| I'm sure you are aware that air conditioning comes in | | | | high pressure as vapour before changing back from |
| many forms, and what we are looking at here is just | | | | gas to liquid. The fluid will then return to the expansion |
| another method, but just how does central air | | | | device and the process repeated. |
| conditioning work? | | | | The air in the home is cooled as it travels over the |
| All air conditioning systems tend to work on similar | | | | evaporator; the moisture removed from the air and |
| principals and central air conditioners are purpose built | | | | disposed of by the unit via the household drainage |
| to cool the entire home and makes use of ducts to | | | | system. |
| disperse and recycle cooled air throughout rooms on a | | | | Central air conditioning has a few benefits over other |
| continual basis. Some models may also move chilled | | | | systems as the air is drawn through a filter from parts |
| water via pipes and heat exchangers. | | | | of the building. This filter extracts any dust and lint |
| Most frequently you will find a split system where the | | | | particles cleaning the air as well as cooling it. |
| condenser and compressor are located outdoors and | | | | Additionally, specialist filters can also remove |
| connected by refrigerant lines to a coil (or evaporator) | | | | microscopic pollutants which can affect health. A |
| in the in the air handler unit. Such a unit basically | | | | further benefit is that noise is reduced as the unit is |
| resembles a metal box that may comprise of a | | | | external to the building. |
| blower, filters, heating/cooling elements, mixing | | | | Central air conditioning is an efficient system but you |
| chamber, humidifier, controls and vibration isolators. In | | | | do need to try and get the highest SEER rating you |
| contrast, with a 'packaged' system, everything is | | | | can afford (the range is 10 to 17). (SEER refers to the |
| normally located in a single outdoor unit. | | | | Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio.) If the unit carries |
| Heat from the home is transferred to the outside using | | | | the Energy Star label, it will have a SEER of at least 13 |
| a compressor cycle that works similarly to a | | | | for a split system and 12 for a single unit. A unit with a |
| refrigerator. A refrigerant fluid is passed through an | | | | lower SEER will be uneconomical so if you are |
| expansion device which changes from liquid to gas | | | | considering buying anything second-hand, do watch out |
| when it absorbs heat and is then released outdoors at | | | | for this as the newer units are mostly over 12. |