During the long, hot summers in south Texas, you need an air conditioner that is dependable and efficient. Knowing how your air conditioner does the job can help you make sure it’s running the way it should and spot problems before they become costly issues.
Your split air-conditioning system has two main components: the air handler, which is inside your home, and the condenser, which is outside. The parts in these two units work together to keep you comfortable throughout the cooling season. Here’s a look at how your air conditioner does the job:
- In the air handler, warm air is drawn across the evaporator coil, which contains liquid refrigerant. As the refrigerant absorbs the heat, it becomes warmer, eventually becoming a gas.
- The refrigerant gas moves into the condenser outside your home, where the compressor condenses the gas and raises its temperature to the boiling point. The heat is then released through the top of the outside unit.
- As it cools again, the refrigerant becomes a liquid. It returns to the air handler, where it can pick up more heat from your home.
Your air conditioner, of course, is a system. And as such, it requires ductwork to draw and deliver the air throughout your home.
Although most air conditioners run efficiently and reliably, you can do your part to ensure that your unit keeps you nice and cool. Here are some things that you can do.
- Schedule an annual preseason tune-up by an HVAC-system professional.
- Check the air filter regularly, and change it as soon as it begins to look clogged.
- Make sure the outside unit is free of vegetation and obstructions. The supply and return-air registers in your home should be free of obstructions, as well.
If you live in the Coastal Bend area and have concerns about your air conditioner’s performance, contact the experts at CCAC for answers. We have been offering affordable home-comfort solutions to homeowners throughout the area for more than 30 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air conditioner maintenance and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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The post Your Air Conditioner Is Keeping You Nice and Cool — But Do You Know How It Does the Job? appeared first on CCAC Blog for Home Comfort Solutions.
