How does car air conditioning work

Can an air conditioning system in a car create cold air? Air conditioning has worked pretty much the same way for its entire existence: it cools and removes humidity from the air. Many consider the compressor as the heart of the air conditioning system of the car. As the name suggests, it “ compresses” the refrigerant so that it turns from a gaseous state into a liquid state.

The compressor connects to the crankshaft via a drive belt.

As such, it draws its power from the engine. If the air conditioning is failing to cool the incoming air, the most likely fault is low refrigerant level. You need to find a local garage, main dealer or air-con specialist who can do a pressure check, leak check and top-up.

Inside the engine, fuel is combined with air and burned in. If the condensor fan was not working, then you would need to force air across the condensor by driving the car above 35MPH. When you have been for a swim and the water dries on your skin you will.

Condensation (when gases turn into liquids).

If you wear glasses you will have seen condensation in action many times. Compressor: this compresses and circulates refrigerant in the air con system. Compressing the refrigerant turns it from gas to liquid.

It draws its power from the engine, which means that when you run the air conditioning , you’re using more fuel. Your heater and air conditioner (HVAC) have three jobs, cool the interior of the car down, heat the interior up and defrost the windshield. All three modes work together as a climate control system. This system is controlled by a main computer which sits in the dash and also houses the controls for the mode and temperature settings.

When the air conditioning system is switched on, the gas travels to a condenser. The actual process air conditioners use to reduce the ambient air temperature in a room is based on a very simple scientific principle. The rest is achieved with the application of a few clever mechanical techniques. Air-con regassing is the process of removing the old refrigerant gas from your air conditioning system and replacing it with new refrigerant, so your air con can run cold again.

It should be the first thing you explore if your air-con system isn’t blowing as cold as it should. The process should take a specialist no longer than an hour to do. What Does Air Conditioning Do?

It cools the air entering the passenger compartment.

It also removes the moisture from the air so it feels more comfortable inside the vehicle. In many makes, air conditioning cycles automatically when the defrost setting is chosen. Gone are the days of an open window being used to cool down your car ’s cabin, now it’s all climate control and even individually adjustable zones. There are five basic components to any air conditioning system, be it in your home or car. They are the: compressor, condenser, receiver-dryer, expansion valve, and evaporator.

The system also contains a refrigerant. Each component has a job to do which, when put together, is what cools the inside of your car. The air conditioning system contains a number of parts, half of which work in low-pressure and half in high-pressure. How each component works. In modern vehicles it is R134a, whereas older vehicles have r-Freon.

These variations are specific to the make and model of different vehicles. A number of people don’t realise that turning on the air conditioning actually reduces the number of miles per gallon of your car. All air conditioners work the same way whether they are installed in a building, or in a car.

But, how does car air-conditioning work ? And there’s a lot more involved. Refrigerant: The Lifeblood of Your Air Conditioning System. Most newer vehicles use R134a which is a relatively safe and easy to handle gas.

This gas is the lifeblood of your air conditioning and it is very important to notate here, that newer vehicles are very sensitive to the refrigerant level.