How Does Air Conditioning Work

Spring is here, and that means summer is just beyond the horizon. As temperatures start to increase, the only relief from a hot summer’s day (and night) will be your air conditioner. If your AC unit is exhibiting signs of trouble, or if you can’t remember the last time you scheduled an air conditioner tune up, contact an AC repair company in Jacksonville right away to make sure your air conditioner is in tip-top shape and ready for the upcoming season. This article looks at the inner workings of your AC unit so you know what’s going on “behind the scenes” when cold air is blowing out of your air ducts.

Phase Conversion

Air conditioners take advantage of a remarkable physical law to chill indoor air: Phase conversion. In this process, a liquid absorbs heat when it is converted into a gas. Air conditioners exploit this feature of phase conversion by forcing special chemical compounds (refrigerants) to evaporate and condense over and over again in a closed system of coils. When hot air flows over the cold evaporator coils, the refrigerant absorbs heat as it changes from a liquid to a gas. A compressor and a second set of coils cools down the gas to convert the refrigerant back to a liquid, where the process starts all over again.

Performance Ratings

The capacity of an air conditioner is rated in British thermal units (BTUs). One BTU is the amount of heat necessary to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. The efficiency rating of an AC unit is expressed as EER and is the air conditioner’s BTU rating over its wattage. An air conditioning contractor in Jacksonville can help you size the right AC for your household and choose the most energy-efficient unit.