A clear explanation, with diagrams, of how a central air conditioner cools a house by cycling refrigerant through its system. A central air conditioner has a primary appliance such as an air handler or furnace located in an out-of-the-way place such as a basement or attic. This appliance pumps chilled air throughout the house through a system of air ducts—often the same system utilized by a forced-air furnace during the heating season. One or more thermostats in the house turn the cooling system off and on as room temperatures rise and fall. A central AC runs on electricity and removes heat from air with basic refrigeration principles. When the thermostat signals the air-conditioning system to lower air temperature, a whole sequence of events begins. The air-handling unit kicks on, drawing room air in from various parts of the house through return-air ducts. This air is then pulled through a filter, where airborne particles such as dust and lint are removed—in fact, sophisticated filters may remove microscopic pollutants as well.

Then the air is routed to air-supply ductwork that carries it back to the rooms. But how does the evaporator coil get cold in the first place? That is where refrigeration principles come into play. Every air conditioner has three main parts: a condenser, an evaporator, and a compressor. With a typical “split system,” the condenser and the compressor are located in an outdoor unit; the evaporator is mounted in the air-handling unit, which is often a forced-air furnace. With a “package system,” all of the components are combined in a single outdoor unit that may be located on the ground or on the roof.) Refrigerant such as freon circulates through copper tubing that runs between these components. This refrigerant receives and releases heat as it raises and lowers in temperature, changing from liquid to gas back to liquid. The refrigerant is especially cold when it begins to circulate through the indoor coil. As the air handler pushes warm air across the coil, the refrigerant absorbs so much heat from the air that it turns into vapor.

As a vapor, it travels to a compressor that pressurizes it and moves it through the outdoor coil, which jettisons the heat. A fan also helps to dissipate the heat. The refrigerant then passes through an expansion device that converts it to a low-pressure, low-temperature liquid, which returns to the indoor coil. And so the cycle goes. This FREE service will help you find a qualified local AC professional.DUCTWORK AND HOW DOES IT WORK. The importance of ductwork cannot be stressed enough. Wholesale Prom DressesThe ductwork is responsible for distributing the flow of air that is produced by your heating and air conditioning systems to all areas of your home. Ceiling Drapes For BedroomThis process involves unconditioned air entering the system that is running and then sending the newly conditioned air to your home. My Vacuum Cleaner Smoking

The airflow is transferred by a “trunk line” or group of ducts that function as the main supply base throughout the house. Branch ducts literally “branch out” from these trunk lines and extend to the registers which are carefully placed throughout your home. An air conditioning and heating system must have ductwork designed to handle the airflow that must pass through it. It is imperative that the trunk line be designed carefully to evenly distribute the correct amount of air to every register. A common question that often arises is: how can you be sure that the ductwork in your home is adequate for the size of your property. It is essential that a Manual J load calculation is performed by your contractor when your new system is being installed. This will assure that you are receiving the maximum effect from the system and ductwork and that it is running efficiently. You should be aware that the ductwork system in your home is just as important as your heating and cooling equipment.

A ductwork system that is poorly designed can be inefficient resulting in expense for the consumer and premature failure of the equipment. We have created a list of what features you should look for in your ductwork system to make sure it is functioning properly: 1)   Since the building of your home, has the design been changed from the original construction? 2)   Have you had air leakage which would indicate that the duct work was improperly installed? 3)   Do you have return air ducts in every room in the house? 4)  If you switching to a heat pump will you have high returns for summer and low returns for winter? 5)   In recent years, has your heating bill drastically increased? 6)   Do you find that one room is hotter or colder than the rest of the house? Research has shown that many consumer complaints about high energy bills and discomfort are a direct result of poor duct work installation. The other main problem is on conversions to heat pump the existing home walls, windows and attic insulation has not been upgraded for heat pump standards.

It is a fact that air leakage is usually caused by poorly installed duct work which results from not properly sealing the leaks. As air leaks from the duct work, the more energy it needs to cool or heat your home. Air leakage will cause your equipment to run harder to maintain your desired comfort. This, of course, will result in higher energy bills. Ductwork that is not balanced or has faulty adjustments is a typical problem for many homeowners. When the system is not balanced, the correct amount of air will not reach each room and you will be forced to use more energy to keep your home comfortable. An experienced contractor should be able to adjust the ducts so that they will heat and cool each room evenly. Many homes have been designed to have a centrally located air return. This means that when certain doors are closed, the air supply can be cut off and create an unbalanced pressure system. Again, an experienced contractor can rectify this problem by simply installing a return duct in each room that has its own supply duct.