Understanding How Your Split System Air Conditioner Works
If you install a split system air conditioner, some components will be put inside your house and others outside in the garden. The whole system will be split in this way when it is set up. It can be helpful during the installation to have an understanding of how these pieces connect and work together. Here's an overview.
Inside Your Home: The Evaporator
The part you'll probably see most often is the evaporator, the indoor component of the system, which is either mounted on the wall or the floor of the room being cooled. This part of the system produces the result, which is the cold air that flows out for you to enjoy.
The air is sucked into a chamber, where it's drawn over cold coils filled with refrigerant. The air then flows out the other end of the chamber, colder than before. You may wonder how the air is cooler when it flows out. As the air flows over the coils, the heat transfers from the air to the refrigerant.
Outside in Your Yard: The Condenser
The other half of the split system can be found outside your house. The indoor and outdoor parts are connected by narrow pipes filled with refrigerant, which moves between them in continuous circuits.
The refrigerant absorbs the warmth inside via the evaporator unit (as explained) and then releases it outside via the condenser. The condenser has a fan that blows air over the coils. The heat they previously absorbed is now released into the air and blown away. If you walk near the outdoor unit, you can see the coils, hear the fan, and feel the heat it gives off. The unit needs space around it so it can do this job properly. The best placement can be discussed during your air conditioning installation.
Hidden From View: The Refrigerant-Filled Coils
The refrigerant is the vehicle that transports heat from the air inside to the outside, as it can absorb and release heat. Other parts of the system help it function in this way. The compressor turns the refrigerant from a gas into a liquid so that it can release its heat to the outside.
When it moves through the coils inside, on the other hand, the refrigerant is given space to expand and turn into a gas, which helps it absorb heat. Think of the coil circuit as a train line that loops from an airport to a city, constantly picking up passengers from the airport and dropping them off in the city. The air conditioner absorbs the heat in one place and releases it in another.
The clever thing about reverse-cycle systems is that they can also work in the other direction. In heating mode, they take the heat from outside and release it into your rooms.
Contact a local air conditioning installation service to learn more.