Even when we use it all the time in our homes, we still may not know exactly what an Air Conditioner is, how it works, or some other product specifications.
This is important if you already have an air conditioning system at home or if you are planning to buy an air conditioner as it may save you a lot of time, effort, and potentially money, while helping with a decision to purchase.
So, keep reading. We assure you that after you finish reading this article you will feel like an expert in the matter.
What exactly is Air Conditioning?
Air conditioning is the process of conditioning the air of an occupied space in order to maintain a relationship between temperature and humidity. This will bring you comfort and give you a pleasant feeling.
Without air conditioning, you will feel easily tired and lethargic. In fact, your productivity and confidence will be lowered. For this reason, during the summertime, air conditioning will be your best ally to cool your place so you can enjoy your daily activities in a comfortable environment.
How does Air Conditioning work?
The general idea behind Air Conditioning is based on the refrigeration cycle, which relies on the idea that heat in the air can be captured and transferred from inside the home to outside and back again by a chemical called Refrigerant.
This chemical is pumped around absorbing and rejecting heat by changing its physical state from gas to liquid and back again.
What are the parts of an Air Conditioner?
The process described above is performed by an air conditioning unit which is commonly known as an Air Conditioner. Therefore, an air conditioning system is basically formed by
- Compressor: Pump for moving around the Refrigerant.
- Condenser: Coil that turns the Refrigerant from Gas into.
- Restriction Device: Device that turns Liquid into a Liquid-Vapor Mixture.
- Evaporator: Coil that turns the Refrigerant from Liquid into Gas.
Air Conditioner unit vs. system?
Air Conditioning Units typically refers to physical units that contain air conditioning components. These units can include all components required to make up an air con system. Alternatively, an air conditioning system can consist of multiple AC units.
Outdoor Aircon Units can contain the compressor, condenser heat exchange coil, fan motor/s and printed circuit board/s. In comparison, an Indoor Aircon Unit may consist of the evaporator heat exchange coil, remote signal receiver, fan and filters.
Common stand-alone air conditioner units include Wall or Window Room Air Conditioners (RAC’s, AKA “Window Rattlers”). These units are also referred to as Box Units because they contain all air conditioning parts in one Box or Unit.
Air Conditioning Units can be used for small spaces whereas an Air Conditioning System is usually installed to provide cool air to large spaces. One exception to this is Package Units, but they are more common in the commercial setting.
For Small Places
There are several kinds of Air Conditioning Units that will perform the same job with different processes. The appropriate selection of the unit depends on your needs because, besides air conditioning, some units can also work as Humidifiers, Heating Units, and Purifiers.
However, it does not matter which Air Conditioning Unit you choose, with all of them, you will enjoy cool air and comfort during the summertime while the refrigerant works.
For Larger Places
Trying to condition the air of a large environment or a building could be a pain in the neck. However, you can get an air conditioning system that works in large places as well. These systems are intended to save you money while providing extreme comfort in large spaces or buildings.
- Even though the working principle of these systems is the same as Air Conditioning Units, they can be formed by one or more compressors, evaporators, and condensers combined into one
However, it is very important for you to let this be designed by an expert and maintained by specialists. This way you don’t have to worry about your Air Conditioning Unit/System, you only have to enjoy its benefits.
Who invented Air Conditioning?
At this point, you must be wondering who the genius behind the air conditioning idea is? Well, let us tell you that the idea of cooling down indoor spaces dates back to the ancient Egyptians, who used wet mats over their doorways to lower the temperature at their homes.
Then, Benjamin Franklyn in 1758, was the first person studying the refrigeration effects of certain liquids. He was able to establish the possibility of freezing to death even during a warm summer day.
After that, in 1820, Michael Faraday was able to cool the air inside his laboratory by compressing and liquidizing gases. In 1851, John Gorrie patented a ‘cool air machine’ that helped to keep the yellow fever patients cool.
However, it was not until 1902 that Willis Carrier invented a system to maintain a constant, comfortable temperature and humidity inside his company. Even though this system was invented with the goal of solving a problem caused by excessive humidity on multi-color printing, the idea of conditioning indoor air was born.
Where was Air Conditioning created?
Willis Carrier is credited as the inventor of the first modern air conditioner. He was born in Angola, New York, however, his invention took place in Brooklyn, New York.
Sometime after Carrier’s invention, Stuart Cramer created a similar device to ventilate a textile plant. He was the first person to coin the term “air conditioning” to describe the purpose of his invention.
What about Window Air Conditioners?
Robert Sherman invented the first window air conditioner unit in 1931. These systems were still expensive, but they were easier to install and didn’t use much space in the house. It was only used to cool down rooms and small spaces.
What is the importance of Air Conditioning?
Robert Sherman invented the first window air conditioner unit in 1931. These systems were still expensive, but they were easier to install and didn’t use much space in the house. It was only used to cool down rooms and small spaces.
How does it improve productivity and HEALTH?
Air Conditioning helps you to maintain an appropriate temperature inside your house while purifying the air using a filter. That filter will catch dirt particles, dust, and bacteria, letting you enjoy high quality and fresh, clean air.
Furthermore, this filtered air creates a cleaner and healthier environment for you, your family, and your children who will be protected from diseases transferred by air. This is not only ideal for residential environments, but also for commercial environments where a lot of people perform different activities for several hours per day.
Your comfort and health will be drastically improved by air conditioning. The best bit is, it can also improve your efficiency at work! This is because people working in hot, warm, and humid environments can become fatigued much quicker than others.
For this reason, having air conditioning will let you enjoy a comfortable working environment with atmospheric conditions that will highly improve the way you work and will lead you to become more efficient.
Are there any other benefits?
Yes! Better quality of sleep is associated with Air Conditioning. Setting the right temperature for your space will help you improve your sleep quality and boost your energy when waking up.
Also, with Air Conditioning, you don’t have to keep your windows wide open to cool the room down. This prevents bugs from entering the house and biting you.
Is air conditioning an essential service?
Nowadays, Air Conditioning has become essential especially in countries that have 4 distinct seasons. In Australia, for example, Air Conditioning Units are considered standard equipment for homes and public places.
This is because hot temperatures in Australia can get over the top and people want to be able to enjoy a cool environment either in their houses or other common places such as Movie Theatres, Shopping Malls, and many other places.
Moreover, Air Conditioning has helped to grow the population in cities with oppressive weather like deserts. For this reason, if you are considering investing in Air Conditioning, trust me, it would be the best investment of your life!
