Air conditioning has become universal in new cars. It is important to know how this facet of your car works because when it is no longer working in your car, you are going to notice very quickly.
Automotive AC was invented all the way back in 1939. It didn’t have a thermostat, but it was better than not having anything. By 1969 more than half of the cars that were sold had air conditioning built in. However, soon enough it was decided that the refrigerant that was used for decades was damaging the ozone layer.
Air conditioning for your car has always worked the same way; it cools and removes humidity from the air. There are three main parts: the compressor, the condenser, and the evaporator.
The compressor is a pump that is moved by a belt attached to the engine’s crankshaft. When the refrigerant is drawn into the compress, it is in a gas. Once it is inside the pump that is when it puts the gas under pressure, and forces it out into the condenser.
The condenser is essentially a radiator; it gets the heat out of the system. The refrigerant enters the condenser as the pressurized gas. The process of pressurizing the gas and moving it to the condenser will create heat, but the air that flows around the twisting tubes of your condenser will cool it down until it becomes a liquid again. The liquid is now high-pressure and is just about ready to cool down your car. But first, it needs to go to the receiver-dryer. Coming out of the condenser, the liquid will go through a little reservoir where granules will attract water. This will remove any of the water that is in the ac system that shouldn’t be there.
Once the pressure is changed from high to low, the temperature will change from hot to cold. This is how you can cool down your car, even when its one hundred degrees outside!
The evaporator is located in the cabin, which is usually about the footwell on the passenger side. Its job is to absorb heat so that you do not feel it. When the refrigerant enters the evaporator coil, it is a low pressure liquid which is 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The gas moves out of the evaporator and to the passenger compartment of the vehicle, taking heat with it. A fan on the outside of the evaporator coil cools down the air and sends it to the inside of the car. Then, the process starts over again.
The most common issues for your vehicle’s ac are moisture, car interiors that have bacteria or fungi, low refrigeration levels, a soiled condenser, and lastly mechanical complications. If you are having problems with your car’s air conditioning, come to AV Bumper to Bumper and we can help you how to get your car back to tip top shape.
