Here’s something that might surprise you: An air conditioner (or refrigerator for that matter) doesn’t create cold air. Instead, it removes heat from the air and makes it colder. While you may feel like that is a distinction without a difference, Kotz Heating, Cooling and Plumbing thinks it’s important to know the process of how heat is removed from your Waterford, MI or Oxford, MI home to make it cool and comfortable.
MUCH MORE THAN COOLING
While the cooled air, with the heat removed, is what we all enjoy about air conditioning, it is just one of four distinct functions your AC performs:
Removing Heat:
The refrigerant in your HVAC system is always circulating in a closed loop. First it chills the indoor evaporator coil. As household air flows across the coil, heat is transferred to the refrigerant which then flows to the warm condenser coil in the outdoor compressor. There, the heat is released into the outside air and the cycle is repeated until the air conditioning has cooled the home to the desired temperature. NOTE: Dirty coils quickly become less efficient at transferring heat. This is one reason why regular maintenance is so vital.
Moving the air:
Making the air cool doesn’t do any good if it can’t be distributed throughout the house. That’s why a fan circulates the air from your home through a vent and blows it over the cold evaporator coil. The cooled air is then blown through your ducts, so it reaches every room in the house.
Removing moisture:
You know the summers in Waterford, MI and Oxford, MI can be very humid. That’s because warm or hot air holds more moisture. When your AC cools the air, moisture is released. This is why your air conditioner has a drain pan to catch the condensation. The water is then drained or pumped outside the home. NOTE: The condensate drain requires regular maintenance. A blocked drain can quickly cause water damage.
Cleaning the air:
The air moving throughout the house passes through an HVAC filter. This removes particles from the air protecting your expensive air conditioner from damage caused by dust and dirt. More importantly, filtering makes the air you breathe cleaner and healthier. NOTE: Regular filter changes are the best way to protect your system and make it last longer. Always use high quality filters.
DON’T PUT UP WITH A HOT HOUSE
If the AC is having trouble keeping your Waterford, MI or Oxford, MI home cool this summer, call Kotz Heating, Cooling and Plumbing now to make an appointment. Life is too short to put up with uncomfortable living conditions. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more great HVAC information like this.
