After spending hours outside in the hot sun, one of the best feelings is walking through the front door and feeling a blast of cold air from your air conditioning system. While it’s scorching hot outside, you can put your feet up in the living room and enjoy your comfortable oasis.

Unfortunately, air conditioners can break down from time to time, leaving us to sweat it out inside our homes. Having the basic knowledge of the common terms and equipment used in the air conditioning industry is vital as it will help when you need to contact Rusk Heating & Cooling Company for repair or replacement service.

In our most recent blog, the HVAC system technicians at Rusk discuss some common air conditioning terms that are helpful to know. For all of your heating or cooling system needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to Rusk.

Air Conditioning Terms to Know

Refrigerant

When your air conditioner fails to function, one of the common issues is a coolant leak. Air conditioners are designed to cycle the coolant through the system by transforming it into a gas in the evaporator coil and returning it to a liquid via the condenser. If your air conditioner does not have refrigerant or coolant, the system will not work. An insufficient amount of refrigerant can also significantly affect an air conditioning system’s performance.

Air filter

The technicians at Rusk Heating & Cooling recommend changing your air conditioner’s air filter on a regular basis. The work of the air filter is to ensure particulate matter and other contaminants are not cycled through the machinery so they won’t return to your home’s air supply. A blocked filter impedes the efficiency of the air conditioner and increases electricity use. Most air filters should be replaced about every three months, but check your air conditioner’s owner’s manual for the correct replacement interval.

Evaporator Coil

The evaporator coil, also referred to as the indoor coil, absorbs heat in the air in order to change the liquid refrigerant that flows through it into a vapor to initiate the cooling process.

Condenser Coil

The condenser is the outdoor component of your air conditioning system. Once the coolant from the evaporator coil is transformed into a gas, it goes back to the condenser to be transformed into a liquid. With the help of a compressor, the condenser will raise the pressure of the refrigerant to make it change to liquid.

Compressor

The AC compressor is part of the condenser unit. Its role is to increase the pressure within the coolant by reducing the volume.

Contact Rusk for All of Your Home’s Cooling Needs

Make sure you familiarize yourself with the following common air conditioning terms. Knowing the terms used by heating and cooling experts will help you get your system repaired and find out what you need to do so that you can enhance the cooling capacity and power in your home. Call Rusk Heating & Cooling now to schedule an appointment if you’re having issues with your air conditioning system.