Central Air Conditioners - So, How Do Central AC Units Works?

I'll be explaining how central air conditioner works from a split-central air units perspective.

Central air conditions work basic on the second law of thermodynamics. Which state, "heat always flows from a material at a high temperature to a material at a low temperature." By S. Don

There are two heat exchanges in central air units: the condenser and evaporator. The evaporator coil is located indoors and the condenser coil is located outdoor.

This is how these two components works:

The evaporator coils add heat to the air conditioning system. You could look at in another way. AC evaporator absorbs heats from area that needs to be cool and add the heat into the air conditioning units. For our decision the area that needs to be cool is indoor air.

As you remember, energy can't be created or destroyed. AC units don't create heat or cool it uses air conditioning condenser to rejecting heat. Yes, that right! If you look outside your home, you'll see a square metal box outside. That is the condenser units! This is where it rejects the heat.

These two components don't require electricity. However, the condenser fan and the evaporator blowers need electricity to works.

The bottoms line is:

Air conditioner units absorb energy in one area and reject it in different area

There are five basic components to make air conditioner unit works.

1. Air conditioning compressors- it's the only mechanical parts that require masses electricity to run. The compressor makes the refrigerant flows.


2. Air conditioner condenser - it's located outdoor with the compressor. The condenser is a heat exchange, it rejects heat.


3. Expansion device - its location within the air handler units. It acts as a restriction for the refrigerant.


4. Air conditioning evaporator - it's located with the air handler units (indoor). The evaporator adds heat to the central air units.


5. Refrigerant copper tubing - it connects the four components together.

Once, the refrigerant copper tubing connects these components. It's now known as refrigeration cycle. Refrigeration cycle is a process that removes heat from unwanted area and transfers that heat to different place. This cycle tells us what is happening to the refrigerant within each of the four components.

Central air conditioning is process that removes heat from indoor evaporator to outdoor condenser units.

All air conditioner units will always have the basic components: air conditioner compressors, air conditioner condenser, evaporator coils the expansion device, and the refrigerant copper tubing.

If you know how central air conditioning works, you understand how any air condition works. Since, the operating principle of air conditioner unit will always be the same.