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Ten Things Consumers Should Know About Air Conditioning
How
An Air Conditioner Works
Air
conditioning works by pulling the heat out of your home. A
refrigerant, a liquid that absorbs heat and turns into a gas, runs
through a set of pipes called an evaporator coil. Warm air from the
house is blown on these coils, where the heat is absorbed by the
refrigerant and transported outside, where it condenses back into a
liquid and is sent back to the evaporator coil. The cool air that
remains is then circulated throughout the house.
What
A 'Ton' Of Cooling Is
Much
like lighting was once measured in candlepower, cooling is measured
based on the comparison to previous methods of accomplishing the same
task. Before modern air conditioning, cooling was accomplished using
large blocks of ice; a ton of cooling is the amount of cooling that
could be provided by a ton of ice, or approximately 12,000 BTU/hour.
What
Goes Wrong
A
modern air conditioner is a complex system, and any part of that
system that develops a fault impacts the system's ability to cool.
The evaporator coil, the condenser, and any of the motors can fail,
or the refrigerant can leak from the system, and the system will no
longer be able to cool the air adequately.
What
Those Filters Do
Filters
are designed to trap particles of material in the air, like dust or
pollen, to keep them from getting into the system and clogging up the
airflow. The filters need to be replaced once they become overly
clogged with particles, or airflow becomes restricted.
Maintain
The System
Replacing
filters and keeping various coils and vents clean and free of
obstruction can be done by anyone; more complex maintenance requires
professional care. If there is a noticeable drop in the effectiveness
of the system, calling a professional can keep a relatively small
problem (like a frozen coil) from becoming a serious issue (like a
damaged compressor).
Ducts
Matter – A Lot
Air
moves through the system and to the various vents around the house by
means of ducts, and any damage or leak in those ducts means less air
moving through the system. Cool air is effectively lost, flowing into
the attics and crawlspaces and not doing its job in the house.
How
To Increase Energy Efficiency
Anything
that keeps the system from working 100% efficiently means that the
system must use more energy to keep the house cool. This means that
proper maintenance, replacing air filters, keeping ducts in good
condition, and keeping the compressor clear and with plenty of
airflow, will keep energy costs down.
Lighten
Your Load
Anything
that makes the system have to do less work improves its effectiveness
and efficiency. This includes making sure that doors and windows are
sealed properly and closed when the system is working, so that the
system does not have to battle the hot air from outside any more than
necessary. Anything in the house that produces heat can make the
system work harder as well, so keeping electrical appliances off when
not needed can ease the strain on the air conditioner.
Ventilate
The
other purpose of air conditioning is to provide ventilation, to make
sure that the same air isn't just being moved around the house. Most
modern systems are capable of exchanging all of the air in the house
every four hours or less, thus ensuring that we have a steady supply
of fresh air to breathe.
It's
Not the Heat, It's The Humidity
Most
modern systems are able to dehumidify the air to certain degrees, but
only as a side-effect of cooling the air. On overly humid days, the
best solution is to keep humidity in the house to a minimum by
keeping doors and windows closed as much as possible and using
exhaust fans when doing anything that would generate humidity in the
house, such as showering. In extreme cases, it may be necessary to
purchase a standalone dehumidifier.
You
can read more about this article on ASHRAE's website:
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