How does Air Condition Works?

How it works?
As with all air conditioning systems the principle remains the same whereby the heat is removed
from one area and replaced with chilled dry air and the hot air is expelled, normally to the outside
atmosphere. As you can see from this typical example of a air conditioning system, the ambient air is
drawn over the condenser that can best described as a ‘radiator’ as seen on motor vehicles but
instead of water running through the system it contains a refrigerant gas.

On its journey around the system it has three main stages; the evaporator contains the sub-cooled
refrigerant and air blows through its veins to release the chilled dry air into the room, the condenser
contains the high temperature gas that once again air is blown through the veins collecting the heat
as it passes through and this is then expelled outside.

Basic Operations
An air conditioner is able to cool a building because it removes heat from the indoor air and transfers
it outdoors. A chemical refrigerant in the system absorbs the unwanted heat and pumps it through a
system of piping to the outside coil. The fan, located in the outside unit, blows outside air over the
hot coil, transferring heat from the refrigerant to the outdoor air.

Most air conditioning systems have five mechanical components:

• a compressor
• a condenser
• an evaporator coil
• blower
• a chemical refrigerant

Most central air conditioning units operate by means of a split system. That is, they consist of a ‘hot’
side, or the condensing unit—including the condensing coil, the compressor and the fan—which is
situated outside your home, and a ‘cold’ side that is located inside your home.

The cold side consists of an expansion valve and a cold coil, and it is usually part of your furnace or
some type of air handler. The furnace blows air through an evaporator coil, which cools the air. Then
this cool air is routed throughout your home by means of a series of air ducts. A window unit
operates on the same principal, the only difference being that both the hot side and the cold side are
located within the same housing unit.

The compressor (which is controlled by the thermostat) is the ‘heart’ of the system. The compressor
acts as the pump, causing the refrigerant to flow through the system. Its job is to draw in a low-
pressure, low-temperature, refrigerant in a gaseous state and by compressing this gas, raise the
pressure and temperature of the refrigerant. This high-pressure, high-temperature gas then flows to
the condenser coil.
The condenser coil is a series of piping with a fan that draws outside air across the coil. As the
refrigerant passes through the condenser coil and the cooler outside air passes across the coil, the
air absorbs heat from the refrigerant which causes the refrigerant to condense from a gas to a liquid
state. The high-pressure, high-temperature liquid then reaches the expansion valve.

The evaporator coil is a series of piping connected to a furnace or air handler that blows indoor air
across it, causing the coil to absorb heat from the air. The cooled air is then delivered to the house
through ducting. The refrigerant then flows back to the compressor where the cycle starts over
again.

Air Conditioner Filters

The most important maintenance task that will ensure the efficiency of your air conditioner is to
routinely replace or clean its filters. Clogged, dirty filters block normal airflow and reduce a system’s
efficiency significantly. With normal airflow obstructed, air that bypasses the filter may carry dirt
directly into the evaporator coil and impair the coil’s heat-absorbing capacity. Filters are located
somewhere along the return duct’s length. Common filter locations are in walls, ceilings, furnaces, or
in the air conditioner itself.

Some types of filters are reusable; others must be replaced. They are available in a variety of types
and efficiencies. Clean or replace your air conditioning system’s filter or filters every month or two
during the cooling season. Filters may need more frequent attention if the air conditioner is in
constant use, is subjected to dusty conditions, or you have fur-bearing pets in the house. If you use
a disposable type filter, it’s always wise to keep several spares inside the house.

Basic Refrigeration Cycle

Principles of Refrigeration
 Liquids absorb heat when changed from liquid to gas

 Gases give off heat when changed from gas to liquid.

For an air conditioning system to operate with economy, the refrigerant must be used
repeatedly. For this reason, all air conditioners use the same cycle of compression,
condensation, expansion, and evaporation in a closed circuit. The same refrigerant is used to
move the heat from one area, to cool this area, and to expel this heat in another area.

 The refrigerant comes into the compressor as a low-pressure gas, it is compressed and
then moves out of the compressor as a high-pressure gas.

 The gas then flows to the condenser. Here the gas condenses to a liquid, and gives off
its heat to the outside air.

 The liquid then moves to the expansion valve under high pressure. This valve restricts
the flow of the fluid, and lowers its pressure as it leaves the expansion valve.

 The low-pressure liquid then moves to the evaporator, where heat from the inside air is
absorbed and changes it from a liquid to a gas.

 As a hot low-pressure gas, the refrigerant moves to the compressor where the entire
cycle is repeated.

Note that the four-part cycle is divided at the center into a high side and a low side This refers to
the pressures of the refrigerant in each side of the system

Performance Testing
Compound Gauge (Low Side)
 The compound gauge derives its name from its function. It will register both pressure or
vacuum.

 All air conditioning systems can, under certain conditions, drop from a pressure into a
vacuum on the low side. It is necessary that a gauge be used that will show either
pressure (psi and kPa) or inches of mercury vacuum (Hg.).

 The vacuum side of the gauge must be calibrated to show 0 to 30 inches (0 to 762 mm)
Hg. The pressure side of the gauge must be calibrated to register accurately from 0
pressure to a minimum of 60 psi (414 kPa).

 The maximum reading of the pressure should not exceed 160 psi (1103 kPa). Practically
all readings of the low side of the system will be less than 60 psi (414 kPa) with the
system in operation.

High Pressure Gauge (High Side)

 The high pressure gauge is used to determine pressures in the high side of the system.

 The gauge is calibrated to register accurately from zero pressure to a minimum of 300
psi (2070 kPa).

 A few systems operate under high head pressure during normal operation conditions.
This is why the high pressure gauge should have a reading of at least 600 psi (4140
kPa).

Gauge Manifold
 The gauge manifold mounts the high and low side gauges and connects the gauges into
the high and low sides of the system by means of test hoses.

 The gauges connect to the upper part of the manifold through holes drilled and tapped to
a 1/8-inch pipe thread.

 Test hose connectors below the gauges on the lower side of the manifold direct the
refrigerant through the manifold to the gauges to obtain pressure readings.

 A center test hose connector on the lower side of the manifold is connected to both
pressure gauges and the test hoses by a passage in the manifold.

 Refrigerant flow into the high and low side is controlled by a shutoff hand valve at each
end of the manifold.
Compressor

The purpose of the compressor is to circulate the refrigerant in the system

under pressure, this concentrates the heat it contains.

 At the compressor, the low pressure gas is changed to high pressure

gas.

 This pressure buildup can only be accomplished by having a restriction in the high
pressure side of the system. This is a small valve located in the expansion valve.

The compressor has reed valves to control the entrance and exit of refrigerant gas during the
pumping operation. These must be firmly seated.

 An improperly seated intake reed valve can result in gas leaking back into the low side
during the compression stroke, raising the low side pressure and impairing the cooling
effect.

 A badly seated discharge reed valve can allow condensing or head pressure to drop as
it leaks past the valve, lowering the efficiency of the compressor.

Two service valves are located near the compressor as an aid in servicing the system.

 One services the high side, it is quickly identified by the smaller discharge hose routed to
the condenser.

 One is used for the low side, the low side comes from the evaporator, and is larger than
the discharge hose

The compressor is normally belt-driven from the engine crankshaft. Most manufacturers use a
magnetic-type clutch which provides a means of stopping the pumping of the compressor when
refrigeration is not desired.

Compressor Relief Valve

Some compressors have a relief valve for regulating pressure. If the system discharge pressure
exceeds rated pressure, the valve will open automatically and stay open until the pressure
drops. The valve will then close automatically.

Compressor Noise Complaints

Many noise complaints can be traced to the compressor mount and drive.

 If a unit is noisy at one speed and quiet at another, it is not compressor noise.
 Many times this kind of noise can be eliminated or greatly reduced by changing the belt
adjustment.

 Usually tightening mounts, adding idlers, or changing belt adjustment and length are
more successful in removing or reducing this type of noise, than replacing the
compressor.

 Noises from the clutch are difficult to recognize because the clutch is so close to the
compressor. A loose bolt holding the clutch to the shaft will make a lot of noise.

 The difference, between suction pressure and discharge pressure, also plays an
important part on sound level.
o A compressor with low suction pressure will be more noisy than one with a higher
pressure.

 Consider whether the system is properly charged, whether the expansion valve is
feeding properly to use the evaporator efficiently, and whether enough air is being fed
over the evaporator coil.

 Air Conditioning - Compressor

 Compressor - Component used to change low pressure refrigerant to high pressure
refrigerant.

Air Conditioning - Evaporator

 Evaporator - Component where liquid refrigerant is changed to a gas as it absorbs heat
from inside air.
 Air Conditioning - Condenser

How does the condenser work?

Inside the condenser, the refrigerant vapor is compressed and forced through a heat exchange
coil, condensing it into a liquid and rejecting the heat previously absorbed from the cool indoor
area. The condenser's heat exchanger is generally cooled by a fan blowing outside air through
it.

3 Key Functions of an Air Conditioner’s Condenser

Air conditioners rely on a number of different components in order to effectively cool your home.
The condenser is one of the most important such components. Unfortunately, it is also one of
the least understood. This lack of understanding stems from the fact that a condenser
accomplishes several different tasks as it runs.

The more you know about how your air conditioning system works, the better you will be able to
recognize potential problems. If you would like to learn more about the components inside of
your air conditioner, read on. This article will introduce you to the three key jobs performed by
an air conditioner's condenser.

1. Desuperheating

Refrigerant exits your evaporator coil as a gas, having absorbed heat from inside of your home.
This gaseous refrigerant then enters the compressor, which packs it more tightly together,
increasing its temperature in the process. The condenser's job involves lowering the
refrigerant's temperature enough for it to transform back into a liquid.

The first task a condenser must accomplish goes by the name of desuperheating. To
understand desuperheating, you must first understand the related concept known as saturation
temperature. Saturation temperature refers to the boiling point of a liquid at a given pressure.
Once the liquid reaches its saturation temperature, it begins turning into a gas.

When the temperature of a gas continues to rise beyond its saturation temperature, the gas is
said to be in a superheated state. An air conditioner's refrigerant exists in a superheated state
as it flows out of the compressor to the condenser. Superheated refrigerant must be cooled
back down to its saturation temperature before it can be condensed into a liquid.

This initial cooling process goes by the name of desuperheating. The gaseous refrigerant
passes through the condenser as many times as needed in order to reject its superheat.

2. Condensation

Once all of a refrigerant superheat has been rejected, the actual process of condensation may
begin. Condensation involves the transformation of the gaseous refrigerant into its liquid state.
The mechanics of this operation remain the same as in desuperheating — in other words, the
refrigerant continues to circulate through the condenser in multiple passes.
As the refrigerant flows through the condenser, the condenser's multitude of fins allow heat to
transfer to the surrounding air. A fan on top of the condenser unit ensures that this heated air
cools off quickly, enabling the process to continue. As the refrigerant's temperature lowers
beneath its saturation temperature, it automatically begins transforming into a liquid.

3. Subcooling

After all of the refrigerant has converted to a liquid state, it is said to be a fully saturated liquid.
At this point, however, the refrigerant will still be quite volatile. Even a small temperature
increase will cause part of it to shift back to a gas. This places a severe limitation on the
potential cooling that the refrigerant can achieve.

The condenser increases the effectiveness of the refrigerant by continuing to cool it beyond its
saturation temperature. This process, known as subcooling, improves the stability of the
refrigerant. As a result, the refrigerant will be sure to remain a liquid on its continued journey
back to the evaporator coil in your home.

All air conditioners have a pre-determined subcooling limit. As the system ages, however, wear
and tear will make it harder and harder time cooling the refrigerant to this level. Consequently,
your system's efficiency will go down. Fortunately, you can ensure ideal functionality by having
your system regularly serviced and maintained.

Air Conditioning - Heater Core

Heater Core - A small water-to-air radiator-like heat exchanger that provides heat to the cab of
the tractor.

Air Conditioning - Magnetic Clutch

Magnetic Clutch - A coupling device used to turn the compressor on and off electrically.

Air Conditioning - Manifold and Service Valves

Manifold - A device used to hold two or more gauges with fluid passages and flow provisions;
used for testing and servicing purposes.

Service Valves - Special manually operated or Schrader-type valves that allow connecting
gauge hoses to a pressurized system during servicing procedures.

Air Conditioning - Motors and Blowers

Blower - The fan motor in a heater-air conditioning system.
Air Conditioning - Expansion Valve
Expansion Valve - A device that restricts flow of high pressure refrigerant therefore lowering
refrigerant pressure.

Expansion Valve - Diaphram

Air Conditioning - Receiver Drier

Receiver Drier - A device containing a desiccant placed in series, usually in the liquid line, to
absorb and hold excess moisture.
Air Conditioning - Thermostat
Thermostat - A driver-operated device used to cycle the clutch to control the rate of refrigerant
flow as a means of temperature control.