If you’re like a lot of homeowners, you don’t think about your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system too much. However, this important system in your home performs a lot of different functions. Each home may have a slightly different HVAC system and setup, and it is important to have a basic understanding of how the types of equipment work.
People who live in places that have cold winter weather typically have a furnace for heat. A furnace uses a fuel such as natural gas. A pilot light in the burner chamber ignites the natural gas, producing a flame and heat. An air blower moves air that captures the heat. The heated air passes through an air filter and makes its way into your home’s air ducts. The air ducts end with vent openings. These openings allow the warm air to enter your home’s living spaces.
Heat Pumps
Homes located in moderate climates often have a heat pump instead of a furnace. A heat pump operates on electricity. It has an outdoor compressor and an indoor condenser. During the wintertime, the heat pump captures heat from the outdoor air. A chemical refrigerant absorbs the heat. It heats air in the air handler, and the air handler blows the warmed air into the air ducts. The chemical refrigerant can also operate in a reversed cycle. In the summertime, the refrigerant captures heat energy from inside your home. It releases that heat to the outdoors. In this manner, the heat pump operates like an air conditioner.
Central air conditioners capture heat energy and moisture from inside of your home and dissipate it to the outdoors. The refrigerant absorbs the heat, which cycles through the tubing and is propelled away through the outdoor compressor unit’s fins. The moisture is condensed by the condenser unit located inside your house. The condenser unit has a drain pan and pipe. The water drains away through your wastewater system.Contact us at Plumbing & A/C Medic in Phoenix today for more information about HVAC systems and how they work.
