Top 10 Things Consumers Should Know About Air Conditioning

Air conditioners might be a luxury to some, but it’s a necessity for others. Especially if you are on the sunny white island of Ibiza, living without a central air conditioner is unimaginable. However, there are things you need to know about your AC unit if you’re deciding to install or already have one.

Functionality of the AC

An AC functions by keeping your home cool. It moves the inside heat to the outside and blows cool air into the room by pulling out the heat. 

The air is cooled over a set of cold pipes – an evaporator coil – filled with a special liquid called a refrigerant. This refrigerant changes the liquid to gas, absorbing heat from the air. 

Different Types of ACs

Central air conditioners are of two types:

i. Split Central Air Conditioner – the most common type in which the refrigerant circulates between the inside unit, where heat is absorbed, and an outside unit, where heat is expelled. 

ii. Packaged Central Air Conditioner – has both components in a single unit and is installed outside on the ground or rooftop.

What Do Filters Do?

Filters are present in the duct system's return grille or special slots. The filters have two main functions:

i. Maintain air conditioning system’s performance

ii.Remove particles from the airflow

What Is a Ton of an AC?

Before refrigerated air conditioning was invented, big blocks of ice were used as a cooling mechanism. 

After cooling machines were designed, the manufacturers rated the capacity equivalent to ice melted per day, where the ton originated to form the air conditioner size.  

A ton of cooling delivers 12,000 BTU/hour (British Thermal Unit).

Why Go for Maintenance?

Routine maintenance involves cleaning the outer unit and removing filters regularly, based on usage. However, sometimes professional air conditioning servicing becomes necessary. This mostly happens when you notice your system isn’t producing as much cold air as usual or is malfunctioning. 

Why Is Ventilation Important?

Although cooling is considered an AC’s primary function, ventilation is another important part of an AC’s job. Without adequate ventilation, contaminants in the house can cause low indoor air quality by accumulating dirt and debris. 

Problems in AC

Your AC might work perfectly one minute to switch into a low-performance mode. This happens due to increased load when more people are in the house or voltage fluctuation. 

Several other problems may arise, which require calling an AC maintenance service provider immediately. 

How to Reduce Internal Loads?

The more load on the AC, the lower its performance becomes. But lowering the internal loads is in your hands. You can do this by:

i. Increasing insulations

ii. Shading windows

iii. Lowering air leakage

iv. Shutting off unneeded appliances, lights, and equipment

How to Seal AC Ducts?

Duck leakage causes insufficient cooling. Therefore, ducts should be well insulated and sealed. You can use mastic (a type of white sticky stuff that can be painted on the ducts to seal them) if the ducts are accessible. However, if the ducts are unreachable, you will have to call HVAC professionals.

The Final Word

Knowing these top 10 things can help you understand your AC better and keep its performance in check. 

If you feel a replacement is in order, you can always connect with expert AC installers in Ibiza to equip your home with a new one.