Air Conditioning Units Also Provide Heating
The modern air conditioning unit is a complex mechanical system that depends on a wide variety of conditions to function properly. It’s important that the unit is sized for your home, that it has the right capacity and that it can meet your indoor humidity and temperature demands.
In addition to cooling, home air conditioners also condition and dehumidify the air. This is important because excess moisture can lead to mold and mildew problems in the home, especially when it’s combined with high temperatures. In fact, one of the most common reasons people purchase a new air conditioning system is to address these problems.
Whether you want to dehumidify or cool your home, more information about Air Conditioning has a solution that’s right for you. Our experts will help you determine which type of unit is best suited to your needs, including your family’s heating and cooling requirements, desired energy efficiency and budget.
Can Air Conditioning Units Also Provide Heating?
The first air conditioning units were designed to reduce humidity at a Brooklyn printing company back in 1902. However, they didn’t become popular until the 1930s and 1940s, when they started showing up in high-end homes. By the 1950s, they had spread to middle-class homes as well.
Air conditioning is a complex process that relies on chemicals to transfer heat from inside your home to the outdoors. These chemicals, called refrigerants, are guided through a series of coils that are connected to each other in a closed system. These coils are responsible for converting the chemicals from a gas to a liquid and back again.
The air conditioner’s compressor and condenser coils are typically located in the outdoor unit of your air conditioning system. The coils on the condenser are covered with metal fins, similar to a car radiator. These fins dissipate heat much more efficiently than bare metal. As the working fluid in the compressor moves to the condenser, it becomes very hot due to the pressure from the system’s compressor. This heat causes the refrigerant to change from a gas to a liquid.
After it passes through the condenser, the working fluid enters the evaporator coils. These coils are coated in aluminum. They are designed to evaporate the liquid back into a gas, which takes the heat with it and transfers it to the outside air. The cooled air is then pushed through your home’s ductwork.
The air conditioner’s control panel is the part of your home’s HVAC system that switches heating and cooling on and off as needed. It uses different types of sensors to measure temperatures and actuate control operations. These sensors are either mechanical, using bimetallic strips that convert a change in temperature into mechanical displacement, or electronic, using semiconductor devices to process a temperature change as an electric signal that triggers a change in the air conditioner’s operation. Heat pumps, which use the same basic chemical cycle as air conditioning but can reverse the flow of refrigerant to provide heating, are another option for your home’s HVAC system.
