AC Maintenance North Houston Experts

AC Maintenance North Houston Experts To Stay Cool This Summer

The heat and humidity this summer are as intense as ever, emphasizing the importance of air conditioning to our daily schedule. Since the economy is heating up as well, making air conditioning as energy-efficient as possible is doubly important. Here are four simple principles to reduce the cost of air conditioning each summer.

Heat Transfer

The main air conditioning principle is heat transfer. When an ice cube is set out on the counter, heat is attracted to the ice, and it melts. This attraction is very similar to the way a magnet attracts iron. Within the air conditioner components, the refrigerant becomes very cold within the network of tubes, and hot, humid air from inside the house is passed over the tubes. The heat moves toward the cold and is transported outside.

• The heat is removed from the home through the evaporator coil in the central air cabinet.
• The heat is released into the outdoor environment in the condenser unit outdoors.

The enemies of heat transfer are dirt and contaminants. As they collect on the network of tubes, both indoors and outdoors, they block the transfer of heat, making it more difficult to make the transfer. Keeping them both clean is essential to the air conditioning process.

Air Movement

Heat transfer requires a lot of air movement at every stage. During a cooling cycle:

• All the air within a house must move through the evaporator chamber. This ensures the heat moves from the home to the evaporator coil. The humidity also condenses on the coil and is removed from the home.
• This air moves very rapidly, the entire volume of the home moving repeatedly with each cycle. This ensures the air is thoroughly mixed, while the heat and humidity are removed.
• The refrigerant that collects the heat gets very hot and it MUST be cooled very quickly since it will recycle within the cooling cycle. A huge fan in the center of the condenser draws air through the network of coils.

It is vitally important to keep these components clean and free of contaminants. They tend to become sticky and attract other contaminants. The buildup quickly restricts heat transfer. The most obvious example of this is the air filter; when sufficient dust collects on the filter it restricts airflow, forcing everything to work harder.

Thermal Barriers

While the air conditioner is transferring heat, the rest of the building envelope is also transferring heat.

• The attic is hot, and the heat is seeking entrance into conditioned space.
• The sun is shining directly on the walls, and the heat is seeking entrance.
• The windows and doors also allow heat to readily enter the home.

It seems the whole building is working against the air conditioning process! For this reason, it is important to create the best thermal barrier available. That means attic and wall insulation that prevents as much heat transfer as possible. Glass transfers heat very readily. Double-pane windows capture a pocket of air between the panes and slow the transfer a bit. Make sure your home is caulked and weather-stripped properly to reduce the amount of heat entering the home through small gaps in the building envelope.

AC Maintenance Required

The whole air conditioning system is controlled by sensors and sensitive control electronics. The refrigerant must be kept within a very narrow range of pressure. Various parts must be cleaned regularly. Your AC technician has the training and experience to keep your system running efficiently year after year.

Call the AC Maintenance North Houston Experts

With our four decades of experience as an AC Maintenance North Houston contractor, AirPro Houston provides you with the skill and expertise to assist with your AC Maintenance needs.

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