How Does Air Conditioning Work?

By Author: Linus
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Knowing how air conditioning work is important because it is a vital system of your home, along with the heating and ventilation systems, which are usually all incorporated into one and abbreviated HVAC. Your HVAC system allows fresh oxygen to enter your home and releases the carbon dioxide that we expel when we take in oxygen as well as providing a comfortable temperature inside your home or office, using heated or cooled air from the outside depending upon which season it is. Let's examine how this system works.

It all begins with taking in air from the outside. Your home or office will be equipped with vents that allow the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning) system to bring in air from the outside. The air travels through heating or cooling ducts to all the rooms of your house. Many homes and offices incorporate Central HVAC systems which are quiet, convenient and cost-effective ways of heating or cooling a building. The HVAC system generally will use more power than any other system in your home with nearly fifty percent of your utility bill going towards heating and cooling.

Once the air enters ...
... the home it is either heated or cooled, depending upon which system that you are running, and then distributed to the rest of your home, causing the temperature to rise or fall. Some air conditioning systems are mounted in walls or windows and work on their own, taking in air from the outside and distributing it through the unit, but others work in connection with the heating system. Usually, there is a temperature control mounted in a common area that allows you to control the temperature inside your home or office.

Air conditioning systems are rated by a system called SEER, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. These ratings are usually from 13 to 23 with the top end of the scale being air conditioning units that are the most efficient and provide the most energy savings. Today, the federal government regulates the efficiency ratings and requires that a system should have a SEER of at least 13. Many air conditioning units manufactured before the year 1992 having a rating of 6.0, before the federal regulations were enacted may be modified to maintain efficiency standards.

Having the proper HVAC system is not only cost-effective, but it is also essential. If you have an air conditioning system that does not meet efficiency standards then you should contact a qualified air conditioning or HVAC company and consider a newer system. They are not as expensive as you think, and many companies offer a senior citizen discount. There may even be federal programs that will offset the cost of a new HVAC system installed in your home, so if your system is older than 1992, contact a heating & cooling company right away.

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