Everything You Need to Know about Air Conditioner Components

Air conditioners are like orchestras. They have many parts that work together to produce the desired result. You may not be aware that your air conditioner has multiple components. You'll discover a complex web of interconnected components to your air conditioner components if you dig deeper.

What do they look like? What is their role? What is their role? Let's find the answer!

What are the main parts of an air conditioner?

An air conditioning system consists of four main components. These are the compressor, condenser, and expansion valve. Each component of an air conditioner functions in harmony with the others and has a specific job: to keep your conditioner running like a well-oiled machine.

1 - Evaporator Coil

The evaporator coil in a mini-split system is located in an indoor unit. In a central system, it is in the air handler. The refrigerant that flows through the system is chilled to a low temperature before entering the evaporator coils. The evaporator coils then remove heat from the indoor air and cool it down. The cool air is then blown back in by fans behind the coil, reducing the temperature.

These coils are made mainly from copper, but they can also be made from steel or aluminum. Copper is the best choice as it is more thermally efficient, easier to work with, and easy to maintain.

Keep your coils clean. Over time, dust and dirt can build up and decrease their efficiency. A buildup of dust and dirt can cause leakage. The air filter protects the coils, but yearly cleaning is recommended to keep them in good condition.

2 - Compressor

The compressor is perhaps an essential component of any air conditioner. The compressor is located in both central and split systems. The compressor is the main component of an air conditioner's energy use. It is also the most costly part of the system.

As the name implies, the compressor's purpose is to compress the refrigerant is usually a warm vapor passing through the compressor and then becomes a hot, compressed liquid that is then cooled and expanded to remove heat from indoor air is covered in more detail later in this article.

The size of your compressor will depend on how big it is. Keep your most important AC component in good health by regularly checking for refrigerant leaks and clean condenser coils.

3 - Condenser Coil

The condenser coil is the opposite of the evaporator. It pulls heat from the refrigerant and then ejects it into the environment can find it in your outdoor unit.

The condenser coil's evaporator coil operates in the opposite direction, with heat being blown away by a fan. You will feel hot air blowing from your outdoor unit of the air conditioner if you stand outside it. This heat is what the condenser releases during the conversion of the refrigerant to hot vapor from a hot liquid.

4 - Expansion Valve

An expansion valve is a small device that sits between the condenser & evaporator. The refrigerant will not absorb heat because it is now a liquid. After being dropped in pressure, the refrigerant is rapidly cooled and expands to gas. The refrigerant is then cooled to a gaseous state and goes into the evaporator coils, continuing the air conditioning process.

What is the Interaction of Air Conditioner Components?

You now have a basic understanding of the main components of air conditioners. It is important to understand how they interact with one another.

Let's begin with the cooling cycle. The compressor compresses the refrigerant and turns it into a hot, high-pressure liquid. The liquid flows towards the condenser coils, where it is cooled with the aid of a large fan. The expansion valve expands the refrigerant rapidly and converts it into a low-pressure, cool gas that cools your room. The evaporator coils accomplish this. The coils become cold, and the indoor unit fan blows warm indoor air over them to reduce the temperature. It was so simple!

What are the Other AC Unit Components?

These are the major components of an AC unit, but there are many more.

• A Filter for Air

The filter acts as a screen mesh and keeps dirt, dust, and other airborne particles out of the air conditioner. It is located inside the indoor unit.

• Refrigerant

You might have heard of refrigerant before, but you may be curious what it is. It is the substance responsible for cooling the room. It is contained within an air conditioner's copper or steel tube network and has certain properties that allow it to be compressed or expanded to cool or heat a space.

R-410A is a common refrigerant, while R-22 is gradually becoming obsolete. For more information, see our article AC refrigerants.

• Fan

The fan moves the air from one component to the next and blows your conditioned air into your room. A fan is also necessary to keep your outdoor unit from heating up by blowing away the heat.

• Thermostat

The thermostat maintains your desired indoor temperature. The thermostat is where you tell your AC unit your preferred cooling temperature. It then switches the AC on/off to maintain the ideal indoor temperature. It has temperature and humidity sensors built-in so it can read the temperature of your room.

Smart thermostats are programmable and can be controlled from your smartphone. You can also set intelligent commands like geofencing or schedules can use Smart AC controllers to control ducted AC units such as mini-splits or window units. They work just like thermostats for central systems.

• Common Problems with Air Conditioner Components

We all know that mechanical equipment doesn't always want to work perfectly for an indefinite time.

Air conditioner parts can have common problems that could cause them to stop functioning or reduce their effectiveness.

There are many possible solutions to these problems. These are some of the most common:

• AC - Smells like AC

• Blockage of the air filter

• Leakage of water from the indoor unit

• Refrigerant Problem: Cold air is not coming out of the AC.

• AC making loud noises

These problems can cause inconveniences, as well as higher energy bills. These problems should be fixed immediately by a professional.

This knowledge will help you better understand your AC's components. You will be able to identify any problems and when it is time for a tune-up. Knowledge is power, after all!