Phoenix Air Conditioning – How does it work?

If you’re an Arizona resident, you know that air conditioners aren’t a luxury – they’re a necessity. All summer long, we rely on Phoenix air conditioners to drastically reduce temperatures indoors, keeping us cool and comfortable. But have you ever wondered how our trusty Phoenix air conditioners work? Phoenix air conditioning specialists Chas Roberts know there is science behind the breeze.

Air conditioners reduce the ambient air temperature in a room using a basic law of physics called Phase Conversion. This law explains that when a liquid is converted into a gas, it absorbs heat. Employing this principle, air conditioning units force special chemical compounds (called “refrigerants”) to quickly evaporate and condense in a closed system of coils. As these refrigerants cycle from liquid to gas to liquid, your air conditioner draws heat out of the room and produces cool air.

The basic mechanics:

Phase 1:

When hot air flows over the evaporator coils in an air conditioner, the refrigerants inside absorb the heat and are converted from liquid to gaseous state.

Phase 2:

The gaseous refrigerants cycle throughout the coils in the AC unit under extremely high pressure. This pressure reverts the refrigerants back to liquid, having lost the heat it initially absorbed.

Phase 3:

By the time the refrigerant reaches the end of the coils, it is considerably cooler. The air conditioner then blows this chilled air into your home, dispersed by a fan in the AC unit. Interestingly, this same process is used to refrigerate the food in your kitchen fridge.

Ecofriendly air conditioning:

Refrigerant chemicals have become increasingly “green” over the last several decades, with refrigerants like Freon being replaced with more environmentally-friendly substances. Please note that refrigerants should never escape your air conditioning unit. If your AC is leaking refrigerant, it will negatively impact both your AC’s performance and the environment. Routine air conditioning maintenance from Chas Roberts are important to ensure your air conditioner is working properly and efficiently.

For more insight on AC and how to keep your unit working effectively, contact Chas Roberts! Schedule an appointment online or call (602) 943-3426 in Phoenix, (520) 618-1884 in Tucson or (505) 264-7257 in New Mexico.