An air conditioner: Introduction
An air conditioner, also known as an ac unit, is an appliance that removes heat from the air and circulates it throughout a home. It can be a relatively simple device that can be installed into your window or a complex HVAC system that requires professional installation and involves multiple components.
The Importance of a Good AC Unit
A good AC unit should provide the following:
Cooling
An excellent air conditioner will cool your room quickly, delivering a refreshing breeze to you and your family while lowering energy bills. The efficiency of an AC depends on several factors, including the capacity of the unit and how it is designed to operate.
Choosing the Right AC Unit
Getting an AC that's right for your home is crucial to having a comfortable space and avoiding costly repairs in the future. It's also important to know which type of AC you need and what features are available to help save money and time on maintenance.
Key Components of an Air Conditioning System
The compressor and condenser are two of the most essential parts of an air conditioning system. The compressor is responsible for pushing the refrigerant through the coils, which cools the air and removes the humidity from it. The condenser removes the heat from the refrigerant, and this heat is transferred to the outside air through a series of pipes and ducts.
How an Air Conditioner Works
An ac unit is comprised of three key parts: the compressor, the condenser, and the evaporator. The compressor squeezes the refrigerant into a low-pressure gas, forcing it to move through a minuscule, narrow passage that has metal fins lining the inside of it. This helps the fluid move faster and reduces its temperature, which forces it to evaporate into a liquid form.What happens to this fluid after it leaves the compressor is something that's pretty common knowledge for anyone who's ever worked with a car's radiator. It goes through a minuscule opening that's smaller than a grain of sand, and the pressure is so high that the refrigerant changes from a gas to a liquid. This changes the molecular structure of the refrigerant, making it easier for the liquid to evaporate.Once in the evaporator, the liquid changes back into a gas again as the pressure goes down. This makes the refrigerant much cooler, which in turn causes it to absorb more of the heat that's inside the air. Then, the cool air from the evaporator is pumped back into your room through a blower.
Additional Features to Consider
Noise Level
A cheap air conditioner may be noisy, but a mid-range or high-end unit will be quieter. This is often due to the fact that a mid-range or high-end AC is made with newer technology and has a dual or single inverter mechanism inside.
Sleep Mode
The sleep mode option on a good air conditioner will scale back cooling from its initial setting, saving you money and eliminating the cycling noise that can wake you up in the middle of the night. It's best to check with your local dealer or a manufacturer to find out what sleep modes are available on the air conditioner you're considering.
