A Few Cool Facts About Your Air Conditioning

There are few machines that people rely on for comfort more in the United States during the hot summer months than their air conditioners. With just the touch of a button, the sweaty, sticky, hot misery of a blazing summer day is eliminated. But while so many people rely on them, few actually know how they work. Here are a few cool facts about that magical cooling machine you've come to rely on called the air conditioner.

Air Conditioners Remove Hot Air

You know the sensation well. The heat is making you sweat. Your shirt is starting to stick to your back. The solution is to turn on the old AC and stand near the vent to feel the cool air on your face. You likely know that air conditioners blow cold air, but what you might not realize is that your air conditioner is also drawing the hot air out of your home and venting it outside. How does it work? In a split system, the AC's compressor changes refrigerant from a gas to a liquid by circulating and condensing it. It then forces the liquid through the evaporator coil in the inside unit. A fan circulates air from inside over the evaporator fins, and these exchange the thermal energy with the air. The refrigerant then turns from a liquid into a vapor. During this process, the heat is removed and vented and the air is cooled.

Air Conditioners Remove Humidity

In addition to blowing in cooling air and drawing out the warm air, your air conditioner also draws humidity out of the air. How? The evaporator coil in your machine condenses the water vapor in the air. This happens during the process of drawing out the warm air. That condensation is then collected in the condensation pan beneath the evaporator coil. In fact, one telltale sign that your air conditioner unit might not be functioning properly is an excess of humidity in your home when the air conditioner is on, because it should be drawing it out.

Air Conditioners Can Save Lives

It sounds like hyperbole, but the truth is that having a functioning air conditioner can save lives. A study published in the Journal of Political Economy conducted by a group of researchers from several prestigious universities found that temperature-related deaths during periods of heat over 80 degrees Fahrenheit declined by 75% after air conditioners came into regular use in the 1960s.

To learn more, call your air conditioning contractor today.

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