Carrier Colorado High Efficiency Air Conditioning with Environmentally Friendly Puron R410A

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How does air conditioning work?

What is Refrigerant?

What does SEER Mean?

How Does Air Conditioning Work?

Most people think that air conditioners lower temperatures by adding cool air into their home. Air Conditioners actually work by a process of chemical reactions that extract heat out of air. Think of what happens when you put ice in a glass of liquid. The outside of the glass condenses. The cold liquid inside the glass is absorbing the heat around it, turning the water in the air from the gas state (water vapor) to a liquid state. This is a very simple example of the process used in air conditioning.

Air conditioners are made up of several different components. If you´ve ever looked inside of an air conditioner there isn´t much to it. The fan, fan motor, the compressor, and the condenser coil are the main players in the air conditioning process, but the refrigerant is what makes it all possible. Here is a basic description of the evaporation cycle:

1. The air conditioner compressor compresses the refrigerant, causing it to become a hot, high pressure gas.

2. The hot gas runs through a set of coils so it can dissipate heat, then it condenses into a liquid.

3. The liquid runs through an expansion valve, where it becomes a cold, low pressure gas.

4. The cold gas runs through a set of coils where the gas absorbs the heat from inside your home.

5. The air is circulated in your home by the blower fan on your furnace or fan coil.

6. The heat from your home is returned to the air conditioner, where it is dissipated in the condenser coil, and the condenser fan blows the heat off of the coil into the outside air.

The evaporation process is repeated over and over again until the inside temperature reaches the set point on the thermostat.

What is refrigerant?

A refrigerant is a gas that contains properties that extract heat out of the air. In the early days of refrigeration, many of the chemicals that were used were toxic gases such as ammonia, chloromethane and sulfur dioxide. Many of the chemicals were flammable, and some where even used in chemical warfare! How would you like those chemicals running through the coils in your refrigerator?

Today, refrigerants must meet strict guidelines for safety and efficiency.

1. They must be able to absorb heat

2. They must be inflammable

3. They must be chlorine free

4. They must be able to carry oil to lubricate the compressor.

The refrigerant used in home air conditioning from 1980 - today, widely know as Freon R-22, is a product know as a hydrochlorofluorocarbon, or HCFC. R-22 is currently being phased out because it contains chlorine, a gas known to deplete the ozone layer. In 1996, Carrier Corporation introduced Puron Refrigerant (R410A) as a replacement for R-22. Puron is an HFC and contains no chlorine. R410A is now accepted by the industry as being the leading replacement for R-22.

What does SEER mean?

SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. It is a measurement of how efficient an air conditioner will operate over an entire season, sort of like MPG for air conditioning. A more accurate measurement of an air conditioner is EER- Energy Efficiency Ratio. It´s a measure of how efficiently a cooling system will operate when the outdoor temperature is a specific level (95°). The higher the SEER or EER rating, the more efficient the air conditioner is.

Today, air conditioners range from 13 – 21 SEER. Air Conditioners with a SEER rating of at least 16 SEER and 13 EER qualify for a federal tax credit. It is important to note that many of the high SEER air conditioners require a variable speed furnace to reach the federally mandated ratings.

For more information about Carrier Heating and Cooling Products, federal tax credits and local utility rebates, visit us at www.carriercolorado.com

Tim Brooks

Tim Brooks is a twenty two year veteran of the HVAC industry. He currently belongs to a number of industry associations, including the Colorado Home Builders Association, Energy Efficiency Building Council, and the Carrier Distributor Advisory Council. He is the chairman of the Carrier Product Development board for the furnace product line.

Tim´s personal interests include community work, golfing, reading and industry participation.