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Energy Saver: Air Conditioning
In this article we will talk about how and why your air conditioning system consumes energy and over time begins to consume more-and-more energy. We will discuss coil fouling, solar shading, equipment spacing, air-flow requirements, pipe insulation, and efficient motors. You will learn what it takes to correct the energy thieves in your cooling system.
Safety first: some of the ideas you will read in this article may involve activities that are dangerous. In most jurisdictions, the law requires a licensed electrician when working with household electricity. If you have not been properly trained and licensed, I recommend you hire a competent licensed contractor to complete these tasks.
Let me talk quickly about how a typical residential cooling system works so you understand how energy is used. A simplified residential system has 4 basic components. A condenser coil and a compressor are located outside your house in a sheet metal box. An expansion device and an evaporator coil are located inside your house. The last two items are usually at your furnace or they are in a self contained indoor unit sometimes called a fan-coil. If you have a furnace, the role it plays in your cooling system is its filter, fan and ductwork perform air cleaning, air movement and cool air distribution, respectively. A fan-coil would have a filter and fan but no substantial ductwork.
On a call for cooling, the compressor starts and uses electrical energy to compress the gaseous refrigerant into its liquid form. In the process of compression from vapor to liquid, the refrigerant is heated as an unwanted byproduct. You'll notice this same effect with an air compressor when you pump up a tire. The compressor gets hot. The call for cooling also turned on the condenser coil fan to draw ...