How Does Your Air Conditioner Work? Lots of people believe a central air conditioner is complicated and hard to work on. Actually they are very basic in their operations and figuring out how they work doesn't take much at all. There are 3 main parts of an air conditioner. There are 2 external parts known as the compressor and condenser, and the internal part, which is the evaporator. They all three work in unison to pump air in, cool it down, and evaporate water that's formed during this cooling process. You have to add Freon, a cooling liquid, to your compressor. Freon is used for both cooling and heating. The compressor squeezes the Freon and forces it into a gaseous state (a really hot state). That heat is forced from the system by a rotating fan. Now the Freon goes back to its former liquid state, cooling down super-quick. This cool air gets pumped into your room while the rotating fan makes sure the hot air gets forced out. With this happening, your central air conditioning unit cools your room down very quickly
A central air conditioner also contains some other working parts that assist it with maintaining a steady room temperature. There is a hot coil that gets place outside that dispels the heat created by the Freon, so the cold coil located inside your air conditioner absorbs all the heat that tries to enter your room. There is a control circuit that modifies the temperature and controls when the fan rotates and at what speed. It does this by using a 'potentiometer'. The compressor is the most crucial working part of your air conditioning system. That's why most manufacturers offer a warranty on them. Good quality compressors will give good service for many years. If you have a specific brand of air conditioner and want to replace your compressor, you can use another brand if you want. However, it is recommended that whenever possible you use the same brand. It was designed specifically for that unit and should give you the best service. Sadly, not all companies sell separate compressors. They want you to purchase a whole new unit. The best you can do in these cases is to find the closest to the old one as you can. Some are more compatible with certain brands than others. The clerks and sales people will know, just ask. Everything else that makes up your air conditioner can be replaced as well. You may think replacing a coil is not that big
of a deal. A defective coil leads to poor heat-dissipation. That will cause your unit to work much harder to cool your home, which means using more energy. If you find yourself needing repairs for your air conditioning unit, you might consider getting a manual and replacing some parts yourself. If you are not the do-it-yourself type, then look up the number of the store that sold it to you and ask them if they service them or know how you can get it serviced. It is usually just a minor thing to get your central air conditioning unit back up and running right. For more tips about air conditioners, read these articles: Best Tent Air Conditioner Reviews and Are Kenmore Air Conditioners Good?