![]() Air source heat pumps, which can be used for heating as well as cooling, are becoming increasingly common in cooler climates.Īccording to the International Energy Agency (IEA), as of 2018, 1.6 billion air conditioning units were installed, which accounted for an estimated 20% of electricity usage in buildings globally with the number expected to grow to 5.6 billion by 2050. Heat pumps are similar in many ways to air conditioners, but use a reversing valve to allow them to heat and also cool an enclosed space.Īir conditioners, which typically use vapor-compression refrigeration, range in size from small units used within vehicles or single rooms to massive units that can cool large buildings. ![]() Air conditioning is a member of a family of systems and techniques that provide heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). Air conditioning can be achieved using a mechanical air conditioner or alternatively a variety of other methods, including passive cooling or ventilative cooling. Window-mounted air conditioner for single-room use ( Suriname, 1955) Ceiling-mounted cassette air conditioner and a wall-mounted air conditioner in the background ( Italy, 2017)Īir conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C (US) or air con (UK), is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as "comfort cooling") and in some cases also strictly controlling the humidity of internal air. For the abbreviation used in banking and book-keeping, see account (disambiguation). The following video gives you a clear idea of how the components of a central air conditioner work to cool down your house."a/c" redirects here. The refrigerant then passes through an expansion device that converts it to a low-pressure, low-temperature liquid, which returns to the indoor coil. There it jettisons the heat through coils or thin metal “fins.” A fan in the compressor also helps to dissipate the heat. As a vapor, it travels to the outdoor compressor, which pressurizes it and moves it through the outdoor coil. The refrigerant is especially cold when it begins to circulate through the indoor coil.Īs the air handler pushes warm air across the coil, the refrigerant absorbs so much heat from the air that it turns into vapor. This refrigerant receives and releases heat as it raises and lowers in temperature, changing from liquid to gas and then back to liquid. Refrigerant circulates through copper tubing that runs between the evaporator and the condenser. With a “package system,” all of the components are combined in a single outdoor unit that may be located on the ground or on the roof.Ī central air conditioner cools with an outdoor compressor and condenser coil connected to an indoor furnace fitted with an evaporator coil. The evaporator is mounted on or in the air-handling unit, which is often a forced-air furnace. ![]() Then the air is routed to air-supply ductwork through which the blower pushes it back to the rooms.īut how does the evaporator coil get cold in the first place? That is where refrigeration principles come into play.Įvery air conditioner has three main parts: a condenser, an evaporator, and a compressor. With a typical “split system,” the condenser and the compressor are located in an outdoor unit. This air is pulled through one or more filters, where airborne particles such as dust and lint are removed-in fact, sophisticated filters may remove microscopic pollutants as well. When the thermostat signals the air-conditioning system to lower air temperature, a whole sequence of events begins.įirst, the air-handling unit kicks on, drawing room air in from various parts of the house through return-air ducts.
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