All of you must be aware of air conditioners and their functions but only a few know about the various parts that make up an air conditioner. However, it needs to be noted here that the main function of an air conditioner is to remove the heat from the inside air and not to pump cold air into the room. If you own an air conditioner it is important that we are aware of the various parts of the air conditioner and its functions.

An air conditioner typically has two parts, one is the outdoor unit and the indoor unit and all the major components of the air conditioner are housed wither in the outdoor unit or the indoor unit. The major components of an air conditioning unit are the following:

• Evaporator
• Condenser
• Expansion Valve
• Compressor

The indoor unit of an air conditioner contains the evaporator coil and the fan while the outside unit has the condenser, the expansion valve, and the compressor.

Let us now have a look at the functions of these components.

The compressor compresses from low pressure to high pressure. The result of this conversion is that the boiling point is raised at higher temperature levels which in turn helps in the removal of heat from the inside air to the outside air.

The condenser, one of the major components of the air conditioner receives the gas at high pressure and at high temperature from the compressor. When in contact with the metallic tubes of the condenser the gas changes to a liquid state. However, in case of water cooled condenser it is water that produces the same effect and the conversion from gas to liquid takes place.

The evaporator is that component of the air conditioner where evaporation of the refrigerant takes place. The result is heat is absorbed from the air that circulates inside the room and cold air is produced in turn.

The capillary tube is a connecting tube between the evaporator and the condenser. It has specific dimension and it allows the amount of gas that will be transferred to the evaporator.

The electrical parts of the air conditioner comprise the indoor fan and the outdoor fan.

The indoor fan is used to exhaust air from the evaporator that is typically the inside air and the exhausted air is released into the outside environment.

The outdoor fan in turn is necessary to cool the refrigerant and it circulates through the condenser.

Besides these, another important component of an air conditioner is the air filters. The filter is located in the indoor unit and its function is to hold back dust, pollen, and other allergens from entering the home. Thus, with air filters fitted with an air conditioner you are able to breathe in a clean air.

Last but not the least, if you want all these parts of the air conditioner to function efficiently and the unit to last long it is imperative that you arrange for regular professional as well as DIY maintenance of the unit.