How air conditioners work. All air conditioners have nearly the same major components and operate on the same principles. Some of the central air conditioners components are located inside the house and others are located outside the house. Window and wall mounted air conditioner components are located in a single container.

Many people have air conditioners in their homes, but few people truly understand the basics behind how air conditioners work. They know enough to switch them on and set the temperature at the level they desire, but really know little about the components that make the unit cool their homes. An air conditioner regulates the heat and cold in your house by controlling the humidity and temperature in each room, but do you know how it does this? Whether you are shopping for a new air conditioner or interested in learning about the one you have, the best place to start is with the general terms used to explain the function of an air conditioner unit.

First and most important, what is a BTU? A BTU or British thermal unit is the worldwide measurement for energy. In layman's terms it is the amount of heat that is needed to raise a pound of water by one degree of temperature. When you hear someone talk about BTUs in air conditioner ratings they are talking about the amount of heat a unit can remove from a standard sized room. The higher the BTU rating the bigger, more expensive, and heavier the air conditioner is. While many people think that bigger is better, when it comes to air conditioning that is not always the case. It is more important to correctly match the size of a room with the required amount of BTUs. Having too many or too few for the room's size decreases efficiency and actually hinders the unit from doing its job.

The Basic Components and Operation:

Most all air conditioning units have the same basic components and operate the same way. Briefly, an air conditioner consists of a compressor, compressor motor, evaporator, evaporator fan, coils and the chasse or container that houses the two basic units (compressor and evaporator). The basic cycle for an air conditioner is as follows. Liquid gas (Freon) is pumped from the reservoir to the evaporator where the liquid Freon changes state to a gas in a series of coils as the gas changes state from a liquid to a gas. The evaporator fan moves air across the cold coils which allow fresh cool air to cool the room. The now warm gas (Freon) is pumped back to the compressor where the warm gas goes through another series of coils for cooling and then compressed back into a liquid again and the cycle starts over. Of course there are several other components that control the gas and air. Knowing and understanding what components an air conditioner unit consists of will help you better understand how air conditioners work.

Evaporator: The evaporator is where the Freon changes state from a liquid to a gas as the fan passes air over the evaporator coils to provide cooling.
Expansion valve: The expansion valve is located in the evaporator and determines the rate the liquid Freon changes state in the evaporator. This rate of change is critical for the efficient operation of the unit.
Fan: The fan in an air conditioner works like every other fan. Its sole job is to move the air. When it comes to air conditioners an adjustable thermostat combined with an adjustable speed fan, makes the unit very efficient. In an air conditioning unit you want to look for a unit that has louvers that adjust up and down and right and left. If your unit is a central air conditioner there are two fans, one in the evaporator which sets inside the building and another in the outside chasse.
Air filter: Filters takes the dirt out of the air that passes over the evaporator coils. Air is surprisingly dirty and having a filter to clean the air so you can get the most efficient work from your air conditioner. Because clean air is so important to the operation and maintenance of your unit, it is important to change or clean your filters regularly.
Thermostat: A thermostat is the device used to regulate temperature. Thermostats are heat sensing and therefore able to regulate the output of the air conditioner based on the level of heat in a room. You can get thermostats that are manual or programmable, depending on your needs. If you can get an adjustable thermostat and a variable speed fan, your air conditioning unit will be very efficient.

Understanding of how an air conditioning works makes it a lot easier to find a unit that fits your needs and understand the most efficient ways to run it. Air conditioners come in many different sizes for different uses. The best air conditioner is one that most efficiently cools the desired space. Whatever the size, all air conditioners operate on the same basic principles and consist of the same basic components whether they are window air conditioners or central air conditioners.

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