5th Star Airconditioning

How does an air conditioner work?

Despite what many people think, your home air conditioning system does not add cold air to the room. It actually draws heat away from the existing air in the room and re-delivers it with ‘an absence of heat’. The end result is a space with significantly less heat, which makes it feel cooler to the occupants. The major components of an air conditioning system are:

  • A compressor
  • A condenser
  • An Expansion Valve
  • An Evaporator
  • A Refrigerant

The refrigerant gas is compressed by the compressor unit, transforming it into a hot, high-pressure gas. This gas is then forced through the condenser which is ultimately a series of winding coils. This process dissipates the heat and condenses the refrigerant into a liquid. From here, the liquid is pushed through an expansion valve. This again sees the refrigerant change state as it evaporates into a cold, low-pressure gas. It begins its final run through another series of coils in the Evaporator. It is at this point that your air-conditioner is cooling the air by absorbing heat. Throughout this process, a series of fans circulate air over both sets of coils, returning heat to the outside air and blowing cold air into the room.