How an Split AC works?

Split AC Working

Hey Guys, Today we'll be discussing about how an "Split AC' works.

Someday during the summers you might have wondered that how the AC that's keeping you fresh in the scorching heat actually works.

One interesting thing I would like to tell you is that the refrigerator and the air conditioner primarily works on the same methods. It's just that refrigerator cools on a comparatively smaller, insulated environment.

Your air conditioner uses chemicals that convert gas to liquid and back again very quickly. These chemicals transfer the heat from the air inside your room to the outside environment.

The AC unit has three key parts:

1. The compressor
2. The condenser
3. The evaporator

Your unit’s compressor and condenser are typically located in the outside part of the air conditioning system. Inside the house is where you will find the evaporator(Advantage of split AC).

The cooling fluid reaches the compressor as a low-pressure gas. The compressor compresses this gas/fluid, and the molecules in the liquid are packed closer together{Science guys must be having fun :-)}. The closer the compressor forces these molecules together, the higher the temperature rise.

This working fluid exits the compressor as a high-pressure, hot gas, and it moves to the condenser. The outside unit of an AC system has metal fins all around. These fins work like the radiator on a vehicle, and they help dissipate heat very quickly.

When the fluid leaves the condenser, it is much cooler. It’s also changed from a gas to liquid because of the high pressure. The fluid makes its way into the evaporator through a narrow hole and when the liquid reaches the other side of this passage, its pressure drops. When this happens, the fluid begins to evaporate to gas.

As this occurs, the heat is extracted from the surrounding air. This heat is required to separate the molecules of the liquid into a gas. The metal fins on the evaporator also help exchange thermal energy with the surrounding air.

When the refrigerant leaves the evaporator, it is once again a low-pressure, chilled gas. The process starts all over when it goes back to the compressor. There is a fan that’s connected to the evaporator, and it circulates air around the inside of the property and across the fins of the evaporator.

The air conditioner sucks air into the ducts through a vent. This air is used to cool gas in the evaporator, and as the heat is removed from the air, it’s cooled. Ducts then blow air back into the house.

This process continues until the inside air of your home or business reaches the desired temperature. When the thermostat(a device that automatically regulates temperature, or that activates a device when the temperature reaches a certain point) senses that the interior temperature is at the desired level, it turns the AC off. When the room heats up again, the thermostat turns the AC back on until the preferred temperature is achieved again.

This process can be better understood by looking at the below diagram:

A more comprehensive image:

That's it for today guys, I hope you must have understood the working of an split air conditioner. Don't forget to share it with your friends and family.

Signing off,

Your Geeky Dost