Does your home use air conditioning? If so, odds are it’s a split system.
Split systems make up a majority of air conditioning installation in Brisbane.
And it’s not hard to see why:
- The units are compact and unobtrusive
- Split system installation is less disruptive
- Installation can be done in hours
- They can be more cost-effective than ducted cooling
Everybody knows what split system air conditioning does. But how many know how it does it? Not many, we’re willing to bet!
Curious to find out how your air conditioner works?
You’re in luck – our air conditioning installation experts are here to explain how your split system air conditioner keeps you cool.
Introducing the cast of your split system AC
Before we talk about how your split system air conditioner works, we need to explain the two main parts.
Like the name suggests, a split system air conditioner is actually two different components: one indoors and the other outside.
The indoor unit (evaporator)
Let’s start inside.
Mounted on your wall close to the ceiling, the indoor unit is responsible for delivering cool air to your home.
Consisting primarily of an evaporator coil, fan and refrigerant storage, the job of the indoor unit is to remove warm air from your home and replace it with refreshing, cool air.
It’s connected through a wet of electrical wiring and tubing to…
The outdoor unit
The outdoor box is where all the magic happens.
While the indoor unit is the part that delivers cool air and provides cooling, it’s the outdoor unit (also known as the outdoor compressor) that’s the real workhorse of your split system air conditioning.
This crucial box contains the compressor, condenser coils and (surprise surprise) more fans. Their main job? To move refrigerant and keep your split system running.
In short, this box is what powers your cooling. Without it, you’d be left without any cooling whatsoever!
Step 1: Removing warm air from inside
Brisbane can get hot in summer.
That means that (naturally) your home can get extremely hot as well – needless to say, that make your air conditioner’s job a lot harder!
As such, the first thing modern air conditioners do is remove heat from your home.
Split system air conditioners use a quirk in the laws of physics to cool indoor air: namely, the tendency for liquid to absorb heat when it transforms from liquid to gas or vapour!
This reaction is the secret behind air conditioning. Using special refrigerants that change from liquid to gas at a relatively low temperature, your split system cools your home down.
It all starts inside, where your indoor unit sucks in hot air and cycles it across the evaporator coils. As air move across these coils, your indoor unit is busy heating up the refrigerant in the coils.
Thanks to the low temperature required to transform into gas, your refrigerant quickly turns from a liquid to a vapour, absorbing heat from the air which is then blown back into your home.
The result? The less lingering heat and air that comes out significantly cooler than when it went in!
Step 2: Vapour is funnelled outside
Now you know the role refrigerant refrigerant in the cooling process.
“But wait” you ask yourself, “If refrigerant is converted into a gas, then how come I never have to top up my air conditioner?”
We’re glad you asked. And it’s here that your outdoor unit comes into the picture!
While it’s the indoor unit that delivers cooling, your outdoor unit keeps the show running.
To keep the cooling going, your air conditioner needs a constant supply of refrigerant. The outdoor unit converts used refrigerant from vapour back into a liquid form.
When the indoor unit sends warmed refrigerant vapours to your outdoor unit, they get run through a set of condenser coils. These coils cool and compress the gases, returning them to liquid form.
We think you can see where this is going!
Step 3: reuse and recycle
Recycling is important – and it seems your split system air conditioner got the memo too!
Once the vapours are back in liquid form, all that remains is to send it back to the indoor unit to start all over again.
Essentially, there are two entirely separate operations going on when you turn on your air conditioner.
The indoor unit is chilling the indoor air, while the outdoor unit is working overtime to continually recycling refrigerant to power the indoor unit.
Need air conditioning installation in Brisbane?
Have you noticed that your air conditioner isn’t delivering the cooling you need?
If so, it could be an evaporator issue. Alternatively, it might be a problem with your condenser coils. Whatever the cause, be sure to call an expert for air conditioning service or better yet, install a new one perfect for your home.
Tri-Tech Air Conditioning has provided air conditioning service in Brisbane since 1989. Since then, we’ve successfully provided air conditioning services for homes and businesses all over the greater Brisbane area.
If you need air conditioning installation in Brisbane or the surrounds, get in touch with our expert team. We provide interest free air conditioning payment plan in Brisbane.
Call (07) 3394 0222 now or fill in our contact form and we’ll get back to you!
