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How a Central Air Conditioner Works

By TIMOTHY THIELE Updated on 09/20/22
Reviewed by KELLY BACON

HowaCentralAirConditionerWorks

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When hot days in spring, summer, and early fall come rolling in, it's
nice to have a cooling system in place in your home to beat the heat.
Some people have portable window air conditioners to cool the
house, while others have central air conditioners. They both work
well; you need to determine your usage pattern to decide what makes
the most sense for you.
the most sense for you.
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Central air conditioners are favored for homes that require cooling
throughout all their spaces; however, it is costlier in most cases.
Window units effectively cool a room, provided they are sized
correctly for the room. The energy to use a window unit versus a
sizeable central air compressor varies dramatically, so if you only
need one room cooled versus the whole house, it makes sense to use
more localized units to save on energy usage and costs. However, if
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you need to buy and maintain more than five window units, they will
be more expensive than buying and maintaining a central air
conditioner.

What Is Central Air?

To cool your home, you have several options: a centralized system of
ducts throughout your home (central air), a ductless mini-split or
floor mount, window air conditioners, or portable air conditioners.
Each method works essentially the same; the air conditioner removes
heat and humidity from the indoor air and returns cooled air to the
indoor space, transferring the unwanted heat and humidity outside.
The most significant difference between them is how air gets
circulated throughout your home: do you have a system of ducts that
reaches the entire home? Or is the unit localized to a room? Central
air works in each room that has ducts connected to it. Meanwhile, all
the other systems are localized—cooling the air of the space where
the unit is mounted or positioned.

A central air system cools all the rooms connected to ducts at once,
getting the home cooler quickly. However, it is the most expensive
method of home cooling.

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How Does Central Air Work?

Central air conditioners incorporate two different coils to cool your
home. The cooling compressor is set outside the home, separate from
the fan unit used to blow the cool air throughout the home on the
central air unit. The central air unit can cool the entire home evenly
by using the existing heating and cooling ducts throughout the home.

The coil outside of your home is called the condensing coil. It

consists of a compressor, condensing coil condenser fan, and a grill to
protect persons from coming into contact with the fan blade, a case
built around all of the components, controls, and two refrigerant lines
that run into the home to the evaporator coil.

The refrigerant inside the compressor is pumped through the

evaporator coil inside, which cools the air as the furnace fan blows air
through the coil. The coil absorbs the heat from the air. Then the
refrigerant flows back outside to the condenser coil, and this is where
the heat that was absorbed is released. The refrigerant returns to a
liquid form as it is cooled, and the cycle continues until the home
reaches the desired temperature.

Maintaining Your Central Air Conditioner

To keep the central air conditioner working properly, regular
maintenance is required. Maintenance includes replacing filters
regularly, oiling the fan motor, and keeping the parts clean and
debris-free. To oil the motor, turn off the power to the system and
remove the fan cage, which holds the fan motor in place. Turn the
cage assembly upside down to access the oil ports on the motor.

These ports will be located on the top of the motor, just below the
motor's fan blade. Remove the oil plugs that protect the motor from
debris. Each port should be oiled with three drops of all-purpose,
three-in-one oil. Spin the fan blade slowly by hand to disperse the oil
within the fan. Now, replace the oil plugs and wipe any excess oil that
might have spilled. You should repeat this process each season to
ensure proper lubrication and longevity for your fan motor. 
Cleaning the Cooling Fans
At least once a year, especially before the season starts, turn off the
unit and use a garden hose to clean the cooling fins to remove any
dirt, grass clippings, leaves, and other debris from the unit. Hot, dry
summer days and windy, sand-blowing winds helped cake the
condenser's fins and lessen the cooling capacity. 

You need to change the filter on your furnace's return air duct often
to get good airflow. A dirty filter will cause low airflow and can cause
the unit to freeze up, restricting airflow even more.

One last thing to consider is the furnace's fan responsible for blowing
the cool air out into your home. It needs a fair amount of
maintenance. The fan needs to be oiled from time to time, just like
the outdoor unit.

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