TACLA001088C
Regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
P.O. Box 12157
Austin, TX 78711
1-800-803-9202
Equipment We Carry & Service
Brands we sell and service:
www.york.com
www.carrier.com
www.lennox.com
System Components:
Condenser & Compressor
The condenser is the outdoor unit that contains the compressor which is the heart of your system. In the same way the heart pumps blood into the body, and it flows back to the heart through the veins. The compressor pumps the refrigerant through the outdoor coils, up the line set, through the evaporator and back to the compressor. The compressor created high pressure on the outlet and low pressure on the inlet. The compressor essential compresses the gas.
Metering Device
The metering device controls the flow of the refrigerant. There are two basic types of metering devices, the fixed and the TXV. Both allow the refrigerant to flow from the small liquid line into the evaporator. The fixed metering device has a very small hole in it that allow this flow, it is called an orfice. When the liquid refrigerant flows through the orfice it is sprayed out on the other side similar to a water hose with a reducing fitting on it. When using this hose and the sprayed water hits your skin, it starts to evaporate, allowing many BTU’s of heat to be pulled from you body, absorbed into the water droplets and evaporated away. When the refrigerant is allowed to flow through the metering device it goes from a high pressure liquid to a low pressure liquid, changing to vapor. As the refrigerant now enters the evaporator the heat from the home evaporates the refrigerant, and is absorbed into the refrigerant.
Evaporator Coils
The evaporator coil is usually mounted on top of, next to, or below, the heater depending on the style of heater being used. As refrigerant flows through the evaporator, the air from the blower warms the refrigerant causing it to evaporate. As the refrigerant evaporates, it picks up the heat from the house and moves it to the condenser (outdoor unit). This action is similar to being misted with a bottle sprayer on a very hot day. As the water evaporates from your skin it removes heat from your skin causing you to cool off. The evaporator serves another purpose also, it dehumidifies. Because the coil is cooled by the refrigerant to a low temperature, the air that goes through the coil reaches dew point. Because we are now collecting water from the air, you must drain the water from the coil. Connecting a drain line to the bottom of the coil and running it to a location that can accept the possible 15 gallons a day of condensate will accomplish this.
Blower
The same way the compressor takes in vapor refrigerant in on one side and discharges it out on the other side we have a blower in the system to move air around. The blower is typically in the furnace or air handler system and is sized to move a specific amount of air per ton of air conditioning. If it is not allowed to move the proper air through the house because the ducts are too small, or they are kinked, or maybe the filter is dirty, the blower acts similar to a heart with restricted arteries. Your blood pressure goes up because it cannot pump the proper amount of blood throughout your body. The pressure the blower has to blow against is also too high and it cannot move the proper air through the house. If the system cannot move the proper amount of air, our customers are paying for air conditioning they are not using. If the evaporator doesn’t have enough air, it cannot evaporate the entire amount of refrigerant (this is bad). The compressor is now working harder and our customers are getting less cooling.
Condenser Coils
The compressor now runs the refrigerant through the outdoor coil or the condenser coil where the condenser fan can cool the refrigerant off much like the radiator in you car cools the antifreeze in your engine. As the refrigerant is cooled, within the condenser, the vapor refrigerant gives up its heat and condenses back into a liquid. Thus the name condenser coils.
Condenser Fan Motor
The condenser fan motor pulls air from the outside, across the condenser coil that is rejecting the heat absorbed by the refrigerant, it then exhausts it away from the unit.
Furnaces
Furnaces heat and circulate warm air in the winter. Furnace heating ability is measured with an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) percentage. A higher AFUE percentage indicates a more efficient furnace.
Air Handlers
The air handler is the indoor unit that circulates cool air through your home in the summer and warm air in the winter. The indoor and outdoor units are designed to work together. Air handlers supply conditioned air evenly throughout your home, when used in place of a furnace, with either an air conditioning or heat pump system.
Heat Pumps
A split system heat pump keeps homes comfortable all year long. In summer, it draws heat out of your home to cool it. In the winter, it draws heat from outside air into your home to warm it.
Optional Components:
Dehumidifier
Dehumidification can be very important if you live in areas of high humidity. High humidity in cooler temperatures gives you a wet clammy feeling and in warmer temperatures causes a wet sticky feeling and causes perspiration to stay on your body and soak in to you clothes rather than evaporate. High humidity can also cause mold & mildew through out the house and even ruin very expensive clothes, fabrics, paintings & wall coverings. All air-conditioning units take out some humidity when they are running but in very humid areas this is not enough and you need a dehumidifying system. Dehumidifiers work in conjunction with the system, but take even more humidity out of the air.
Humidifiers
Humidity is very important in areas which are dry. Symptoms of dry climates are dry skin & eyes, nose bleed, static electricity (clothes clinging to you, hair clinging to your comb or brush, and electric shock when you touch a metal object). All of these can be cured by raising the humidity in you home which can be accomplished with a humidifier connected to your air-conditioning system.
Air Cleaners
Now you can be sure your home's air is clear of dust, pollen, fungi, smoke, and other particles too small to see through air cleaners. These cleaners provide stepped-up filtration, more effective than your furnace or air conditioner alone. And since these pollutants can build up as film on walls and furniture, this is performance you'll feel and see.
UV Air Purifiers
You can protect your home and your family from allergy-causing mold with air purifiers. These ultraviolet air treatment systems kill mold that would grow in the cool, damp interiors of your air conditioning system.
Ventilators
On the hottest days of summer and the coldest days of winter, you want your home sealed tight for energy efficiency. But you don't want to sacrifice the benefits of fresh air. With a ventilation system, the air exchangers quietly bring in fresh, clean air from the outside and remove stale inside air, along with dust and other particle buildup.