Have you ever thought about how your air conditioner works? Or if it works properly? Most of us know that warm air enters the unit and then cool air comes out into the house. But the process of how this works is a mystery to many. The system works with two important components called coils. Without the coils working properly, the air conditioner could not efficiently keep your home or business cool.
What is an air conditioner coil?
The two coils in most air conditioners are the evaporator coil and the condenser coil. Both have similar functions but are set up to serve different objectives. Your air conditioning system contains a complex set of pipes through which a special chemical refrigerant is pumped. The refrigerant is a fluid that easily converts into a gaseous state, then back into a liquid which makes heat transfer possible. It is the vehicle used to carry the heat in your home to the outside and results in a chilly breeze coming from your air vents. There are two primary sides to your air conditioner: the outdoor unit and the indoor, and both handle the flow of refrigerant.
Most people think of a coil as a metal spring within the mattress, but it works differently in your air conditioner. An air conditioner coil consists of a series of small copper pipes that circulate refrigerant in such a way as to maximize surface area through attached fins.
The evaporator coil is part of the inside unit and the condenser coil is positioned outside. The evaporator coil is where the refrigerant moves from high to low pressure, causing a rapid temperature change. As air is pumped over the now-cold coil, its temperature is also reduced and it is blown out into the living space. What essentially happens is that the coil removes the heat from your home, absorbed by the refrigerant. The condenser coil then re-liquefies the refrigerant, releasing the heat which is radiated through the exterior coil and expelled to the outdoors with a large fan.
What Are Signs Of A Leak?
There are a few ways to show if you have a problem with your AC. If your cooling system takes longer than usual to cool your home, that may be the first sign to a refrigerant leak. The air conditioning unit works harder to cool the air and you may notice the air coming out of the registers is not as cold as usual.
When you change the temperature in the home, your cooling system should work immediately, if you experience a long delay, it’s time to call in your HVAC specialist.
Cooling systems do not run low on refrigerant unless there is a leak. Refilling the system with more refrigerant won’t solve the real problem.Replacing the entire coil is the usual procedure if your air conditioner indicates a leak by blowing warm air or taking much longer to cool the house than usual.
Regularly maintaining your air conditioning unit is important. Filter out pet hair, pollen, dust, and dander by changing the filter regularly. This will keep your air moving efficiently and make the system last longer. Also, contact a technician a few times a year to inspect the evaporator coil and clean it. We can give you answers to almost any question like “what is an air conditioner coil?” so call us or click on our contact page and we’ll get to work on your HVAC needs.
Hammock’s AC is proud to serve the local communities of Cartersville, Rosewell, Crabapple, Alpharetta, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs. Call today!
