Air conditioner repair is an industry that befuddles a large number of homeowners. For many it is because they don’t understand a lot about the basics of HVAC units like how they work and how to take care of them. One of the best ways to learn more about a topic is to find out more about the language. When you comprehend common terms used when speaking about something it suddenly is much more approachable. This is especially true when it comes to air conditioner repair. After you finish reading this, you’ll never be afraid to call your Ocean County air conditioner repair company again. You’ll be able to better explain what is going on with your unit and you’ll understand what they are talking about when they describe what is wrong. No more fearing being taken advantage of because you don’t know what a repair technician is saying.
A Broad Overview of Central Air Conditioners
A majority of homes located in climates that have warm months, even if it’s only the three months of summer like in Ocean County, have central air. What this means is that there is one unit that treats the air for the entire house. This includes equipment that is located both indoors and outside.
What’s Inside
The unit located inside your home is known as the air handler and also includes the furnace for your heat. One important part of this part of your air conditioner that you should be familiar with is the air filter. Some units have filters that are made to be replaced while others have filters which can be cleaned and reused. Either way, checking the status of your air filter is top of the list when it comes to air conditioner maintenance. An air flow issue caused by a blocked air filter is one of the most common and also most avoidable repair calls. Check your filter every three months to ensure proper air flow and avoid needing Ocean County air conditioner repair.
Another important part of an air conditioner that is found inside is the blower. Cool air is a myth without a working blower. This important piece of the unit is what distributes treated air, whether it be heated or cooled, throughout your home. The two main types of engines found in blowers are single speed and variable speed. A single speed motor turns on when the thermostat indicates and turns off for the same reason. A variable speed motor runs at different rates to provide better circulation of air. These motors actually use less energy than a single speed motor.
Also found indoors is the evaporator coil. Just like every other part we’ve mentioned already, the evaporator coil is an essential part of an air conditioner. This coil is fully enclosed within your air handler and is not something a layman should be attempting to maintain or fix. It carries the liquid refrigerant which directly cools the air being directed to it by the blower.
The Outside Parts
The unit found on the outside of your home is known as the condenser. Just like the air handler, located within the condenser are a few essential parts of your air conditioner. This piece of equipment should only be maintained and repaired by a trained professional. Knowing what’s in this unit, however, and understanding a bit more about how it works can help you troubleshoot any problems prior to calling for repair.
Inside your condenser is a compressor. This part works to move air throughout your air conditioner. It pulls warm air from inside, pushes it inside with the refrigerant to be cooled. The condenser will continue to work until the thermostat says not to.
Just like indoors, there is an important coil located outside above your compressor. This coil is called the condenser coil. It is what takes the heat removed from the air and discharges it outside. Having a clean condenser coil is essential to an efficient unit. The best way to keep our coils clean? Have your HVAC system inspected every year by an Ocean County air conditioner repair specialist.
We hope you learned a bit about your air conditioner. Hopefully, with this knowledge, you’ll pay closer attention to your air conditioner, take better care of it, and enjoy it for its entire projected lifetime.
Learn more about how to avoid emergency Ocean County air conditioner repair with these tips!
A Few More Air Conditioner Terms Every Homeowner Should Know
If learning the basic parts of your system made air conditioner repair feel less confusing, there are a few more common terms that can help even more. When you call for Ocean County air conditioner repair, technicians often use certain words that may sound technical at first, but knowing them can make the conversation much easier to follow.
One term you may hear is thermostat calibration. This refers to whether your thermostat is reading the indoor temperature correctly. If the reading is off, your system may run too often or not often enough.
Another common term is drain line. Your air conditioner removes moisture from the air as it cools your home, and that water needs somewhere to go. The drain line carries it away. If it becomes clogged, water can back up and cause leaks or even force the system to shut down.
You may also hear the word capacitor. This is a small but very important electrical component that helps start the motors in your system. When a capacitor begins to fail, your unit may struggle to turn on or may stop running altogether.
Yet another helpful term is refrigerant line. These lines carry refrigerant between the indoor and outdoor parts of the system. If there is a leak or damage in one of these lines, cooling performance can suffer.
Lastly, there is register, which is the vent where cooled air enters each room. If airflow seems weak, the problem may not always be the unit itself. Sometimes a blocked or closed register is part of the issue.
The more familiar you are with these terms, the easier it becomes to understand what your system needs and when it is time to call for Ocean County air conditioner repair.
