how an Air Conditioner works

Ever stood for while starring at an air conditioner and wonder what is going on inside that cabinets, how it works? Its realy not complicated as it works in a similar way as a refrigerator with similar components.



The air conditioner, be it a split, industrial or window a.c, has a compressor, condenser, expansion valve, evaporator just like a refrigerator but the a.c also have a blower (fan) located behind the evaporator and another behind the condenser, and it also have a furnace for heating the room.

see also how a refrigertor works

so here is how the air conditioner works; the compressor helps to compress the gaseous refrigerant to a high pressure and also raises the temperature. The compressor also pumps the gas into the condenser which is located outside the room exposed to the surrounding air. The condenser have metal fins around it and also a fan which help to blow of the heat in the refrigerant there changing the phase of the refrigerant from gas to liquid.

The cooled liquid refrigerant the flow into the evaporator at low temperature via the expansion valve which helps to lower it pressure, it is then turn back into cold gas, while fan helps to blow away and circulates the cold air from the refrigerant. Cold air are more dense and heavier than hot air, its tend to settle below the hot air which is then sucked out via the duct on the a.c. The gaseous refrigerant then flows back into the compressor at low temperature and low pressure. And the cycle continues again.