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How Do Split System Air Conditioning or Heat Pump Units Function?

Written by American Cooling And Heating on . Posted in Heat Pumps.

The Components of a Split System

Split System air conditioning units use a compressor, condenser and evaporator to pump refrigerant fluid through a heat exchange process. However, unlike the layout of a conventional cooling unit, the components of a Split System are not self-contained in a single condensing unit.

Residential central air conditioning or heat pump systems typically feature a Split System design. The condenser and compressor usually makeup the outdoors component of the system. When installed correctly, the external unit is mounted in a shady area free of brush and unnecessary obstructions to air flow. Likewise, the evaporator, blower and ductwork function as components of inside sections of the unit.

The fined coils of the evaporator is typically mounted in the ductwork and downstream of the blower unit. The units are connected via two flexible refrigerant lines. In an energy-efficient design, each of the components is custom-selected to meet the exact physical requirements of each individual home. Refrigerant piping is also custom-fashioned make the best use of the equipment.

Fundamentals of Split System Operations

In any Split System heat pump or air conditioning layout, two fundamental processes are involved:

1) Some form of refrigerant fluid provides the principle cooling power

2) The primary components of the cooling unit, evaporator and condenser, are located in separate physical locations.

Two points mark the distinction between a Split System heat pump and a Split System air conditioner:

  1. Heat pumps are capable of reversing the condenser and evaporator functions
  2. Being dedicated to cooling only, central air conditioning systems typically provide a better cooling energy-efficiency ratio than heat pumps.

Evaporator: Typically considered the starting junction of the cooling cycle, the evaporator receives high-pressure refrigerant liquid through a thermostatic expansion valve. Due to pressure differences and heat drawn from the surrounding medium of air or water, the liquid within the evaporator boils. Thus the evaporator captures the heat from within the building and transfers it to the refrigerant gas as it leaves the evaporator.

Compressor: In simple words, air conditioning systems transfer indoor heat to the outdoors. Heat pumps can reverse this function. The compressor within the system draws refrigerant gas from the evaporator, performs a compression process on the gas and then releases the compressed gas directly into the condenser.

Evaporator: Typically considered the starting junction of the cooling cycle, the evaporator receives high-pressure refrigerant liquid through a thermostatic expansion valve. Due to pressure differences and heat drawn from the surrounding medium of air or water, the liquid within the evaporator boils. Thus the evaporator captures the heat from within the building and transfers it to the refrigerant gas as it leaves the evaporator.

Compressor: In simple words, air conditioning systems transfer indoor heat to the outdoors. Heat pumps can reverse this function. The compressor within the system draws refrigerant gas from the evaporator, performs a compression process on the gas and then releases the compressed gas directly into the condenser.

Air Conditioning Season Ending? Not in Arizona: Are You Reaping the Benefits of Home Air Conditioning?

Written by American Cooling And Heating on . Posted in AC Installation.

For many U.S. states, the summer is ending. Like much of the nation, Arizona temperatures are dropping, but for local residents the seasonal changes are far from complete. The southwest is a bit different from most northern and eastern states. The average southwestern summer last five months rather than three. Air conditioning season lingers far longer than most residents care to endure.

According to current Phoenix, AZ weather reports, August 29th experienced a high of 106°F at 2:25pm. It’s still brutal out here – even for folks well adjusted to the heat. The National Weather Service in Phoenix, records a 1981 through 2010 average local September temperature of 88°F degrees with an average September high that hinges around 100°F degrees. Even October has been known to cook up a few days that served out as much as 106°F.

Reap the Benefits of a New Home Air Conditioning System

Buying a new air home cooling system involves many options, calculations and personal considerations. But getting through a scorching Arizona summer makes all the planning worth the while and the costs.

Home cooling resources come in many formats, including heat pumps, window units and central air conditioning systems. The benefits of going with a new unit, even late in the season, include:

  • Better energy efficiency
  • Lower energy bills
  • Government incentives
  • Special dealer discounts
  • And the cool air heat-reprieve that only an efficiently installed home air conditioning system can deliver.

Modern home cooling and heating systems provide advanced temperature control technology that not only reduces on energy waste but also helps ensure personal comfort in a well monitored home. Digital controls permit regulated temperature changes even while you are away from home. You can program specific settings to coincided with your personal traveling or working schedule.

Save energy during school hours. Avoid waste during vacation times. But always enjoy perfect air conditioning comfort whenever anyone is home to take advantage of the benefits.

A new home air conditioning system can:

  • Help decrease the humidity in your home
  • Provide better air filtration and purification
  • Reduce the need for additional Arizona air conditioning repair services
  • Help remove the spread of bacteria, pollen and fungal growth
  • Relieve and reduce the effects of allergies and asthma
  • Be up and running within twenty-four hours after you contact your Arizona heat pump installation expert.

Make Your Choices Wisely

Reaping the full benefits of a new Arizona air conditioning installation project requires the services of a trained and competent HVAC professional. The efficiency, the life-expectancy and the cost effectiveness of any new home cooling system is directly tied to proper unit sizing, expert installation and correct outdoor placement.

Bigger and more expensive is not necessarily a best choice. Let a professional help you understand the differences. In Arizona, the seasonal temperatures fit well with the performance of a heat pump. Even though a central air conditioning system can be more cost efficient for cooling, the benefits of a heat pump may be a better fit for your Arizona home.

Air conditioning season ending? Not in Arizona.

Welcome to the Arizona Season For a New Heat Pump

Written by American Cooling And Heating on . Posted in AC Repair.

Good news for residents of Phoenix, AZ. Your air conditioners and heat pumps are about to get a bit of rest. According to 12 News at Arizona Central, the current Metro Phoenix forecast calls for a few more days of dry skies and warm air, but high pressure relief is on the way. Look for a rise in moisture and a lowering in temperatures. Chances of rain and storms are on the horizon.

It’s the Arizona Season For Heat Pumps

Summer heat often forces area residents to buy new air conditioning equipment, but some have resisted the need. Yet recent Arizona temperatures have broken local and national records. The strain on home cooling units is evidenced by the increase in demand for air conditioning repairs. Everyone is glad to catch a wave of relief.

Even now, your home cooling unit may be on it’s last thrust of cooling breath. Perhaps you seen it coming, but you have held back on buying a new system due to financial setbacks – or even as a measure of sound financial planning. You know a new central cooling system won’t reap a great payback this late in the season. But perhaps, a heat pump can make it worth while to take the plunge. Now may indeed be the time to make preparations for the coming of cool weather and for next summer’s new burst of Phoenix heat rises.

Heat pumps give you the best of both worlds. During the sweaty Arizona summers, an air conditioning replacement may seem the primary road to follow. But now, cooler weather is on the way. With a heat pump, you can gain all the benefits of central cooling while also gaining an inexpensive victory over winter chills. Why crank up that gas sucking central furnace system when a new heat pump will suffice the present need?

Both air conditioners and heat pumps provide society with extended means of home comfort. Both are readily available and either can be quickly installed by your local Arizona air conditioning service expert. But heat pumps provide a slight bonus over standard central cooling.

The principle of operation is identical between the two systems: Both extract warm air from cold air. But a heat pump also includes a “reverse” switch. Where the AC pulls warm air from inside the home and replaces it with cool air, the heat pump can also pull warm air from outside the home and send inside the home.

Location – The Critical Component

It’s all a matter of where you live. Air conditioners are a bit more energy efficient at cooling, yet a heat pump provides inexpensive heat against external temperatures down to about 40 degrees. If the average outdoor temperature in your location typically drops below 40 degrees, a heat pump will provide insignificant savings in operation costs.

However, according to the National Weather Service in Phoenix, AZ, the months of November, December and January are the coolest months for the area. It’s a season when the average Arizona lows typically hit around 40 to 45 degrees. You may need a furnace for times when conditions exceed the average, but in most events a heat pump can provide the bulk of your Phoenix area heating and cooling needs.

Time to Bite the Bullet

If you’ve delayed on buying a new, state-of-the-art cooling system, perhaps now is the time to act upon the need. Your Arizona air conditioning replacement specialists can help you make the right choice for your home. Cut down on your cooling and heating expenses. Now is the time to reap the benefits of a new heat pump installation.

The Invisible Costs of Using Air Conditioning Systems

Written by American Cooling And Heating on . Posted in AC Installation, AC Service.

In times past, the Southwest has been known to use “swamp coolers” for general residential cooling purposes. The energy consumption of a swamp cooler – better known as an evaporative cooler – is typically two to four times less than a modern air conditioning system. Thus arise a serious question:

With 56 percent of the total home energy bill going toward heating and cooling, is the switch toward air conditioning worth the affect it has on climate, health and resources?

In a white paper produced by Arunima Chatterjee and Melanie Lenart, the process of energy versus water as a home cooling method is studied in detail. The researchers compare the costs for cooling a typical 2,000-square-foot home using both types of cooling systems. In application, they say that a swamp cooler can cool the home for as little as 250 kilowatt-hours per month, whereas an air conditioner will consume 850 kilowatt-hours per month when cooling the same Tucson Arizona home. This implies a monthly cost difference of better than $60.00 at current Arizona electric rates.

Water, a Natural Resource Not Fully Accounted In Expense

In a further report from the Environmental Research Laboratory at the University of Arizona, T. Lewis Thompson noted that a swamp cooler could use an average of 150 gallons of water in a single day. Arizona temperatures, extended heat waves and battles with run-away fires enhance the value of water. Since standard air conditioning systems do not make direct use of water, it would first appear that the swamp coolers are wasting valuable resources.

However, University of Arizona researchers have been quick to point out the indirect water consumption of a typical air conditioning system. In Arizona, hydropower consumes approximately 65 gallons of water for every kilowatt-hour of generated electricity. Likewise, coal-fired plants consume around half a gallon to produce one kilowatt-hour of electricity.

Effectiveness, The Primary Measuring Stick

Since swamp coolers make use of evaporative cooling, their effectiveness is hindered during monsoon season. The storms bring moist air, but the swamp coolers function best in a dry environment. Air conditioning is not limited by external weather conditions. Being thermostatically controlled, air conditioning systems provide Arizona homeowners with regulated temperature regardless of external or internal humidity.

Climate Changes

Some researchers claim that air conditioners generate more global warming than do swamp coolers. Yet the argument typically fails to include the greenhouse gases produced by coal-driven electrical sources.

Issues Pertaining to Personal Health

Researchers also claim that evaporative cooling provides a better quality of indoor air. Reasoning centers around the filtering system of a swamp cooler. In principle, the pads of a swamp cooler are always moist, thereby capable of trapping dust and pollen more effectively than conventional air conditioning systems. Additionally, the swamp coolers are praised for adding moisture to the inside air, thus preventing dry eyes, throats and skin.

However, air conditioners are credited as more efficient when dealing with re-circulated indoor air. The counter-arguments also suggest that conventional air conditioning systems magnify indoor air pollution, yet high-efficiency filters can easily remedy the situation.

Stay in the Swamp or Switch to Modern Air Conditioning

Most Arizona residents now use conventional air conditioning units. None of the above arguments take into account the benefits of calling an Arizona heat pump installation expert. The continual yearly rise in Arizona temperatures will force society to consider every option in energy conservation, resource preservation and personal health.

Right now, a heat pump provides a reasonable point of balance. By increasing the energy efficiency of home heating methods, heat pumps create an effective balance to a difficult situation.

Replacng Your Air Conditioning System With a New Heat Pump

Written by American Cooling And Heating on . Posted in Heat Pumps.

Owning a home is never burden free. Appliances, particularly the big-ticket items such as heat pumps, central air conditioning units and furnaces, don’t last forever. A major part of effectively managing your home finances requires that you deal with the maintenance of heating and cooling equipment. But sometimes, you can’t keep it working. If a replacement is in order, perhaps a new heat pump installation project is your best solution.

Aiming For the Best in Current Technology

Choosing a new home heating and cooling solution involves several major decisions. Brand name, energy-efficiency and SEER ratings all play into the picture, but these are the backend options – choices that come after identifying the primary reasons for installing new air conditioning equipment. The preliminary choices involve the following concepts:

  • Location – Cold weather regions have a lower demand for central air conditioning, but demand advanced heating resources. Likewise, high temperature areas such as Arizona and other Southwestern states require extra expenditures in home cooling resources.
  • Condition of the Home – Older homes may have less efficient insulation in the ceilings and walls, drafty windows and leaky ductwork. Even new homes can sometimes benefit from a bit of general upkeep and repair. Make the upgrades before choosing a heating and cooling system.
  • Long-Term Goals – Perhaps you are seeking a short-term presale solution to a worn out central air conditioner system or an obsolete furnace unit. Or maybe you are outfitting a summer cottage that sees very light seasonal traffic. Compare the need to the cost.
  • Benefits of Advanced Technology – In a survey performed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9.6 percent of the Arizona test group suffered from asthma. Only eight other states exceeded the Arizona average. Modern heating and cooling technology also includes advanced air filtration systems that can help reduce the home sufferings of allergy and asthma patients. If this affects you, plan it into the purchase cost.
  • Extended Benefits of a Heat Pump – In the Arizona desert, a little extra boost in heating can greatly reduce the overall heating bill. Heat pumps function in the same manner as standard central air conditioning, however they also include the ability to reverse the process thereby lifting heat from the outside air and using it to warm your home at a reduced cost. Arizona is prime heat pump country.

Something Has Got To Change

If you can’t keep it working, why not contact your local Arizona heat pump installation professional. New equipment ensures that you get the best in energy efficiency, home comfort and trouble-free service. When the old system suffers from recurring problems, repair costs mount up quickly. A new heat pump can ease your mind, eliminate the complications and provide better management of your home finances.

Heat pumps function best when installed correctly in a well-insulated and well-sealed house. They produce warm air, not hot air, yet this is often more than sufficient for your Arizona heating needs. A typical gas burning furnace pumps out heat to the tune of 150 degree F. A typical heat pump comes in at 100 to 120 degrees F.

When the Arizona heat pump service expert knocks on the door, you can get the best in central air conditioning while gaining the added benefits of cheaper heat during the early months of winter and sometimes even year-round. It is a variable alternative to standalone cooling and standalone heating.

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