An air conditioner pump, more accurately described as a compressor within the air conditioning system, works by circulating refrigerant and changing its pressure to facilitate the cooling process. Let's break down how it works:
The Refrigerant Cycle
The air conditioner doesn't actually "pump" air to cool a room. Instead, it uses a special substance called a refrigerant to move heat. This refrigerant goes through a cycle of evaporation and condensation, driven by the compressor.
Compressor Functionality
The heart of the air conditioning system is the compressor.
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Compression: The air conditioner's compressor works by compressing refrigerant vapour, which increases its pressure and turns it into a hot gas. Think of it like squeezing a balloon - the air inside gets hotter.
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Hot Gas Delivery: This high-pressure, hot refrigerant gas is then sent to the condenser.
Condenser Operation
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Heat Release: The condenser is located outside. It looks like a radiator and is often paired with a fan. Cooling/condensing of the hot gas is achieved by drawing ambient air through the condensing coil using a fan, which leaves as hot air. As the hot refrigerant gas passes through the condenser coils, the fan blows air across them, removing heat.
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Phase Change: As the refrigerant loses heat in the condenser, it changes from a hot gas into a high-pressure liquid.
Expansion Valve
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Pressure Reduction: The high-pressure liquid refrigerant then flows to an expansion valve (or metering device). This valve reduces the pressure of the liquid refrigerant.
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Cooling Effect: Reducing the pressure causes the refrigerant to become very cold.
Evaporator
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Heat Absorption: The cold, low-pressure refrigerant now enters the evaporator coils, located inside the air handler (the part of the AC unit inside your house). As warm air from your room is blown across the evaporator coils, the refrigerant absorbs the heat, cooling the air.
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Phase Change (Again): As the refrigerant absorbs heat, it evaporates and turns back into a low-pressure gas.
Back to the Compressor
- Cycle Restart: The low-pressure refrigerant gas then returns to the compressor, and the whole cycle begins again.
In summary, the compressor is the key to this heat-moving process, creating the pressure difference necessary for the refrigerant to absorb heat inside and release it outside.
