If you’ve got an aging air conditioner, you may already have realized that it’s not as efficient as it once was. Maintenance, performed by a qualified professional once a year, can keep AC efficiency pretty steady for quite a while. But eventually, even that won’t be enough to prevent the efficiency of your air conditioner from dropping.
Here’s something you might not have known, though: today’s efficient air conditioners are far and away more efficient than even the top-of-the-line systems were when you bought your last air conditioner. Not just more efficient than those air conditioners are now—more efficient than they were when they were brand-new. How are these new high-efficiency air conditioners able to save so much energy? We’ll tell you!
How Air Conditioners Work: A General Overview
First, let’s cover the basics. An air conditioner consists of an outdoor unit, which houses the compressor and the condenser coils, and an indoor unit, where the evaporator coils, blower fan, and blower fan motor are located. Refrigerant is pressurized by the compressor so it flows through the coils.
In the evaporator coils, the refrigerant absorbs heat from inside your home, chilling air which is then blown into your ductwork by the blower fan. As the refrigerant continues on its journey through the coils, it heads to the outdoor unit. In the condenser coils, the refrigerant releases that heat.
As you can see, three of the very critical processes here are the pressurizing of the refrigerant, the absorbing and releasing of heat through the coils, and the distribution of cold air by the blower fan and motor. Today’s high-efficiency air conditioners save energy on all three of these processes.
The Refrigerant Coils
Different materials have different thermal resistance values. This means that some substances heat up and cool down more slowly, while others change temperature more quickly. In recent years, advances in materials used for refrigerant coils have improved their thermal conductivity. It’s now possible for the refrigerant in those coils to soak up and disperse heat more easily, which means using less energy.
The Motor and Compressor
These are two very different components, but the concept behind the change in their design is the same. Essentially, in the past, both the motor and the compressor functioned in a binary way. They were either on or off. Now, variable-speed fan motors and multi-stage compressors are being manufactured with the ability to automatically adjust how much power they draw.
Most of the time, both of these components can run on a lower-power setting, saving a ton of energy. They will ramp up to full power when it’s necessary to meet the cooling needs of your home, but only when necessary.
There have never before been such efficient air conditioners! So after your AC installation in Winter Park, FL, you’ll be reducing your impact on the environment, and you’ll be thrilled with your lower energy bills!
Contact Gary Munson Heating & Air Conditioning for air conditioning repair in Orlando, FL. You’ll be more comfortable with the best!