW A HEAT PUMP WORKS

A heat pump is like a conventional air conditioner except it also can provide heat in the
winter. In the summer, the heat pump collects heat from the house and expels it
outside. In the winter, the heat pump extracts heat from the outside air and circulates it
inside the house. The heat pump works best when the outdoor temperature is above
freezing. Below that, supplementary heat often is needed. A heat pump can save 30 to
60 percent less energy to supply the same heat when compared to an electric furnace
with a resistance heating element.

COOLING CYCLE

Refrigerant passes through the indoor coil, evaporating from a liquid to a vapor. As the
liquid evaporates, it absorbs heat, cooling the air around the coil. An indoor fan pushes
this cooled air through ducts inside the house. Meanwhile, the vaporized refrigerant
laden with heat, passes through a compressor which compresses the vapor, raising it’s
temperature and pressure. The reversing valve directs the flow of hot, high pressure
vapor to the outdoor coil where the heat released during condensation is fanned into the
outdoor air, and the cycle begins again.

HEATING CYCLE
During the heating cycle the refrigerant flows in reverse. Liquid refrigerant now flows to
the outdoor coil picking up heat as it evaporates into a low pressure vapor.

The vapor travels through the compressor where it is compressed into a hot, high
pressure vapor, then is directed by the reversing valve to the indoor coil.

Then vapor turns into liquid as it passes through the indoor coil, releasing heat that is
pushed through the ducts by the indoor fan.
1) Compressor: It is recognized as the engine of the air conditioning system. The
compressor functions together with a substance called working fluid that can easily
transform from gas into a liquid. The main task of the compressor is to convert low-
pressure gas into a high pressure gas, which also has high temperature. In this process,
the gap regions between molecules get narrowed down, creating energized gas. From
here, the energized gas or refrigerant comes out of the compressor to enter into the
condenser.

2) Condenser Coil: There is a fan fitted into the condenser coil which cools down the
high pressure gas and converts it back into a liquid. This product is now taken to the
next part or the component of the air conditioner called the evaporator. You can see
compressor and condenser on the outside of your house.

3) Evaporator: Located inside the house, the evaporator is usually found near the
furnace. It is linked with the condenser with an extremely thin pipe. The high pressure
gas which is now transformed into the low pressure liquid reaches this section of the air
conditioning system. The decreasing pressure in this section turns the liquid into a gas
again. In this process, the working fluid or refrigerant takes away the heat from the air
and cools it off. Next, the working fluid comes out of the evaporator in the form of a gas
to again get compressed by the compressor. All this happens in a cyclic fashion.

4) Air Handler and Blowing Unit: These are the two parts of the system which work
together to draw room air to the evaporator and disseminate the cool air all over your
house. With the help of a duct system the passage of airflow in the room is facilitated.

5) Thermostat: This component helps you maintain the temperature of your air
conditioning system by regulating the heat energy flowing inside and outside of it. The
thermostat can be set manually or automatically, depending on its features.
Air conditioning (often referred to as AC, A.C., or A/C) is the process of removing or
adding heat from/to a space, thus cooling or heating the space's average temperature.
Air conditioning can be used in both domestic and commercial environments. This
process is most commonly used to achieve a more comfortable interior environment,
typically for humans or animals; however, air conditioning is also used to
cool/dehumidify rooms filled with heat-producing electronic devices, such as computer
servers, power amplifiers, and even to display and store artwork.
Air conditioners often use a fan to distribute the conditioned air to an occupied space
such as a building or a car to improve thermal comfort and indoor air quality. Electric
refrigerant-based AC units range from small units that can cool a small bedroom, which
can be carried by a single adult, to massive units installed on the roof of office towers
that can cool an entire building. The cooling is typically achieved through a refrigeration
cycle, but sometimes evaporation or free cooling is used. Air conditioning systems can
also be made based on desiccants (chemicals which remove moisture from the air) and
subterraneous pipes that can distribute the heated refrigerant to the ground for
cooling.[1]
In the most general sense, air conditioning can refer to any form of technology that
modifies the condition of air (heating, cooling, (de-)humidification, cleaning, ventilation,
or air movement). In common usage, though, "air conditioning" refers to systems which
cool air. In construction, a complete system of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
is referred to as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC – as opposed to AC).[2]

Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14MmsNPtn6U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OU7WHgJ_cY
http://www.aceac.com/hvac-info-center/components-of-an-air-conditioning-system/
http://allweatherheatingandairconditioning.com/blog/five-basic-components-of-an-
effective-air-conditioning-system/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_conditioning