Air Conditioning Repair

To understand air conditioning principles, you do not have to be an expert in the field.  However, as a homeowner it is important to understand these principles, which could allow you to save money in repairs for some areas that you might be able to fix on your own.  In this article, we have provided helpful information specific to what air conditioners are and the ways in which they work.  Actually, air conditioner principles are basic, as you are about to discover.

This type of energy involves a cooling process to eliminate or reduce heat.  For instance, if you were to place your hand in front of a car’s air conditioner, you would feel cold air but if you placed your hand behind the exhaust, you would feel warm air.  With air conditioners, heat is transferred out or away so cool air keeps a home comfortable.

Sensible and Latent Heat

In relation to heat energy, you will find two options, one being sensible and the other latent.   For instance, when your local meteorologist says the outside temperature will be 85, he or she is referring to sensible heat.  On the other hand, latent heat is not something that can be measured or felt.  Instead, this form of heat energy is what causes properties to change for a particular object.  Therefore, if latent heat in the form of steam were removed, you would have water, which would eventually freeze.

Humidity

When there is moisture in the air, this is humidity.  In some states, humidity levels are high, making outside temperature feel even hotter.  Keep in mind, humidity has a direct impact on temperature so the warmer the air the more moisture it can hold.  Then, you might have heard the term, relative humidity, which also has to do with conditioning principles in that this is the percentage of moisture in the air, not the amount of moisture.  With air conditioning units, many work to keep air cool, but also control the level of humidity.

Refrigerant

For an air conditioner to transfer heat while cooling a home, they need some type of refrigerant.  These refrigerants are specially formulated, depending on the type of unit you have, each designed to change the state at certain temperatures so you get the most cooling possible.  Some of the more common types of refrigerants include R22 (Freon) and HCFC.

Refrigerant Cycle

The next of the air conditioning principles discussed is the refrigerant cycle.  Comprised of four components, relative to every type of air conditioning system, these components work in basic functions to include:

• Compressor – Refrigerant is taken from the evaporator, being pumped to the condenser with the help of the compressor.  From there, the compressor creates pressure, which causes the refrigerant to vaporize, thus changing state.
• Condenser – This type of high-pressure refrigerant is another of the air conditioning principles, which is a vapor that is capable of releasing heat using condenser coils.  The process of the refrigerant condensing makes it much easier to vaporize.
• Metering – With a metering device, flow of liquid refrigerant is restricted coming from the condenser to the evaporator.  With this, the refrigerant will pass through this device, thus reducing pressure.  From there, the lower pressure refrigerant is able to absorb heat while it vaporizes in the coils.  This system is the specific type seen on all of the newer types of air conditioners, those using refrigeration.

When you begin shopping around for a new air conditioning unit, it is important to take time to learn about the various air conditioning principles.  With this, you will have better insight into how each of the systems work.  Obviously, this information could be used for making the final decision, allowing you to find and understand the unit that is going to work best for your needs.  Remember that there will be professionals able to answer any questions you might have and you can always conduct further research online.

Most people never take the time to understand air conditioning principles and while they may not need all the information, it is certainly interesting reading.  The bottom line is that all of these functions work together to ensure an air conditioning unit does its job in keeping the home’s interior cool.  The ins and outs of each system would be slightly different depending on style, make, model, and other factors but they all work off the same concept of making warm air cool.  Without doubt, air conditioning units are fascinating and without them, many people would be miserable in hot climates.