AC Unit Parts

An air conditioning system consists of many parts that work together to serve a purpose. Understanding each element and its role might help you to maintain the system. You don’t even need to learn about all of the AC unit parts, just a few crucial ones. Here are the parts that you need to know about:

1.   Refrigerant

Did you know that your AC doesn’t create coldness to lower your room temperature? Instead, it takes out the heat from the indoor air and then dissipates that heat outside. The refrigerant is what’s responsible for the heat distribution process. Refrigerant works in a closed-loop. It begins in the form of gas inside the indoor unit of an AC. When the system turns on, the refrigerant will turn into gas as it carries heat. The heated vapor will then flow to the outdoor unit of the AC and release the heat through it. After that, the refrigerant will turn back into a liquid as it loses the heat. It will then flow back to the indoor unit to redo the whole cycle.

2.   Evaporator

Inside the indoor unit, evaporator coils will strip off the heat from the indoor air, transfer it into the refrigerant, and then send it to the outdoor unit for the next process. Later on, these coils will then receive the refrigerant back from the outdoor unit so it can restart the cycle.

3.   Compressor

As its name suggests, a compressor will put high pressure on the warm vapor of the refrigerant, which increases its temperature as well. This process will push the refrigerant forward to the condenser. Both the compressor and condenser are located in the outdoor unit. A compressor is the most vital part of an AC system. A high-quality compressor can work most efficiently and tends to be durable. When a compressor is broken and unrepairable, replacing this element might cost almost the same as replacing the whole unit.

4.   Condenser

To simply put it, condenser coils work the opposite way of evaporator coils. These AC unit parts expel the heat out of the refrigerant, and release it  with the help of the condenser fan. The refrigerant will then turn back into a liquid as it loses the heat it carried. After that, the condenser will push the refrigerant to the indoor unit.

5.   Expansion Valve

This particular element is significantly smaller compared to other AC unit parts. However, it holds a vital role in keeping the balance of the refrigerant flow. An expansion valve will depressurize the refrigerant to return its temperature to a normal level before the liquid flows back into the evaporator. It is also the expansion valve’s job to control the amount of refrigerant flow. The valve will open and close as needed to keep the loop at a balanced level. Indeed, all AC unit parts require care and maintenance to keep them in good shape. Fortunately, you don’t have to bother yourself with it. Just call a professional HVAC service company once every six months, and they will do whatever is necessary!  

ECM Air Conditioning, with its headquarters located in Boynton Beach, FL, provides air conditioning services within Palm Beach County, Broward County, Martin County, and St. Lucie County. If you’re looking to have a new HVAC system installed, we’re on-call and ready to assist you. So if you’re in need of an HVAC installation, don’t hesitate to contact us today to schedule an inspection! Our HVAC installation experts will check your ductwork, measure, check wire sizes, and more before making recommendations to ensure maximum efficiency and comfort. Call us at 561-295-1763 or contact our HVAC installation team online by clicking here.