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Air conditioning is a wonder of modern life. It makes it possible to live and thrive anywhere in the world during even the hottest of summers. Nowadays, many families enjoy the benefits of air conditioning via their central air systems. While air conditioning is ubiquitous throughout the country, not many people are actually familiar with how it works. Here’s a brief rundown on how your home’s central air system works.

The Air Conditioning Process

Since their invention, all air conditioners operate in much the same way. The indoor of a home is cooled by the removal of warm air and humidity. The cold air is circulated throughout the house, while the heat and humidity are released outside. Refrigerators have three principal mechanical elements: a compressor, a condenser coil, and an evaporator coil. The manipulation of a refrigerant between these three components is what cools your home.

• The refrigerant gas is pressurized and heated by the compressor, then sent to the condenser coil where it is converted into a liquid.
• The liquid refrigerant is sent to the indoor evaporator coil where it evaporates and cools the coil.
• Indoor air is blown across the coil, allowing the refrigerant to absorb the home’s indoor heat.
• While the cooled air is circulated throughout the home, the heated refrigerant gas is returned to the compressor coil where the process begins again.
• The heated indoor air and humidity are released outside.

Elements of the AC System

For everything to work according to plan, every part of the AC system needs to be working properly. In the outdoor unit, you’ll find the compressor, the condenser coil, the fan, and all the relevant electrical components. On the inside of the home is where the evaporator coil is usually located. In order for air and refrigerant to move freely between the inside and outside units, they are connected by a series of pipes and refrigeration lines. The refrigerant itself is required to absorb the heat in the home which cools off the environment. Some ducts act as air tunnels that occupy various parts of the inside of your house that are required to circulate the air. Then, there is a thermostat that controls the whole system.

Maintaining Your AC

There are things you can do to make sure your home’s air conditioning is working the way it should. Replace your air filters every three months throughout the year and monthly during the peak of summer. Also, install a programmable thermostat. By automatically raising your home’s temperature at night and while you’re at work—and lowering it when you’re at home—a programmable thermostat can help you cut back on monthly energy bills while reducing strain on your AC.

Taking small steps like these is enough to ensure that your home’s air conditioner will give you the cool air you need at the times you need it most. For emergency repair or regular maintenance, contact the experts at Cox Air at (727) 442-6158. Give us a call today!