Common Air Conditioner Questions

When the summer heat hits there is nothing better than stepping into an air conditioned room. The cool air whisks away the heat of the sun and just makes you feel better. Some people want just a cool breeze while others want the temperatures of winter in their home when the heat is beating everyone down. Not everyone can live in a temperate climate where the temperature stays constant year round. Some live in areas where the temperature can climb well over a hundred degrees mid-day.

That is just too hot! Have you given your air conditioner much thought? What would it be like to be without an air conditioner and suffering in the summer heat and humidity? Those little wonders can save frazzled nerves and make you feel refreshed again. This article will cover the basics of air conditioners and hopefully have you feeling cool again in no time.

When was the first air conditioner developed?

This is a tricky question because there have been cooling fans in existence since the 2nd century when a Chinese inventor by the name of Ding Huan created the first rotary fan. The Romans used aqueducts and cooling towers to pump water into buildings to help cool the air. This was a very expensive way to cool the buildings and homes of the wealthy.

It was not until 1820 that the British inventor Michael Faraday found out that compressing and liquefying ammonia could invent ice and chill the air when it evaporated. This compressor technology was taken a step farther when Dr. John Gorrie created ice to cool the air around his patients. In fact Dr. Gorrie envisioned large scale air conditioning systems that would cool cities but alas, his dream died and it was not until fifty years later that the air conditioner unit came to be.

How does an air conditioner work?

Air conditioners work by taking warm or hot air from the outside and pumping it over cooling coils located on the inside of the air conditioner. In the past Freon was used as the cooling liquid that would cool the air before pumping it inside. Today Freon is known to be a detrimental gas to the ozone layer. In response to this CFC refrigerants were developed but even these have been replaced by more environmentally friendly coolants such as R-22.

What is better: a window unit or central air?

That is a difficult question and largely depends on how big of an area you will be cooling down. If you live in a loft or a one bedroom home or office you may be better serviced by a window unit. Large spaces are inefficiently cooled by window units. It would take several to cool down each of the rooms in the home. Central air, on the other hand, can be pumped in from a unit located outside or inside and used to cool the entire house at once. It may be more cost efficient to use a central air unit to cool down a home or large office.

What is an HVAC?

HVAC stands for "heating, ventilating, and air conditioning" and is a large central unit that monitors and implements the heating system, the ventilating system and the air conditioning system from the same unit. Many HVAC systems are used primarily in large buildings to help regulate the temperature and the humidity of the environment.

What is a 'Persian Cooler?'

The Persian Cooler is actually called an evaporative cooler. It is used heavily in hotter climates such as in Iran where the largest concentration of these units are made and used. The Persian Cooler works by drawing in the hot air from the outside and running it through water soaked pad. The actual temperature of the air is not changed but the quality and humidity of the air is changed to more of a "dry" heat. This type of cooler gave Dr. John Gorrie the inspiration of using ice instead of the wet pad for his Apalachicola patients in 1842.

How can I reduce my electric bills in the summer due to my air conditioner bill?

The first thing you can do is to set the thermostat around seventy-five degrees. It may seem warm in the home but if you set the temperature at a constant degree rather than varying it according to your heat level you can save a lot of money. You can also take steps to make sure your home is properly insulated. This will prevent hot air from entering your home. Another way to cut the heat inside is to keep the blinds drawn whenever possible. A darkened atmosphere in the home will be cooler than one in which all of the blinds and drapes are opened. Ceiling fans are another great way to reduce the stagnant, warm air in your home. The fans circulate the cool air and will help lower the temperature and make you feel cooler.

Who do I call when something goes wrong with my air conditioner?

The best advice is to call a heating and cooling technician that is familiar with your type of unit. If you have a Ruud then you will want to call someone who is familiar with that brand of air conditioning unit. Some people will want to try to fix the problem themselves and there is nothing wrong with that if that person is knowledgeable about basic air conditioning systems. There are plenty of do it yourself websites that can help you fix your air conditioner yourself. It is always advisable to seek out knowledgeable help before you begin though just in case you run into a problem that is out of your realm of knowledge.

What does it mean when my lines in my air conditioner are coated in ice?

There can be many reasons why your air conditioner lines are icing up. One of the most prevalent reasons is a loss of pressure or the unit being low in coolant. The only way to know for sure is to let the lines defrost and then attempt to run the unit again. If it ices up again then you know that something is definitely wrong. Sometimes a humid environment where the outside is cooler than the inside will cause the unit's lines to freeze up. It is best to locate a air conditioning specialist to help determine the root cause of the problem though.

Do I need to change my air conditioner filters often?

Yes, it is very important to change your air conditioning filters often. A blocked filter filled with dirt and debris limits the air flow to the unit and can cause the unit to ice up and not perform at the best of its abilities. You should check your unit at least once a month to see if the air conditioning filters are free from dirt and debris.

How are air conditioners controlled?

Air conditioners are controlled by thermostats. You set the thermostat at the desired level of coolness and it sends an electrical signal to the unit. This signal tells the unit how long to run and pump cool air into the home or office. It will also let the unit know when to stop pumping air. It is important for a thermostat to be running correctly. If something is wrong with the thermostat the unit may not work properly.

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