It’s no secret that AC systems are complex. They contain dozens of individual parts, each of which plays an important role in cooling your home. When researching AC systems and how they work, you may come across several terms.
Below are some of the most common AC terms and their respective definitions.
#1) Coils
Coils are heat exchanger components in AC systems.
Most centralized AC systems have two coils: an evaporator coil and a condenser coil. You can typically find the evaporator coil inside your home, whereas the condenser coil can be found outside your home.
#2) Cooling Cycle
Cooling cycle refers to the running time needed for an AC system to cool your home.
If you lower the temperature on the thermostat by 5 degrees and it takes your AC system 20 minutes to achieve that temperature, the cooling cycle for your AC system is 20 minutes.
Cooling cycles, of course, can vary depending on the current temperature of your home relative to the temperature set on the thermostat.
#3) Refrigerant
Refrigerant is the stuff that absorbs heat from your home’s interior.
When running your AC system, it will absorb heat from the air inside of your home. Refrigerant will change back and forth from a liquid state to a gas state as it goes through the coils. When at the condenser coil, though, it will expel the heat absorbed from your home’s interior.
#4) Compressor
In addition to coils, AC systems have a compressor. The compressor is actually installed alongside the condenser coil.
It’s a motorized unit that’s responsible for compressing refrigerant. It packs the refrigerant molecules tightly together so that they can expel more heat. Without a compressor, AC systems would suffer from poor performance because they would release less heat.
#5) Charging
Another common AC term is charging.
Charging is a professional heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) service that involves a licensed technician refilling refrigerant into an AC system. If your AC system is low on refrigerant, you’ll need to get it charged or recharged.
#6) BTU
British Thermal Units (BTU) refers to your AC system’s cooling strength. It’s a measurement of how quickly and easily your AC system can cool your home.
By definition, each BTU symbolizes enough thermal power to raise 1 pound of water by 1 degree. High-BTU AC systems are able to cool spaces faster and more easily than those low-BTU AC systems.
If you are experiencing a problem with your air conditioning or heating call us at 512-336-1431 to schedule an appointment. We’ll be glad to come out and take a look at the issue.
1431-183 A/C & Heating proudly serves Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Leander, Liberty Hill, and North Austin.
