BUYING GUIDE FOR AIR CONDITIONER : Parts & Components
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Air conditioner parts enable you to enjoy cool air on a hot summer day. To keep your air conditioner in top shape, it is important that you know the different parts and how they work. The following will provide a list of parts to help you understand your air conditioner better.
Parts & Components
Compressor
This is an electric pump that acts as the heart of any ACand circulates the refrigerant in a closed loop between the condenser and evaporator coils. Compressors come in more than one variety. A reciprocating compressor is more trouble-prone than a scroll-type one. The latter -type compressors are higher in efficiency and quieter than reciprocating compressors.
- Heart of any AC
- Pumps and circulates the refrigerant
Condenser Coil
Condenser coil is generally a liquid refrigerant. This refrigerant is used to remove heat from the heated gas and converts the refrigerant into a liquid form again. The excess heat escapes into the outside air.
- Mostly a network of tubes filled with refrigerant liquid
- Facilitates heat exchange between hot air and cold air
Evaporator
An evaporator’s job is exactly opposite of that of the condenser. The evaporator absorbs heat from the warmer air to boil the refrigerant liquid, thereby absorbing heat out of the room’s air. While the compressor and condenser are usually located on the outer side of the air conditioner, the evaporator is normally located on the inner side of the AC.
- Absorbs heat from room air
- Placed on the inner side of an AC
Air Handling Unit
This is the component including the fan system, which mechanically throws away heat out of the AC. In split AC models, it’s the outdoor unit that does this job.
- It extricates heat from AC
- Designed with a fan system to throw away heat
Air Filters
To ensure better health and hygiene, today’s air conditioners feature air filter elements to trap dust, pollen and other airborne particles as air moves through the air conditioning system. Air filters contribute to both reliable air conditioner operation and health.
- They filter out dust, pollen and bacteria
- Ensure health and hygiene
Drainage System & Pan
Whether dehumidifying or simply during the normal condensation process, an air conditioner produces a significant amount of water as a by-product. In a split AC system, there is a primary system of pipes, often made of PVC, that carry this condensed water to the outside of the building. Air conditioners should have an emergency drain pan in case the primary drain lines stop up.
- Collects water while the AC runs in dehumidifying mode
- Required for emergencies too