If you have an air conditioning system in your home or commercial property, it’s handy to know how it works. This will help you appreciate how it heats and cools your air and how you could get more from it. It can also help you decide if you need climate control if you haven’t got it already.
To help you get your head around the essentials, here’s your guide to how air conditioning works.
How does air conditioning work?
Air conditioning works by transferring heat out of and into your property. If your air conditioning is in cooling mode, it’ll remove the heat in the air from your building or room and disperse it outside. If it’s in heating mode, it will warm up air and distribute it around your property.
Air conditioning systems use a refrigerant to transfer heat in and out of the air. When it’s in its liquid state the refrigerant absorbs heat, and when it’s in its gas state it releases it.
When air passes over coils that have been in contact the refrigerant, heat travels between the two. Whether the air is warmed up or cooled down depends on whether the refrigerant is in gas or liquid form.
What parts make up an air conditioning system?
The main part of an air conditioning system is the pipes, which carry the refrigerant between the indoor and outdoor units in a split or multi-split system. These connect to coils where heat is transferred between the refrigerant and the air.
Air conditioning systems also include a compressor, which keeps the refrigerant moving around the pipes. There are fans that keep air moving over the coils and in and out of your property, and an evaporator that dehumidifies the air.
Internal air conditioning units come with a thermostat, so you can program your air conditioning to pump out the right temperature air.
How to ensure your air conditioning works well
If you’ve got an air conditioning system, it’s important to look after it. A build up of dirt in your climate control can stop it working efficiently, meaning that it’ll cost you more to power and be less effective. Plus, a dirty system can be a serious health hazard.
Make sure your air conditioning works well by getting it serviced regularly. We’d recommend at least once a year for home air conditioning and twice a year for commercial systems. Find out more about the benefits of servicing your air conditioning here.
Want to get more advice about whether air conditioning could benefit your property? Or need help looking after your climate control?
