HELPFUL TOOLS > HVAC 101

Air Conditioner

The process of cooling your home via your HVAC system can be broken down into 6 basic steps:

• The refrigerant is compressed down via the compressor from a gas to a super heated liquid.
• The superheated liquid is sent to the evaporator coil, which sits on top of your furnace, generally located in your attic or crawlspace.
• An expansion valve reduces pressure in the refrigerant to a flash point. This change of state radically cools down the refrigerant.
• The blower motor forces air across the coil and in the process transfers heat to the refrigerant, allowing cool dry air to flow into your house.
• The heated refrigerant then returns to the condensing unit coil located outside your home, where heat from your house is removed via the fan.
• The process repeats!

Heat Pump

Heat pumps work exactly the same as air conditioners with the exception that they are equipped with a reversing valve. The reversing valve allows the refrigerant cycle to reverse and move heat from outdoors to inside your home during the cold months. This process is efficient until the outdoor temperature reaches about 35 degrees, at this point a supplementary heat source is required.

Furnace

The furnace houses the blower fan, which is what creates the airflow in your HVAC system. Furnaces also house heat exchangers, which create heat through gas for the colder months.