We’ve got great news for you. If your air conditioner is getting on in years, the new models are so much better that you’ll be astonished. And it’s true that your old air conditioner has gotten less effective and less efficient as it reaches the end of its life. But these new high-efficiency air conditioners use significantly less energy than your old one did, even when it was first installed!
Today’s air conditioners have changed. There have been some big improvements in how these systems work, and AC manufacturers have managed to make air conditioners that save you energy (and money!) while keeping you gloriously cool. How do these new high-efficiency air conditioners work? What’s changed in how they’re made? We’ll explain all about it.
Some Background Information
In order to understand what the changes have accomplished, it’s helpful to first make sure you’ve got a solid comprehension of the basics of how air conditioners work. They have two units, one outdoors and one in. The indoor unit contains evaporator coils, which the chemical refrigerant runs through as it absorbs heat, the blower fan which distributes the now-cool air, and the motor that powers the fan.
Outdoors, where the refrigerant flows once it’s soaked up the heat, the condenser coils allow that heat to be released. This unit also contains the compressor, an extremely critical component. It pressurizes the refrigerant. This keeps that cycle going, so the refrigerant continues to flow, absorbing and releasing, absorbing and releasing.
New AC Innovations
Air conditioners do have a lot of fiddly little components, screws and wires, thermostats, and condensate drains, but the ones where the biggest recent improvements have been made are the big three that we’ve already explained: the coils the refrigerant runs through, the motor that powers the blower fan, and the compressor itself.
The coils need to allow for maximum heat transfer, so the refrigerant can change in temperature as much and as quickly as possible, so it can move more heat out of your home more easily. To do this, manufacturers have researched materials with the highest possible thermal conductivity. Today’s coils are made of materials that transfer heat so easily that they can do the job with much less use of energy.
The motor, in older AC units, has either been on, at full power, or off. But that full power just isn’t always required. Today, there are variable-speed motors. They can run super-efficiently the vast majority of the time. When that full power really is required, these motors will automatically transition, providing all the cooling you need while cutting your energy costs.
Finally, the compressor has traditionally also been either on or off, and this is the component that uses the most energy in the system. Multi-phase compressors have been invented now, which can automatically ramp up to full power as needed, but mostly run in low-power mode, saving even more energy, and cutting electric bills even more.
If you’re concerned about needing air conditioning replacement in Ponchatoula, LA, get excited instead! These systems will make your home wonderfully comfortable while keeping your utility costs down.
When you need it done right, contact Professional Heating & Air.