We rely on our HVAC system to provide us with climate control in our indoor spaces. These systems work to heat or cool our spaces in order to keep us comfortable and to protect us from outdoor weather conditions.
So, how does air conditioning and heating work in a house?
How does central cooling work?
Air conditioners function by taking heat and humidity from your home and releasing it outside, to ultimately drop the temperature in your home. In order to complete this process, all parts of the central cooling system must work together.
Central cooling process
Central cooling kicks off when a thermostat senses that the temperature in your home needs to be changed. In the case of central cooling, the thermostat will alert your cooling unit that the temperature needs to drop, and all parts will work simultaneously to get your home to your desired temperature. Once the systems are alerted, they take these steps to cool your home:
- A fan from the indoor portion of your AC moves room temperature hot air out of your home.
- This air is filtered, so dust, lint and debris are taken out
- The filtered, hot air is blown over the evaporator coil, a portion of your air conditioner that gets filled with liquid refrigerant. The evaporator coil absorbs the heat from the air, which turns the refrigerant into a gas.
- The newly cooled air is pumped back into your home via ducts.
- While that cool air is being put into your home, the heat that was recently absorbed needs a place to go, too. So, the heated, gaseous refrigerant passes through a copper tube into the outdoor portion of your air conditioner.
- The refrigerant is put into the compressor, which pressurizes the gas and sends it to the condenser coil.
- The condenser coil releases the heat that used to be in your home from the refrigerant, turning it back into a liquid.
- The process starts again.
How does central heating work
Central heating systems can work in the same general way as central cooling systems by moving air around to change the temperature in your home. Instead of moving hot air out, central heating systems move hot air in to get your home to your desired temperature, but keep in mind this isn’t always the case. Depending on which central heating system you own, your HVAC device might actually be producing its own heat.
Central heating process
All central heating processes start the same way central cooling processes do: a thermostat registers the temperature and kicks off the HVAC system.
Heat pumps have the same parts as a split-system air conditioner and work in the same way when they’re needed for cooling. When the temperature drops and a heat pump needs to provide heat, the process essentially reverses itself.
Once a heat pump registers the function shift, a reversing valve in the outdoor unit kicks on. This allows the heat pump to absorb heat energy from the outside air and transfer it into the home to warm it up, instead of taking heat from the home and putting it outside to cool it down. The reversing valve is never something that the homeowner needs to touch; the heat pump knows to switch functions on its own!
Air Conditioning Unit Repair and Service in Cleveland, TX
In Texas, our air conditioning works extra hard to provide us with cool air for most of the year. If your air conditioning unit is pushing warm air through your system or your fan doesn’t blow cold air when you turn it on, you may be in need of an air conditioning repair.
Additionally, if you have not had your HVAC system inspected and serviced in the last 12 months, you are overdue for a tune-up. This routine maintenance will include a full inspection of your indoor unit, ductwork, and outdoor unit.
If you want an air conditioner that is reliable all summer long, reach out to the team at Arrow Comfort for all of your air conditioning and heating needs.
About Arrow Comfort AC and Heating
Arrow Comfort LLC has over 20 years of experience providing quality HVAC services to Cleveland, Dayton, Liberty Texas, and surrounding areas. We specialize in affordable air conditioning and heating service, repairs, and installations. Our team of HVAC technicians work in both residential and commercial settings to help you gain climate control of your home or business. Reach out to us today to learn more about our air conditioning system and heating services.
Arrow Comfort LLC
2508 FM 1725,
Cleveland, TX 77328
832-579-6487
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