BBB Business Review

Air Conditioning

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Air-Conditioning works on the same basic system as a refrigerator.

  1. Freon (or any other number of similar substances which are gases at room temperature) is present in a set of metal coils (very thin pipes).
  2. The Freon is forced through a compressor, which compresses it into a liquid. The Freon has now been tightly compacted, much like liquid in an aerosol can. However, because Freon is a gas at room temperature, energy in the form of heat results.
  3. The liquid Freon is sent through a series of coils until it reaches an expansion valve, which allows it to return to gas form.
  4. The loss of energy from heat as it expands back into gaseous form makes the Freon very cold. It is this cold which is blown out of an air conditioner.

This is basically what you would find if you opened up a typical home window unit. However, to fully integrate your atmospheric controls into one HVAC system, you should consider a split system unit. What makes this unique is that the hot and cold parts of the air conditioner are split apart. The compressor and heated coils (with hot liquid Freon coursing through them) are placed outside the house, while the cold coils and expansion valve are located indoors. The cold air is circulated throughout the home or building via a series of ducts. This eliminates the effort of moving heavy window units around the house every year. One of the biggest advantages is the reduced level of noise indoors. Though slightly louder outside, a split system unit allows quiet and comfort indoors.

There is another form of air conditioning that you might want to consider, although it is usually only feasible for businesses with very large buildings and is difficult to integrate into one comprehensive HVAC system. Called a chilled-water system, it cools water instead of air and works much like a heating system’s radiator. The water’s temperature is lowered significantly (40-45 degrees F) and air is blown over the cold coils to lower a rooms temperature. The advantage of this process is that many wide ducts don’t have to be run all over a building throughout the walls and ceilings.

How can I find out more information?

When you Request a Central Air Conditioning Quote one of our recommended Air Conditioning specialists will give you an estimate on your Home Improvement project and will help review your options to make the best possible choice regarding your particular needs and budget.

Points of Interest

Wikipedia has great information to learn more about the process of refrigeration.

To find more information on air conditioning, visit the Air Conditioning Contractors of America.