You might be surprised learn that your air conditioner in your Ann Arbor home works pretty much the same way your refrigerator works. Air conditioners employ chemicals that are easily converted from liquid to gas, and back to a liquid again. The heat contained in the air inside your home is transferred into the liquid and carried away. In your refrigerator, the heat within the appliance is transferred into the air contained in the room. In your air conditioning system, the heat contained within your Ann Arborhome, office, or business is transferred to the air outside.

Air Conditioner Ann Arbor – The Parts of Your Air Conditioner

Air conditioning in Ann Arbor or anywhere else in Michigan works pretty much the same way. Your air conditioner in your Ann Arbor home consists of three main components, including an evaporator, a condenser, and a compressor. The evaporator is usually found inside your home, often attached to your furnace. The condenser and the compressor are generally found outside. The chemical within the tubes that connect these part are pumped to the compressor, which “compresses” the fluid so that the energy and temperature are increased, and it becomes a gas.

Air Conditioner Ann Arbor – The Heating and Cooling Cycle

After being compressed, the gas is hot and under high pressure and it is forced into the condenser. This is where the heat is dissipated, usually by running it through a series of complex pipes or fins to transfer the heat into the air. As it cools, the gas turns back into a liquid, but it is still under high pressure. It is forced through a tiny opening into the evaporator. When it shoots out into a larger area, the pressure drops and the liquid turns back into a gas while evaporating. During that process, it gathers heat from the air around it. Just as the condenser usually has fins to aid in the heat exchange process, the evaporator has fins to help gather the heat from the indoor air. The cycle continues as long as you have your air conditioning system turned on.

Air Conditioner Ann Arbor – What Happens to the Cooled Air?

Virtually every air conditioner has some kind of fan to blow air across the fins of the evaporator. You can feel the effect of this when the cool air comes out of your air conditioning vents. The fan also helps to circulate the air around the room, keep the hot air from collecting near the ceiling, and keep the cool air from pooling on the floor. Without the fan, hot air would have a tendency to rise and your air would be cold near the floor and unbearably hot near the ceiling.

Another way the air in your home is circulated to help balance out the hot and cold portions is through the use of “air returns.” In the central air conditioning systems of Ann Arbor there are usually returns that help the hot air find its way to vents leading back to the evaporator. The cooled air is then blown out the vents and the cycle continues. Your thermostat is constantly monitoring the temperature, and if everything is working properly, it will turn off the AC system when the temperature reaches the setting you’ve chosen.

Air Conditioner Ann Arbor – Contact Us for a Free In-Home Evaluation

If you’d like to learn more about an air conditioner for your Ann Arbor home, please contact us at info@cmrmechanical.com or call (734) 424-9555. We’re happy to help!