Parts of an Air Conditioning System: A Guide for Homeowners
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While you should always reach out to your friendly local repair service if you have AC issues, it’s important to understand how your system works. Familiarizing yourself with the parts of an air conditioning system helps you spot problems early and save money on expensive replacements.
Our philosophy has always revolved around putting homeowners’ needs first. We want to make sure you can enjoy a comfortable home at all times, so we’ll teach you the inner components of your air conditioning system and how they work.
The Big Picture: Central vs Other AC Systems
A central air conditioning system works by circulating cool air into your home and pushing warm air back out. When you turn on your central air conditioning to cool your home, the machine will begin two primary actions: indoor cooling and heat release.
Not only do these AC components help keep your home cool, but they also reduce humidity.
When a property doesn’t have any ductwork, people may turn to ductless systems or window units to stay cool.
What Is a Window Unit?
A window unit can be secured in a window to blow cold air into the room. It’s a self-contained unit you can plug in just about anywhere, making it versatile for apartments and smaller or older homes.
What Is a Ductless Unit?
Ductless units require setting up multiple units in different rooms. They’re all linked to a single outdoor compressor that gathers up the warm air in the house and converts it to cool air.
Now that you have a general idea of how these systems work, let’s dive into the parts of a central air conditioning system.
The Main Components of a Home AC System
You don’t have to be an engineer to have a basic understanding of your AC system. Below is a thorough overview of the different parts of an air conditioning system and everything you should know to call for a check-up, upgrade, or repair job.
Thermostat
This tool is one of the best-known parts of the AC unit, acting as the system’s central hub to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the home or in a specific room. Even if you don’t need AC repair now, a new thermostat installation is worth looking into.
Manual thermostats require you to input a specific temperature. They’re affordable and simple to use, though you have to be proactive in adjusting them to avoid wasting energy.
Smart thermostats connect to your home Wi-Fi to provide several benefits, such as automation, remote temperature adjustments, and recommendations based on cooling habits.
We provide Nest Thermostat Installations with handy features like auto schedule, safety temperature alerts, and energy history. Call us at 248-494-8747 to find out more about how a new thermostat can save you time and money.
Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coil works inside your home, helping your system transfer heat as well as dehumidifying indoor air. The refrigerant that enters this evaporator coil absorbs the heat, removes moisture, and flows into the outdoor unit to expel hotter air.
Condenser Coil
Without this part of an air conditioning system, your installation’s heat exchange process wouldn’t be complete. While the evaporator coil gathers the heat, the condenser coil is responsible for releasing all that heat outdoors.
Compressor
The compressor is where a lot of dynamic change takes place (and is usually the most expensive part to replace on an AC unit). This device works by pumping and circulating refrigerant through the system, transferring the heat to the condenser outside.
Compressors earned their name because they use high pressure to compress the refrigerant into a smaller amount in order to change its temperature. This allows the refrigerant to release the heat it has absorbed when it comes in contact with the condenser.
Refrigerant
The refrigerant is a chemical compound that transforms from liquid to gas. It absorbs your indoor air’s heat with the help of your compressor and condenser coil through a complex set of phases that involve switching from liquid to gas and back again.
Expansion Valves
When the refrigerant needs to shift from a high-pressure liquid to a low-pressure gas, the expansion valve restricts its flow from the condenser. This reduces pressure as the refrigerant flows into the evaporator coil, allowing it to undergo this change. Without an expansion valve, your AC would cool inconsistently or frost over.
Blower Motor & Fan
These parts of an air conditioning system are essential to move the altered air properly. Both the motor and fan send the cool air through the ducts to release into each room.
Ductwork & Vents
Your ductwork and vents act as the distribution system for airflow. Ducts provide a clear path for the cool air to travel, while vents distribute the cool air throughout each room.
Taking a closer look at your HVAC system empowers you to spot small issues early before they become expensive problems later.
When just a few parts of a home AC system don’t work properly, it’s only a matter of time until your system stops working entirely. Call 248-494-8747 or fill out our online form to schedule a check-up!
Optional (Yet Important) Supporting Parts of an Air Conditioning System
While your AC can technically function without these additions, they increase the components’ longevity and cause the system to deliver better results.
Air filter: This filter protects the unit’s internal components and improves air quality by trapping pollutants like dander, dust, dirt, and pollen.
Drain line: This useful drain runs throughout your home and leads to the outside, removing condensation and various debris.
Electrical components & circuit boards: Separate electrical components and circuit boards reduce the risk of overloading your AC from constant electrical activity.
How All These Parts Work Together
Now that you’re familiar with the parts of an air conditioning system, it’s time to break down how the system works from beginning to end.
The thermostat monitors your home’s indoor temperature. If it’s manual, you change it to turn on the AC unit, while a smart thermostat will turn on independently.
Your fan turns on to pull warm air from inside the house, distributing it through ductwork, vents, and filters that catch debris like dust or lint.
The warm indoor air moves over the evaporator coil, causing the liquid refrigerant inside to turn into gas. The refrigerant absorbs this heat and cools the air.
Your AC unit’s fan blows the cool air back into the room. The leftover refrigerant gas moves into the compressor, which pressurizes it and sends it to the condenser coil.
Once the fan moves the warm air outside, the refrigerant turns back into a liquid. It moves back through the expansion device and starts absorbing heat again to repeat the process.
This proper coordination is key to optimal performance. Give Andy’s Statewide a call at 248-494-8747 or schedule an appointment online to make sure your AC unit is in peak condition.
When Something Breaks: What You Should Know
The parts of a home air conditioner may be complex, but they’re not indestructible. Some of the parts that fail most often are the compressor, fan motor, and capacitor.
The compressor is also one of the most expensive parts to replace. You’ll know you need to get an HVAC check-up when your unit is making odd noises, struggling to cool down certain parts of the home, or emitting strange odors.
How Smart HVAC Ownership and Exceptional Service Pay Off
Understanding the different parts of an air conditioning system sets you up for success. Instead of stressing about why your unit is making unusual sounds or cooling inconsistently, you’ll know exactly what to do.
A central air conditioning system uses a thermostat, evaporator coil, condenser coil, compressor, refrigerant, expansion valve, motor, fan, ductwork, and vents. You can add additional filters, drain lines, and circuit boards to improve its performance further.
Andy’s Statewide is Southeast Michigan’s #1 choice for heating and cooling solutions, thanks to our friendly customer service, state-of-the-art technology, and reliable results. We offer maintenance, repair, upgrades, replacements, and consultations to keep your home in great shape all year long.
Our exceptional service guarantee gives you even more peace of mind by offering a repair or full refund a year after your invoice date.
Ready to upgrade or repair your AC unit? Call us today at 248-494-8747 or schedule online for a full system inspection!