Do Air Conditioners Bring in Fresh Air From Outside?
When it's a hot, humid summer day, there's something to be said for coming home to a nice, cool house. But have you ever thought about how your air conditioner makes your inside spaces so comfy and cool? Once you think about how a cooling system works, you may assume it simply draws in fresh outside air to cool down your home. Sounds perfectly logical, right? However, this isn't exactly how air conditioning systems work. We further demystify the home cooling process below.
Outside Air Isn't What Cools Your Home
It's only natural to assume an air conditioner might take in outside air, cool it down, and distribute it throughout your home. After all, split cooling systems do have one part that's outside. However, the air conditioning process actually involves removing unwanted heat, not cooling down fresh outside air. So, how does this process work?
What an Air Conditioner Actually Does
As we briefly mentioned above, what your air conditioner is really doing when it "cools down" your inside spaces is sending unwanted heat outside. A standard AC unit accomplishes this task with a condenser or air conditioner pump. With the help of a special type of liquid called refrigerant, the condenser draws hot air outside. It's a closed-loop system that continuously transfers indoor heat outside as long as your AC is on and operating.
The Refrigeration Cycle
The refrigerant we just talked about is what makes inside air feel cooler during the hot, humid months of the year. In fact, there's a refrigeration cycle that results in a change of temperature and pressure as heat is removed from your indoor areas. What's termed the refrigeration cycle involves:
- The heat inside your home being absorbed by the refrigerant
- The refrigerant gets hotter after it absorbs the heat
- Inside heat is being carried by the refrigerant outside, where it's cooled
- Cool refrigerant being transferred back into your home so it can be distributed throughout your indoor spaces
Changing Your Indoor Air Temperature
Once the refrigerant is inside your home, it goes to an evaporator. When it reaches the indoor part of the AC unit, it's at a very low pressure, which causes the refrigerant to expand rapidly. A fan is the other main component of a cooling system that blows the cold air through a system of ducts. Air that's blown onto the evaporator once again converts inside heat into a liquid state. It's then sent back outside so it can be cooled and sent back inside.
Does My Ductwork Need to Be Adjusted or Updated?
It depends on what you already have in place. Some older homes only have one-way ducts that distribute heated or cooled air and no return ducts. Whether or not you'll need any adjustments or upgrades also depends on how many floors your home has and other factors that affect your indoor comfort.
Call Us Today
If you have concerns about how cool your home is when it's hot outside, give the team from Romano Bros. Heating & Air. We'll gladly let you know if your current HVAC system needs some professional attention. We're equally prepared to answer any questions about your indoor comfort at any time of the year.
Contact us today to benefit from our full range of heating and cooling services.
