1 Answer
An air conditioner (AC) works by transferring heat from the inside of a building to the outside, making the indoor air cooler and more comfortable. Here's a basic breakdown of how it works:
### 1. **Evaporator Coil (Inside Unit)**
- The AC's evaporator coil is located inside the unit or air handler. It contains a refrigerant liquid, which evaporates at a low temperature.
- The refrigerant absorbs the heat from the indoor air. A fan blows air over the evaporator coil, and as the air cools down, the refrigerant inside the coil evaporates.
- The cooled air is then blown back into the room, lowering the temperature.
### 2. **Compressor (Outside Unit)**
- The refrigerant gas, now carrying the heat from inside, is pumped to the compressor located in the outdoor unit.
- The compressor pressurizes the refrigerant, raising its temperature even further. This prepares it to release the absorbed heat when it reaches the condenser.
### 3. **Condenser Coil (Outside Unit)**
- The high-pressure, high-temperature refrigerant gas flows into the condenser coils outside.
- A fan in the outside unit blows air over the condenser coil, causing the refrigerant gas to cool down and condense back into a liquid form.
- As it condenses, it releases the heat it carried from the indoor air into the outdoor environment.
### 4. **Expansion Valve**
- The liquid refrigerant then passes through an expansion valve, which reduces its pressure and temperature.
- This makes the refrigerant cool down further and prepares it to enter the evaporator coil again, where it will absorb more heat from the indoor air.
### 5. **Cycle Repeats**
- This cycle of absorbing heat inside the building, moving it to the outside, and then cooling the air continues as long as the AC is running, keeping the indoor temperature stable and comfortable.
### Key Components:
- **Refrigerant**: A special fluid used to absorb and release heat as it circulates between the indoor and outdoor units.
- **Compressor**: Compresses the refrigerant gas to allow it to release heat.
- **Evaporator Coil**: Absorbs heat from the indoor air.
- **Condenser Coil**: Releases the absorbed heat to the outside.
- **Expansion Valve**: Lowers the pressure of the refrigerant, enabling it to cool down.
In short, an air conditioner works by using a refrigerant to carry heat from the indoor space to the outdoor environment, which cools the air inside.
### 1. **Evaporator Coil (Inside Unit)**
- The AC's evaporator coil is located inside the unit or air handler. It contains a refrigerant liquid, which evaporates at a low temperature.
- The refrigerant absorbs the heat from the indoor air. A fan blows air over the evaporator coil, and as the air cools down, the refrigerant inside the coil evaporates.
- The cooled air is then blown back into the room, lowering the temperature.
### 2. **Compressor (Outside Unit)**
- The refrigerant gas, now carrying the heat from inside, is pumped to the compressor located in the outdoor unit.
- The compressor pressurizes the refrigerant, raising its temperature even further. This prepares it to release the absorbed heat when it reaches the condenser.
### 3. **Condenser Coil (Outside Unit)**
- The high-pressure, high-temperature refrigerant gas flows into the condenser coils outside.
- A fan in the outside unit blows air over the condenser coil, causing the refrigerant gas to cool down and condense back into a liquid form.
- As it condenses, it releases the heat it carried from the indoor air into the outdoor environment.
### 4. **Expansion Valve**
- The liquid refrigerant then passes through an expansion valve, which reduces its pressure and temperature.
- This makes the refrigerant cool down further and prepares it to enter the evaporator coil again, where it will absorb more heat from the indoor air.
### 5. **Cycle Repeats**
- This cycle of absorbing heat inside the building, moving it to the outside, and then cooling the air continues as long as the AC is running, keeping the indoor temperature stable and comfortable.
### Key Components:
- **Refrigerant**: A special fluid used to absorb and release heat as it circulates between the indoor and outdoor units.
- **Compressor**: Compresses the refrigerant gas to allow it to release heat.
- **Evaporator Coil**: Absorbs heat from the indoor air.
- **Condenser Coil**: Releases the absorbed heat to the outside.
- **Expansion Valve**: Lowers the pressure of the refrigerant, enabling it to cool down.
In short, an air conditioner works by using a refrigerant to carry heat from the indoor space to the outdoor environment, which cools the air inside.