Air conditioning was invented by Willis Carrier in 1902, and since then it has transformed our lives. Today, we can all escape the stifling heat and sweltering humidity by stepping into an air conditioned room. In Cincinnati, air conditioning systems help us handle the summer, keeping high temperatures at bay.  But how does your air conditioning actually cool the air? What’s the process involved?

Technically speaking, air conditioning systems don’t cool the air: they remove heat from the air. The process starts with the refrigerant, a type of gas that moves easily from a gaseous state to a liquid state. The refrigerant begins as a cool gas, and then enters a compressor, which heats the gas up by increasing the pressure. The hot gas travels through the condenser coils, which bleeds the heat into the outside air and cools the gas into a liquid state (though it remains under high pressure).

The gas travels through an expansion valve and into evaporator coils, where it becomes a gas again. Because refrigerants turn into gas at a low temperature, the process pulls heat from the nearby air. A fan then blows across the now-cool coils, pushing cool air into the duct system and throughout your house. The refrigerant ends the process as a cool gas again, where it re-enters the compressor and starts the process anew.

Like all pieces of machinery, your air conditioning system can be subjected to wear and tear. It also gets dirty, becomes clogged and slowly loses refrigerant over time. All of which impacts the system’s ability to function. You can keep much of these issues at bay by scheduling regular maintenance with a qualified technician, which can prevent malfunctioning and extend the life of your unit. When something more significant occurs, one of our technicians can correct it with speed and efficiency.

GC Home Services Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. handles air conditioning issues in Cincinnati and most of the surrounding area. Call us today to set up an appointment.