Everyone knows that central air conditioning systems make it cooler in your home, but few understand how they work. The process usually involves two pieces of equipment, one outside and one inside of your home. This split-system is the most common in homes throughout the Charlotte area. Air Conditioners have three main components: In a split system, the compressor and condenser coil are located in the outdoor unit (what most of us think of as the air conditioner). The evaporator coil is commonly in a metal box attached to the top of the furnace unit. Most people would mistake this as part of the furnace, but it is actually an important part of your central AC system. It might also be located in a separate air-handling unit if your home uses radiator heating, rather than a forced air furnace. When the temperature in your home rises, your thermostat automatically kicks your air conditioning system on. Warm air from the house is sucked through the air return vents and into the air handler, where it blows across the evaporator coil.

The cold refrigerant in the evaporator absorbs the heat from the air and turns into vapor inside the copper tubing. This process cools the air in the air handler and the cooler air is then pushed through your ducts back into the living areas in your home. Meanwhile, the refrigerant is pumped to the outdoor unit, where the compressor pressurizes it and moves it through the outside condenser coil. This process releases the heat outdoors with the help of a large fan. After moving through the condenser, the refrigerant is expanded so it can be returned to the evaporator as a cold, low-pressure liquid. This cycle repeats until the air in your home drops in temperature enough that your thermostat turns off the system. While more common in commercial and industrial buildings, a packaged AC unit will occasionally be found installed at a home. In a packaged unit, the evaporator coil is also packaged in the outdoor unit. Packaged air conditioners a frequently installed on the roofs of businesses, but can also be found on the ground.

Other than the way the components are installed, a packaged system works in the same way as a split system. No matter what type of heating and cooling equipment you have, regular maintenance can help it perform better and avoid breakdowns. Air Conditioners are complex appliances and at least 2/3 of the system is located outdoors, exposed to weather, nature and people. We’ve seen air conditioners fail because of all types of outdoor hazards. From ants causing electrical shorts to damage caused by careless weed removal with a string trimmer, AC units take a lot of natural abuse. An annual checkup can help catch problems like these before they cause your AC unit to stop working entirely. to schedule your repair or new system consultation. Research Works is a series of research summarises from projects undertaken by the Unit. The findings of each research project are featured in a four page booklet in PDF format, free to download below. Join our mailing list and we can send an email notification to you when each new issue of Research Works is posted on our website.

2005-04 - 2003-02 - 2001-0 - Outcomes Programme Research Works 1996-2000 Outcomes assessment for people with long-term neurological conditions: a qualitative approach to developing and testing a checklist in integrated careac unit does not shut off Transition to adult services and adulthood for young people with autistic spectrum conditionshow much is a complete ac unit Choice and change: how disabled young people with degenerative conditions and their parents make choices about care and serviceshow much does it cost to have an ac unit serviced Choice and change: disabled adults' and older people's experiences of making choices about services and support Evaluating models of care closer to home for children and young people who are ill

Maltreatment and allegations of maltreatment in foster care : a review of the research Integrated services for people with long-term neurological conditions: Evaluation of the impact of the National Service Framework Mode effects in qualitative interviews: a comparison of semi-structured face-to-face and telephone interviews using conversation analysis The organisation and content of home care re-ablement services Reforming long-term care: recent lessons from other countries Care provision within families and its socio-economic impact on care providers Transitions to adult services by disabled young people leaving out of authority residential schools The effectiveness of parent training interventions in improving problem behaviours among disabled children Behavioural interventions to help parents manage sleep problems in young disabled children Financial implications of death of a partner Domiciliary care agency responses to increased user choice