Air conditioning is essential here in Baton Rouge and across south Louisiana. So, for those of you who don’t want to take your AC unit for granted, here’s a bit of info to help you understand how heating and cooling a home works.
Notice there is no ducting traveling from your air conditioner outside, to inside your home. So where exactly does the cool air come from?
How An AC Unit Works
Home air conditioning happens not by blowing cold air into the house, but by removing heat energy from your home. Air is pulled from the home via the fan motor in your furnace (or air handler). The warm air is then forced through the indoor coil, which contains chilled refrigerant. The refrigerant absorbs heat energy out of the air (which cools it). The heated refrigerant is pumped out to the air conditioner where the refrigerant is compressed. Compressing the refrigerant releases the heat energy into the outside air!
The air conditioner in a central heating and cooling system provides cool air through ductwork inside your home, by providing a process that draws out the warm air inside, removing its heat. In a split system, the compressor condenses and circulates the refrigerant through the outdoor unit, changing it from a gas to a liquid. The liquid is then forced through the indoor evaporator coil or cooling compartment. The indoor unit’s fan circulates the inside air to pass across the evaporator fins. The evaporator’s metal fins exchange the thermal energy with the air around it. There, the refrigerant turns from liquid into vapor, removing any heat from the surrounding air. As the heat is removed from the air, the air is cooled and blown back into the house.
From that point, the condenser or outdoor unit then turns the refrigerant vapor back into a liquid, removing any heat. By the time the fluid leaves the evaporator again, it is a cool, low-pressure gas, eventually returning to the condenser to begin its trip all over again. This process continues again and again until your home reaches the cooling temperature you want, as programmed and sensed by your thermostat setting.
Air Conditioning Efficiency
The efficiency of an air conditioner is measured by a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) which indicates how much power is required to cool a certain space. However, the efficiency of your air conditioner isn’t the only factor. The efficiency of the fan motor, ducting and the quality of the installation all weigh in to dictate overall cooling efficiency.
Trane® Quality
We have chosen to build our solutions on the solid foundation of Trane® equipment, as they align with our commitment of offering our customers the highest quality air conditioning solutions in Baton Rouge.
