Mechanical Air Conditioners - Part II - Air Conditioner Parts

Summary

This article on air conditioner parts is an expansion of "Part I - Operating Principle". It provides simple information on main, auxiliary, and control elements that make up a functional mechanical AC.

Part II of Mechanical Air Conditioners' article is here!

This article is an extension to "Mechanical Air Conditioners - Part I - Operating Principle", and I will be talking about AC parts used in mechanical air conditioners.

Air conditioner parts that we put into a mechanical AC, should conform to the operating principle. Air conditioning parts for this type of equipment are divided into three categories. The,

• main and compulsory parts. This category is mandatory, otherwise, a mechanical air conditioner will not function at all

• the support parts, to ensure that the air conditioning equipment last long, and function effectively, and,

• the control parts, for improving efficiency of the equipment, and maintaining your comfort and bills - at optimum level

Main air conditioner parts

There are six parts in this category. Let's explore them one by one,

• The compressor

  Used for compressing refrigerant into high pressure gas into the condenser, and pulling in low pressure gas from the evaporator. The high pressure and low pressure is created by the compressor.

  Common compressors used are piston type, scroll, and rotary compressors

• Condenser and evaporator

  These are simple finned heat exchangers. These air conditioner parts, are formed using a serpentine shaped copper (or aluminium) tube, with aluminium fins.

  Although the functions are different, the operating principle of these parts is the same. To encourage heat exchange between the refrigerant and air.

  Condenser will function to liquefy high pressure refrigerant. Evaporator will function to completely boil low pressure refrigerant, into low pressure gas

• Expansion device

  Common expansion devices are either capillary tube, OR thermostatic expansion valve. The function is to allow pressure build up from the compressor, and allow for refrigerant to expand into low pressure zone. This air conditioning part will also allow for boiling to start

• Tube

  Tubes are air conditioner parts that has no moving parts. The main function is to direct refrigerant flow, and contain refrigerant within the AC. Common tube material is either copper, or aluminium

• Refrigerant

  Air conditioners would not be able to cool, or heat anything without a refrigerant. Therefore, this part is essential. Refrigerant is used for absorbing (at evaporator), and expelling (at condenser) heat.

  Common refrigerant type used in mechanical ACs are the HCFC (hydro-chloro-fluoro-carbon), and HFC (hydro-fluoro-carbon)

• Fans and blowers

  Fans are placed at the condenser, and blowers are placed at the evaporator - to aid heat exchange. Blowers will also provide better air circulation within your house - and these supply with cool air to you, from the evaporator

Support air conditioning parts

These are conditioner parts provide the protection to the main parts, such that those will last long, and operate reliably. The list,

• Filter dryer receiver

  Functions to filter small particles from the compressor, remove moisture within the refrigerant, and in some cases, acts as a receiver to supply full liquid column (without bubbles) to the expansion valve.

  It is placed before the expansion valve, and after the compressor

• Filters

  What more can I say. Air conditioner filters will prevent dust, and other particles from clogging up the evaporator. Of course, you'll have to clean or replace it periodically

• Tube insulation

  Is the simplest air conditioning part and utilised in refrigerant return line. This part will prevent icing, and condensation on the refrigerant return line.

  Essentially, it will keep the refrigerant from evaporator cold, and allow for better cooling of compressor. Additionally, you'll save on utility bills

• Muffler

  As the sound deadening air conditioner part, placed at the outlet line of the compressor

• Casing

  Well, to make sure you can transport main sections (condensing unit and evaporating unit) in simple packages, and used to protect sensitive and main air conditioner parts

Control AC parts

These air conditioner parts are more like the "essential accessories" for any mechanical air conditioner. Here we go,

• Thermostat and humidistat

  The former AC part is used for controlling the temperature, and the latter for controlling the humidity. Thermostat is used in ALL ACs, but not humidistat. However, the inclusion of humidistat into the system in conjunction with thermostat is common in central ACs

• Contactor

  Is and electrical component used to control the switching on, and off of compressors, fans, and blowers.

• Dampers

  Dampers are used in central ACs, to control flow of air, such that you'll get the right comfort from the air conditioning equipment. Dampers is almost vital in central ACs, as it is difficult to balance heat gain and loss requirement in each room - from a single condensing-evaporating central unit

Hope you've got the general idea of what are the general air conditioner parts in any mechanical air conditioning equipment. You can also read on the details in this page.

TS Mohamed Rasied,
Provides information on air conditioners and air conditioning in her site,
http://www.air-conditioner-selection.com/
by subscription on this page

Portable Single Room Air Conditioner Models Offer Versatility

Most houses today are built with central air. Those that don't have it, tend to have at least a window unit. So why would someone want to invest in a portable single room air conditioner?

There are a lot of reasons people gravitate toward portable single room air conditioner models, but perhaps the most compelling is common sense. These units provide a versatility that stationary machines can never offer. Plus, they can save energy. Saving energy equates to saving money. So, why cool or heat an entire house if the family spends all of its time in one room? Or, why argue over what temperatures to keep different rooms at if you don't have to? There's no need to have two air conditioning zones in a large house when you have a portable unit.

Portable single room units are easy to use, they work well and are affordable. There are lots of advantages to using single room units over cranking up the entire cooling system in a house. Plus, these work great for older homes that might not have cooling systems throughout.

Why suffer through a brutally hot summer when a portable unit is affordable and easy to use? There's no need to be uncomfortable thanks to these units.

Typical portable units offer a number of features that make them more than worth looking at. These include:

? Obviously, portability. The units can move from room to room with the user, cooling only what needs to be cooled without having to alter windows. Try picking up a window unit to move it from the kitchen to the bedroom at the end of the night!

? Self-evaporating designs. Many portable units even come with features that lessen the number of times the condensation retainer must be emptied. This makes that less of a hassle to use and also helps remove some of the moisture from the air in a home. This is good for the home's environment and the possessions within. Moisture leads to mold, which can create health concerns and even damage furniture and books.

? Different fan speeds. This enables more user control, just like a window unit or full central air unit.

? Thermostat control. Just like a full-size unit, portable machines also offer the ability for users to determine the temperature of a room.

? Directional control. These enable users to point the flow of air in the direction they'd like. This combined with the portability makes these units great for optimum user control.

Portable air conditioners also offer some other specialized features depending on the unit in question. Some of these can include washable air filters, carbon filters to clean the air and remove odors, digital displays, timers and even remote controls.

Cooling an entire house when only a single room really needs it is a waste of energy and money. Smaller units can remove the need to turn on a more expensive unit while still providing the cooling necessary to make occupants in a home comfortable, which makes them a great buy.

Portable air conditioner information.

http://www.portableairconditionersreview.com

Updating Your HVAC System

The shock of skyrocketing utilities bills may have you thinking about upgrading your HVAC system?. and rightly so, because there is no chance the fuel costs are going to go down.

The newer heating and air conditioner systems are much more efficient than older units and offer significant long-term energy savings. The Government has mandated that any cooling units should have a SEER rating of at least 13 starting in 2006 and this is good, because a twenty-year unit may have a SEER rating of only 7 or 8. However, for real savings you should look at your whole home as an energy eating beast that needs to be put on a diet. This includes repairing air leaking windows and door seals

It does little good to replace an older HVAC system and expect great reduction in utility bills, if you don?t attend to the areas where you are losing energy. New HVAC systems are expensive and the temptation may be to just install a new high efficiency furnace and air-conditioning system and hope for the best. The fact is, the reduction in utility bills may be disappointing because you may have overlooked a major player in the whole HVAC system?. like the ductwork.

A poorly designed, leaking and under insulated ductwork system can waste 30 percent or more of the money you pay to run your heating and cooling system.and nullify any gain you might realize by installing a new high efficiency system. Many duct systems are poorly insulated and leak conditioned air into un-conditioned attics and crawl spaces. I commonly find disconnected ductwork during my home inspections.

When ducts leak, conditioned air can be forced out unsealed joints and lost. In addition, also un-conditioned air can also be drawn into return ducts through unsealed joints. Attic temperature can be very high in the summer and cold in the winter?so, any attic air that enters your system through un-sealed duct joints will have to be cooled in the summer and heated in the winter, this increases the load on your system and increases your energy bill.

Surprisingly an older home may have a much better designed duct system than a new home and may only need a leak check and insulation upgrade. Newer homes on the other hand may be victim of cost cutting measures and poorly designed duct systems. The use of flex duct has grown in popularity because ease of installation and the high cost of shop made sheet metal ducts. Flex ducts even installed properly are a poor substitute for well designed properly insulated sheet metal ducts. It is common practice to make plenums and coil boxes out of taped together duct board.

Be sure to include an evaluation of your ductwork system in your plans to upgrade your HVAC system. There is no use in exhausting valuable conditioned air to the great outdoors through leaks and worn-out duct insulation. If your duct system needs an overhaul, you might want to consider a high velocity delivery system that uses smaller PVC pipe ducts. These high velocity systems are much easier to install and insulate. The bottom line on a HVAC system upgrade for maximum efficiency must include more than just the new equipment. Don?t forget about the duct work and include it into your budget.

Jim McDonald is a retired contractor and a licensed home inspector

jim@getinfoweb.com