Understanding the parts of your air conditioner

Air conditioning units are commonplace in most Australian homes. Understanding how each of the different parts works and how the system works as a whole is important to know if you run into problems later down the track.

Having a basic knowledge of how your AC unit works can help you troubleshoot more effectively when you run into common problems like inefficient airflow, dirty filters or inconsistent temperatures.

Here at AP Trade Solutions, we have put together a simple guide on how each part of your air conditioner works. If, after reading this you are still having trouble with your system, don’t hesitate to contact us on 1300 370 455 or fill out our online enquiry form today.

What are the Main Parts of Your Air Conditioning System?

It doesn’t matter if you have a split system air conditioner, a ducted system or a cassette system, most of the time the primary components are the same. Each system includes the following:

Blower Fans

Blower fans help to circulate air throughout your home. These fans push cool air around while drawing in warm air from outside.

Refrigerant

Refrigerant is one of the most important parts of the air conditioning process. Refrigerant constantly changes from a liquid to a gas to move heat from the inside of your house to the outside. 

Compressor

The compressor acts like a pump, squeezing the refrigerant. When the refrigerant enters the compressor, it is a low-temperature, low-pressure gas and is then squeezed, turning it into a high-pressure, high-temperature gas.

Condenser Coils

Once the refrigerant is in this high-pressure, high-temperature state, it moves through a series of condenser coils. These condenser coils turn the gas into a liquid and any heat from indoors is released outdoors. The fan inside the outdoor unit (where the compressor and condenser coils are) helps with circulating this residual heat back outside.

Expansion Valve

The refrigerant leaves the condenser as a medium-heat liquid. Even though the refrigerant has been cooled significantly by the compressor and condenser, it needs to be cooled down more. This liquid flows from the condenser coils into an expansion valve. The expansion valve lowers the pressure and the temperature of your refrigerant significantly.

Evaporator Coils

The chilled refrigerant then moves through the evaporator coils. The warm air from inside your home is blown across these coils. This warm air provides enough heat to bring the refrigerant to a boil. The refrigerant turns back into a gas and the air passing over the copper soils is cooled down and sent back outside.

Filters

There are a number of filters within your air conditioning unit. As outside air is drawn in, these filters help to remove harmful bacteria, particles, allergens and pollutants from the outside air.

References

Matt Rittman "How Does An Air Conditioner Work?"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVo0GuNm3Ek

Logicool Air "What Are The Different Parts of  An Air Conditioning System" https://logicoolair.com.au/what-are-the-different-parts-of-an-air-conditioning-system/