The Mechanism of Air Conditioners
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The demand for window air conditioner and split air conditioner has increased over the years. The market is full of air conditioners of different brands in different capacities and specifications in equally varying prices, but the basic objective is same - cooling the interior space.
You may generally come across two types of window conditioner systems, viz. unitary and wall split air conditioning systems, also termed packaged terminal PTAC systems. The first type is the commonest; you need a wall opening or window with interior controls to place it. The process involves blowing of a fan over the evaporator, resulting in the cooling of interior air.
A second fan blows the heated air on the exterior over the condenser. The mechanism thus discharges the interior heated air into the open. The unitary system or window conditioner can cool only one room at a time. A building with several rooms or a large house may install several such individual units to cool each room separately.
A wall split air conditioner or PTAC system is also called a ductless system. The mechanism is a bit different from that of a window air conditioner. Terminal packages, i.e. two separate units - the evaporative unit on the exterior and the condensing unit on the interior - are used.
The two separated units are connected by a tube through the wall. You can adjust each room independently at the same time minimizing the interior system footprint. Using a wall split conditioner, you can even heat up your rooms during the winter. All you need to use is an electric strip, gas or other heater. You may also make the system blow hot air by getting the refrigerant flow reversed.
Gone were the days when buying a window conditioner or split conditioner made a hole in your pocket. Owning conditioners proved very expensive besides paying for the huge electricity bills due to extra electricity consumption. Today, prices have relatively come down with energy saving options. You can buy these products from an online store and avail big discounts.