The typical central air conditioning system is a split
system, with an outdoor air conditioning, or “compressor bearing unit” and an
indoor coil, which is usually installed on top of the furnace in the home.
Using electricity as its power source, the compressor pumps refrigerant through
the system to gather heat and moisture from indoors and remove it from the
home. Heat and moisture are removed from the home when warm air from inside the
home is blown over the cooled indoor coil. The heat in the air transfers to the
coil, thereby “cooling” the air. The heat that has transferred to the coil is
then “pumped” to the exterior of the home, while the cooled air is pumped back
inside, helping to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. Central air
conditioning can also be provided through a package unit or a heat pump. But
overtime, your air conditioning unit has to be serviced for maintenance and
preventing them from breaking down in the future.
Types of Central Air Conditioners
A central air conditioner is either a split-system
unit or a packaged unit:
In a split-system central air conditioner, an outdoor
metal cabinet contains the condenser and compressor, and an indoor cabinet
contains the evaporator. In many split-system air conditioners, this indoor
cabinet also contains a furnace or the indoor part of a heat pump. The air
conditioner's evaporator coil is installed in the cabinet or main supply duct
of this furnace or heat pump. If your home already has a furnace but no air
conditioner, a split-system is the most economical central air conditioner to
install.
In a packaged central air conditioner, the evaporator,
condenser, and compressor are all located in one cabinet, which usually is
placed on a roof or on a concrete slab next to the house's foundation. This
type of air conditioner also is used in small commercial buildings. Air supply
and return ducts come from indoors through the home's exterior wall or roof to
connect with the packaged air conditioner, which is usually located outdoors.
Packaged air conditioners often include electric heating coils or a natural gas
furnace. This combination of air conditioner and central heater eliminates the
need for a separate furnace indoors.
At least once a year before the season starts, call a
professional air conditioning service North Las Vegas. But if you want it to do-it-yourself,
you can turn off the unit and use a garden hose to clean the cooling fins to
remove any dirt, grass clippings, leaves and other debris from the unit. Hot,
dry summer days and windy, sand-blowing winds helped cake the fins of the
condenser and lessen the cooling capacity. If you have called for an air conditioning service North Las Vegas, they need to change the filter on your furnace's return
air duct often to ensure that good air flow is achieved. A dirty filter will
cause low air flow and can cause the unit to freeze up, restricting airflow
even more.
One last thing to consider is the furnace's fan that is
responsible for blowing the cool air out into your home. It too needs a fair
amount of maintenance. The fan needs to be oiled from time to time, just like
the outdoor unit. air conditioning service North Las Vegas