Poorly performing and non-functional air conditioning system can be quite annoying. A car air conditioning system consists of a compact version of the components of the normal air conditioner that has an evaporator, compressor, condenser, expansion device, and a fan which are fitted in a car to provide air condition inside the passenger’s compartment. The auto AC system has three jobs in total – (1) Increase the internal temperature in your car (in winter), (2) cool down the interior and (3) defrosting the windshield. The Best Cabin Air Filters (Review) in 2020. Air conditioners in cars. A car uses quite a lot of electricity to work the ignition and other electrical equipment. Car Air Conditioning AC System | Function , Components , Working 2. Condenser – It is the device looks like a small radiator and is used after the compressor as it provides condensing i.e. As air from the cabin circulates through the ducts, it is blown past the evaporator core and the heat is released. When you fail to vacuum the dust or moisture from within the AC system, it may deteriorate in terms of performance. The auto AC system has three jobs in total – (1) Increase the internal temperature in your car (in winter), (2) cool down the interior and (3) defrosting the windshield. The summer months can make driving just about unbearable if our vehicle AC is not working. So this is also a point to know while working with “how does car air conditioning work.” Interesting Fact! The first modern air conditioning system was developed in 1902 by a young electrical engineer named Willis Haviland Carrier. Your heater and air conditioner (HVAC) have three jobs, cool the interior of the car down, heat the interior up and defrost the windshield. It needs to stay lubricated to maintain functionality. This compressor works off 400 volts, directs refrigerant through to an independent chilling unit and then cools the air for dispersal through the vents and into the cabin. Unfortunately, most motorists ignore their car’s air conditioning system until … CAR AIR CONDITIONER. Sitting right in front of the radiator, the condenser’s main job is to cool down high pressure gasses, turning them into liquid. All three modes work together as a climate control system. This component prepares the refrigerant for entry into the evaporator. You climb into your car on a sweltering day, crank the A/C, and get blasted by nothing but hot air on the entire ride home. A Brief Guide to Summer Road Trip Prep: Stay Safe & Have Fun, Professional Oil Change: How Frequently Does Your Car Need One, Understanding the Numerous Benefits of a Professional Radiator Flush, How to Prepare Your Car for Spring Season, The Importance of Consulting a Professional to Ensure Fuel Efficiency. Systems with an orifice tube automatically turn the AC system on and off to regulate the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator. The evaporator looks like a very small radiator with fins and tubes. The thermal expansion valve is the boundary between the high-pressure side of the system (including the compressor, condenser, and receiver) and the low-pressure side of the system. Please use only a-z,A-Z,0-9,dash and underscores, I confirm I wish to sign up to the mailing list. The job of a car air conditioner is to, “condition” the air in your car. © LocalInternetAds.com.All Rights Reserved. How Does a Car Air Conditioning System Work? Usually, when the defrost setting is selected, the system does not need cold air. Since any moisture that is leaked into the refrigerant can be dangerous for the components, the receiver-dryer removes it all from the refrigerant. But you might just pick on a few important details on how to know when one of the components isn’t working. Because the condenser contains a higher-temperature liquid, there is a temperature gradient between the liquid and the fresh air. Without the heating and air conditioning systems in today’s modern vehicles, we would all be miserable driving to our destinations. How Car Air Conditioning Units Work. This process generates a great deal of heat, which is then removed by the air flowing outside the condenser. In elementary science, we learned that condensation results from the rapid cooling of hot or warm air. It doesn’t produce it. At high temperatures and pressures, the refrigerant is liquid. Well, it looks complex to most people, but is actually quite simple to understand. Cold air from the receiver-drier moves through the evaporator core. This system has a receiver-drier between the condenser and the in-line filter kit and an expansion valve before the evaporator core. Because the refrigerant is cooler, heat moves from the air and into the refrigerant. In 1954, the Nash Ambassador was the first American automobile to have a front-end, fully integrated heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning system. Half of the plates are connected to each terminal . All three of these modes make up the climate control system that is incorporates in the hood of your car. As the name implies, the expansion valve allows the expansion of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant coming from the receiver-drier. As the name suggests, it “compresses” the refrigerant so that it turns from a gaseous state into a liquid state. If not, ice crystals can form and lead to blockage and mechanical damage. In states like California, Florida, and Arizona the need for a properly working air conditioning system … What happens is that heat moves from the liquid and into the air. The five main components of an air conditioner, namely compressor, condenser, expansion valve, receiver-dryer and evaporator, connect to each other via a series of flexible pipes and tubes. As such, it draws its power from the engine. As such, if you are wondering why you have two “radiators”, the one in front is the condenser. Poorly performing and non-functional air conditioning system can be quite annoying. Air conditioning does several things to condition the air passing through a space, in this case the driver and passenger area of your car. As the name suggests, it “compresses” the refrigerant so that it turns from a gaseous state into a liquid state. Many consider the compressor as the heart of the air conditioning system of the car. All three of these modes make up the climate control system that is incorporates in the hood of your car. Looking a lot like the radiator of the car, the evaporator sits inside the cabin. Help us to show you Learn how your comment data is processed. This is especially true when you talk about hot summer days and that unbearable humidity. Delafield, WI 53018 It is best to get familiarized with the different components of the vehicle passenger cooling system to better understand the process of air conditioning. Your Your car’s air conditioner system has a lot of different components, including the compressor, the receiver dryer, the hoses, the evaporator, and the condenser. A perfectly working air conditioning system is the key factor in making your daily commute to work and back less stressful. The compressor connects to the crankshaft via a drive belt. It is also positioned right in front of the radiator. The fan can be adjusted to run at different speeds, according to need. In general, air conditioning systems operate in the same way. The condenser is the component that converts gas into cooled liquid. We take for granted the heat that keeps us warm in the winter months, and the cool air that refreshes in the summer time. 703 Main Street products! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. This is not true. This system is controlled by a main computer which sits in the dash and also houses the controls for the mode and temperature settings. Many consider the compressor as the heart of the air conditioning system of the car. The battery has pairs of lead plates immersed in a mixture of sulphuric acid and distilled water. Because of the expansion, there is a reduction in pressure. The basic principle of air conditioning is same for all systems, even if there are any variances in any or all parts of the AC or climate control. This allows fresh air coming from the outside of the vehicle to come in contact with the liquid refrigerant. The process also reduces moisture in the evaporator’s air-side. This looks a lot like the radiator. The incoming air can be heated by the engine to keep the windows clear of mist and the car … So, if someone asks, ‘how does a car AC work?’, you already know how to explain it. The receiver-dryer then sends the pressurized refrigerant to the expansion valve. The refrigerant moves into the accumulator or receiver drier. Here is an easy guide that you can do by yourself. It reduces fluid pressure, allowing it to move to the evaporator a lot easier. The AC … In-car air conditioning is one of the great miracles of convinces when the system is. Till 1996, R-12 was the refrigerant used in the AC systems to … The compressor is the driving force of this system and gets its power from the engine’s crankshaft. When the refrigerant expands, it drips to the evaporator. It serves as a reservoir for the refrigerant while also removing any moisture that may be present in the refrigerant. Because the liquid refrigerant in the system is now “hotter”, it turns into its gaseous state again. This is where understanding your A/C system and how it works might have helped you prevent this problem in the first place. Evaporator: This is where the magic happens. All air conditioning systems have these basic parts, although different systems use various forms of sensors to monitor pressure and temperatures. Car overheats when I turn air conditioner on The cooling system has two fans on most cars and one works to keep the engine cool with the A/C off and the other comes on when the A/C is on. Fans help blow the cold air through the vents and allow the cooling of the cabin. Monday - Friday 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM The refrigerant passes around the whole structure and evaporates at low temperature and condenses under high pressure. This is essentially how air conditioners work. It is one of the most recognizable parts of the modern automotive AC system because it is very easy to check. Incoming air goes through the water-heated matrix and is warmed. This will also pave the way for providing you with the answer to the question, how does a car AC work? Better you hire a car technician and service at regular intervals to keep the AC unit serviceable and prolong the longevity. So before going to know how long to vacuum AC system, let’s take a look at the way of vacuuming AC system. As a matter of fact, it would be quite difficult to imagine a modern vehicle without some means of providing a cooler and more comfortable ride especially when the scorching sun of summer unleashes its wrath. < Professional Oil Change: How Frequently Does Your Car Need One, A Brief Guide to Summer Road Trip Prep: Stay Safe & Have Fun >, SEE OUR OTHER INFORMATIVE AUTO REPAIR & MAINTENANCE ARTICLES, How does your computerized air con system work? Unfortunately, most motorists ignore their car’s air conditioning system until the need arises. It contains desiccant to absorb moisture like the accumulator does, but the receiver-drier is located on the high-pressure side instead of the low-pressure side. This system is controlled by a main computer which sits in the dash and also houses the controls for the mode and temperature settings. You can control the speed of this cycle by regulating the setting of the expansion valve. Not only does the car A/C regulate temperature, it also regulates and reduces the humidity present in your vehicle. This sends the pressurized refrigerant vapor to the condenser once the belt connecting the compressor and the crankshaft starts running. When the refrigerant reaches the condenser, it cools and liquifies. What is Direct Injection & How Does It Work? The now-hot, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant circulates back to the compressor, ready to begin a new cycle. This is also the reason why you should know even when you choose the heat settings on the controls, the air conditioning is still functioning. Today 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM If the power came from an ordinary battery, it would soon run down.So a car has a rechargeable battery and a charging system to keep it topped up. The air coming from the passenger compartment gets drawn into the evaporator and blasted through the evaporator core. Well, read on. The low-pressure liquid refrigerant moves through the evaporator. Saturday 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM This is what the condenser does. It is important that built-in desiccants remove moisture from the refrigerant. products you will love. Pingback: Dodge Air conditioning--problems and fixes motorbeast.org Your heater and air conditioner (HVAC) have three jobs, cool the interior of the car down, heat the interior up and defrost the windshield. The compressor compresses or pressurizes the refrigerant, turning it into a liquid form from its gaseous state. Car air conditioners work much the same way as home and office ones, only they're a lot smaller. The air that flows through the condenser removes the heat in the high-pressure refrigerant, cooling it down. This allows for the creation of drier air in the passenger cabin. There is also an electric fan, which can be switched on to blow air through the system when the car is stationary, or when extra ventilation is called for. Get Directions, Business Hours The recent scorching climate may have prompted you to learn how to work your car’s AC to regulate the high temperatures. Look- the air conditioning system does not get malfunctioned so often. If not removed, the water turns into ice crystals, and that can ruin the entire air conditioning system. Sunday CLOSED. It serves one very fundamental purpose, as well, and that is to cool you down. How Car Air Conditioning Works If you have ever wondered how your car air conditioning works, then here we run through the basics of a typical aircon system. This part literally allows the refrigerant to expand by removing pressure from it. Learning about the basics of your car’s AC will help you not only understand the little details how the auto AC system works to keep the temperature nice and comfortable. Among all the components of the modern vehicle AC system, the evaporator is the only one that’s located inside the passenger compartment. Do you ever wonder how it functions? What is MotorVac Carbon Cleaning Service? All three modes work together as a climate control system. - OtoSpots, Professional Climate Control System Services to Prevent System Failure. Without it, heat will not be able to move out from the system and bring cooling comfort to everyone in the passenger compartment. While all the other parts of the system are located in the engine compartment, this one is in the cabin, usually above the footwell on the passenger side. Kitchenistic helps you find the latest and gratest These variations are specific to the make and model of different vehicles. The blower fan then circulates cold air by pushing it via the evaporator. We curate, you discover! In the case of Tesla EVs, for example, the AC compressor is located at the front of the car and draws power from the Energy Storage System, or ESS, in the back. Whenever you turn on the car AC system, the compressor pumps gaseous or vaporized refrigerant to the condenser. It was designed to solve a humidity problem at the Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing and Publishing Company in Brooklyn, N.Y. Paper stock at the plant would sometimes absorb moisture from the warm summer air, making it difficult to apply the layered inking … A desiccant removes moisture that may be present in the refrigerant. When the component receives the low pressure and cold refrigerant, it removes the heat from inside the cabin. Imagine the AC compressor as a tiny engine that works similarly to the engine that runs your car. We shall try to illustrate here the sequential steps on how such a system works. How does it do this? Within the A/C, thermodynamics are at play. This leads to the creation of a cooler refrigerant while also maintaining the integrity of the system. The rest of the components are in the engine bay. An automotive air conditioning system works a lot like the AC system that you have at home or the office. The cool refrigerant liquid flows into the orifice tube or expansion valve. Looking at the different parts of an automotive AC system, it should already be obvious how such technologies cool the air inside the cabin. What Does a Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty Cover? Once the refrigerant is liquefied, it is sent to the receiver-dryer. Reply; Pingback: Jeep Air conditioning Problems - How the AC on your car works. An air conditioner (AC) in a room or a car works by collecting hot air from a given space, processing it within itself with the help of a refrigerant and a bunch of coils and then releasing cool air into the same space where the hot air had originally been collected. How To Vacuum AC System – A Step By Step Process. While not a “component” of an automotive air conditioning system, the refrigerant is the lifeline of the system. What happens now is that the air exiting the evaporator is cold air. Location What comes out of the AC vents is cold and dry air. Fortunately, the A/C system in your car is simple enough to understand and easy to have maintained. The Nash-Kelvinator corporation used its experience in refrigeration to introduce the automobile industry's first compact and affordable, single-unit heating and air conditioning system optional for its Nash models. There are some folks who think that an air conditioning system in a car creates cold air. The water vapor or moisture in hot air condenses to form a liquid state. When the system is low on freon, it doesn’t circulate the oil as well, which will cause the compressor to be deprived of lubrication which lowers the lifespan of the unit significantly. At low pressures and temperatures, the refrigerant takes on a gaseous form. The pressurized liquid refrigerant circulates through the series of tubes located in the condenser. If you need to do some work on your car or truck's AC system, be sure to have a repair manual specific to your vehicle. At the same time, the system collects and drains the condensate. How car heating and ventilation systems work Modern cars are designed to have a constant through-flow of fresh air that keeps the interior atmosphere pleasant even with all the windows shut. Like other types of air conditioning systems, the AC in your car cools the air that is already in the car. As such, it draws its power from the engine. Then there are times where it’s not working and you feel like a chump for paying for a car with a nice & cozy interior only to have it turned into an oven on 4 wheels. The compressor connects to the crankshaft via a drive belt. Car air conditioners work to make our rides more comfortable and our journeys a lot more worthwhile. However, to know how important it is to keep your auto AC system fine tuned is one thing. 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