Central Air Conditioning

What is a Central Air Conditioning System?

Also known as central A/C, central air conditioning systems cool air in a central location and distribute the air to multiple rooms using fans and ductwork. A basic air conditioner can refer to a single unit or the cooling half of your HVAC system, but central air conditioning refers to a whole home cooling solution that is ideal for large spaces.

How much is a central air conditioning system?

Prices will vary from region to region, however, the cost to install and purchase a central air conditioning system will range from $5,000 to upwards of $20,000 depending on the brand, number of cooling stages, and more.

What are the parts of a central air conditioning system?

The four major components of your central air conditioning system include the evaporator coil, condenser coil, compressor and expansion valve. The evaporator coil is located inside of your home and within it, refrigerant turns into a gas as it absorbs heat and humidity from your home. 

The refrigerant then transports that heat and humidity throughout the AC system before eventually bringing it to the condenser coil, which is located outside of your home. The condenser coil is where the refrigerant releases the heat and humidity it has been carrying, which ultimately turns the refrigerant back into a liquid, ready to start the process again. In a nutshell, the evaporator coil and condenser coil work as counterparts to cool your home.

Plus the compressor, which is outside your home, works with the condenser coil to turn the refrigerant into liquid by pressurizing its gaseous form after heat and humidity are released. And, the expansion valve works with the evaporator coil to regulate the amount of liquid refrigerant moving throughout the system.

Your central AC also has an AC capacitor that resembles a shiny, cylinder-shaped battery and is responsible for energizing the AC system’s motors that fuel this entire process. To learn more about how HVAC systems work, watch this video to get heating and cooling system basics.

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