Your Air Conditioner And Common Parts That Need To Be Replaced

This guide gives you practical knowledge about your air conditioner that you can use today to start saving money on repairs or replacement.

How Air Conditioners Work

The vast majority of residential and smaller commercial air conditioning systems circulate a compressed gas refrigerant in a closed "split" system to cool and condition inside air. The refrigerant has to be re-cooled and condensed, and outside air is the medium most often used to accomplish this. The term "split" simply means that components are divided into inside and outside portions as opposed to being located in a single "package" unit. The refrigerants, widely recognized by the trademark "Freon" (which is a registered trademark of the DuPont company), helps cool and dehumidify the inside air. In a "forced air" system, an internal blower circulates conditioned air through ducts to rooms or areas of the home where cooler air is needed. The air ducts generally run either below the ceiling and inside the rooms (conditioned air) or in the attic (unconditioned air).

The Major Parts & Their Function

In A Split Air Conditioning System Compressor - outdoors: The electric pump, considered the heart of the system, which circulates the refrigerant in a closed loop between the condenser and evaporator coils. Compressors come in more than one variety. According to Consumer Reports, "A reciprocating compressor is more trouble-prone than a scroll-type one, they say. While pricier, scroll-type compressors do tend to be higher in efficiency and quieter than reciprocating compressors. Most manufacturers offer both types of compressor."

Condenser coil - outdoors: A network of tubes filled with refrigerant that remove heat from the heated gas refrigerant and converts the refrigerant back into liquid form. The excess heat escapes into the outside air.

Fan -outdoors- Pulls air through the condenser coil for heat dispersal.

Evaporator coil - indoors: A network of tubes filled with refrigerant that remove heat and moisture from the air as the refrigerant evaporates into a gas again.

Air handling unit - indoors- the blower and related portion of the central air conditioning system that moves air through the air ducts.

Air filters - Indoors: Air filter elements trap dust, pollen, and other airborne particles as air moves through the air conditioning system.

Air filters contribute to reliable air conditioner operation as well as the health and well-being of the home or building's

Drainage System & Pan - During the normal condensation process, an air conditioner produces a significant amount of water as a by-product. In a central A/C system, there is a primary system of pipes, often made of PVC, that carry this condensate water to the outside of the building. This piping needs periodic flushing to prevent it from getting stopped up with algae and other growth. At a minimum, this maintenance should be done by a service company during an annual system tune-up. Your inside A/C system should have an emergency drain pan in case the primary drain lines stop up. This pan usually comes equipped with an automatic cut-off switch that turns off your air conditioning system when then pan fills up with water. Otherwise, water will run out of the pan and onto the ceiling or whatever is located below it. The need to flush the drain lines is a prime example of how a little preventive maintenance can prevent a major repair.

Air Conditioning With A Heat Pump, often shortened to "heat pump," is a combination central air conditioning and heating system. In one mode, it functions as an air conditioner. In the reverse mode, it becomes a heater. Due to their unique design and special considerations, we have given heat pumps their own page on this website.

Today's HVAC Systems Are More Efficient & Cost More Upfront

Today's central air conditioning systems are much more efficient than their predecessors. The industry uses a rating called SEER, which is an acronym for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. Essentially, a higher SEER rating means the air conditioner uses energy more efficiently. When other factors such as thermostat settings are kept equal, a higher SEER rating helps to lower monthly utility bills. A central air conditioning unit rated at 13 SEER uses about two-thirds the energy that a 10 SEER system uses. Some outside A/C units are rated using a SEER range, such as 14/15 SEER, and the amount of energy used could depend on the indoor equipment matched with it. For example, if paired with a manufacturer-recommended evaporator coil and variable speed furnace or variable speed air handler, an outside unit could be rated at 15 SEER; otherwise, the rating would be 14 SEER.

As you might imagine, higher efficiency A/C equipment costs more to manufacture. Why? For one, efficient condensers and evaporators contain more metal to make the extra coils used. Additionally, to achieve greater efficiency, the system may include more complex technology such as variable motor speeds and electronics. If you are buying a new air conditioner, make sure you understand the relationship between the higher upfront costs and lower monthly utility bills obtainable with more efficient equipment. The Energy Guide label clearly displays the SEER rating of all new A/C equipment.

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