Have you ever sat and wondered what exactly makes your air conditioner work? Your air conditioner is made up of a few different parts that help it run the way its supposed to. Your air conditioners job is to not only cool the air but to monitor air temperature through the thermostat and also control humidity. With the help of the filter, it filters out particulates that are floating through the air. Here’s a list of air conditioner parts and their purpose.
Drain Pan and Drain– Removing humidity from the air creates condensation so it sits in the drain pan before it drains out.
Filter– That helps remove particulates from the air and help your air conditioner run better. They need to be changed each month to make sure the air conditioner is running at its best.
Evaporator– Receives refrigerant.The liquid from the condenser passes through the evaporator where the pressure drops and it is turned into a gas. As its changing to a gas, its extracting heat from the air around it. After this, it returns back to the compressor and starts the process all over again.
Condenser– Facilitates heat transfer. Usually located on the outside unit. It cools the hot pressurized gas after it leaves the compressor. It changes the gas into a liquid before it heads to the evaporator.
Expansion Valve– Regulates refrigerant flow to the evaporator.
Compressor– Pump pressurizes refrigerant. Large electric pump that pressurizes the refrigerant gas during the part of the process to turn it back to liquid. Usually located on the outside unit.
Fan– Its connected to the evaporator and circulates air inside the house to blow across the evaporator fins.
Contactor– A contactor is an electrically controlled switch used to switch on power circuits. Its almost like a relay but has higher power settings. Contactors are controlled by a circuit. The contactor controls the air conditioner. It creates a magnetic field that pulls in a set of contacts to power another device. The magnetic field pulls the plunger to the middle of the contactor and allows it to close. Controls the air conditioners stopping and starting.
These are all important parts of a working air conditioner. Remember to keep up with maintenance so they last long. Bartlett Heating and Air can fix or replace any of these parts and more so call us today!
