You air conditioning system is made up of various components and they work collectively to deliver the cooling effect that is anticipated from the appliance. All of these parts must be in an excellent condition for the appliance to run efficiently and effectively. While there are many essential parts, one of the most important is the condenser.
In this article, you will know what does a condenser do in your AC system. Once you are aware of its functions, you will understand why it should be well-maintained since it has a critical role in making sure that the entire appliance works at its best all the time.
What Does a Condenser Do
To fully understand the role of the condenser, you have to know the different parts that make up the AC. There are many brands and models that are available, but despite these variations, they work in pretty much the same way and they have similar components.
Some of the most important components that allow the AC to cool down a room include the refrigerant, compressor, expansion valve, and evaporator coils. In this post, however, we will focus only on the role of the condenser.
In a nutshell, a condenser is a component with the primary function of condensing a substance, essentially transforming it from gas to liquid form. The latter is done by cooling the gas. This is made possible by the condenser fan wherein hot refrigerant vapor will be passing through as it exits the compressor.
Once the refrigerant changes from vapor to liquid, it will now travel to the expansion valve. The latter is the one that basically puts more effort to make it provide the cooling effect that is needed for the AC.
Condenser coil usually contains copper or any other similar material. The most important for the metal is to have the ability to transfer heat effectively, which will provide it with the capacity to facilitate cooling. These coils should be kept clean as they can accumulate dirt over time. When there are contaminants in the coil, the condenser will not deliver its peak functionality.
Types of Condensers
To have a better understanding of the purpose of condensers, let us have a brief look at the different types that are available and the mechanism by which they are working.
Air-Cooled Condenser
This type of condenser is found in small appliances, which include household refrigerators and window-type AC units. The refrigerant can circulate in two ways – either through natural convection or forced convection. In the case of the latter, it will need a fan or a blower.
Also called coil condensers, two of the most common materials that are used for this type are aluminum and copper.
Compared to the next type of condenser that will be discussed, air-cooled condensers are typically larger in terms of size.
Water-Cooled Condenser
For central air conditioning and many other large-scale applications, this is the common type of condenser that you can see. One of its drawbacks is that it comes at a steep price. Nonetheless, this can be justified by the fact that it offers superior efficiency.
Because water is used for cooling, one of the problems is that it can be prone to the formation of algae and presence of corrosion. A simple way to prevent this from happening is to execute the necessary water treatment.
This condenser can be further classified into three types – double tube, shell and tube, and shell and coil. Out of the three, shell and tube is the most common.
Evaporative Condenser
This is the least common from the types of condensers as it is for industrial applications. To be specific, this is what you can see in ice plants. This is indicative of how powerful it is since the cooling is required for the production of ice. It combines the mechanisms of both water and air-cooled condensers to perform its intended function.
Conclusion
At this point, we hope that we have answered your question about what does a condenser do on your cooling systems. As noted above, it is a component that transforms the refrigerant from gas to liquid before it is transferred to the expansion valve. Without the condenser, the unit will not be able to produce a cooling effect because the refrigerant will not be converted into another state.
Leave a Reply