Air-conditioning Basics

Air conditioners use refrigeration to chill indoor air, taking advantage of a remarkable physical law: When a liquid converts to a gas (in a process called phase conversion), it absorbs heat. Air conditioners exploit this feature of phase conversion by forcing special chemical compounds to evaporate and condense over and over again in a closed system of coils.

The compounds involved are refrigerants that have properties enabling them to change at relatively low temperatures. Air conditioners also contain fans that move warm interior air over these cold, refrigerant-filled coils. In fact, central air conditioners have a whole system of ducts designed to funnel air to and from these serpentine, air-chilling coils.

When hot air flows over the cold, low-pressure evaporator coils, the refrigerant inside absorbs heat as it changes from a liquid to a gaseous state. To keep cooling efficiently, the air conditioner has to convert the refrigerant gas back to a liquid again. To do that, a compressor puts the gas under high pressure, a process that creates unwanted heat. All the extra heat created by compressing the gas is then evacuated to the outdoors with the help of a second set of coils called condenser coils, and a second fan. As the gas cools, it changes back to a liquid, and the process starts all over again. Think of it as an endless, elegant cycle: liquid refrigerant, phase conversion to a gas/ heat absorption, compression and phase transition back to a liquid again.

It's easy to see that there are two distinct things going on in an air conditioner. Refrigerant is chilling the indoor air, and the resulting gas is being continually compressed and cooled .

Swamp Cooler Quick Guide - All About Swamp Coolers and Air Coolers

A swamp cooler (also known as an evaporative cooler) is essentially a box-like frame containing a fan that is walled in by moistened pads, usually made of cedar shavings or cellulose. The fan takes in hot air from the room and sends it through the dripping pads (which are kept soaked by a water pump), cooling the air by about 20° F as the water molecules evaporate from the pads. The fan then blows the water-cooled air back into the house and out a vent (usually an open door or window) to maintain a balance in the air pressure of the building.

Swamp cooling units can be either portable or stationary, or roof or window mounted, systems. Portable swamp coolers can be moved from room to room while the stationary systems, especially the roof mounted units, remain in one place and create a central cooling system for the entire building.

How are swamp coolers different from air conditioners?

Air conditioners use a compressor to cool the air, which is a much more efficient method than that of a swamp cooling unit. Air conditioning can bring down the temperature based on the thermostat, shutting off and on automatically, opposed to manual or remote control like swamp cooling. Air conditioners also displace hot air outdoors and cool the inside air with the refrigerant contained in the system. However, air conditioners require venting kits to aid in hot air removal while also dehumidifying the air. If you are in a dryer climate, where the relative humidity is below 50%, a swamp cooler may be a better choice for your cooling needs. Not only is it a more cost effective means of cooling your building, but it will humidify the air in your space as wellonversion back to a liquid again.

 

12 years ago. Rating: 4
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I have one of those swamp coolers on my roof. The motor burned out the first day I tried it. So I just pulled the fan and motor out to the dump and laid a 30 inch box fan over the vent to the house to blow down. Been using the same fan for 14 years and has worked well and quietly ever sense. 

To keep a swamp cooler working well:

Paint it gloss white.

Set up shade to keep the sun off.

A hot roof is not where a swamp cooler should be. East side is usually preferable.

If your humidity is high a swamp cooler will not help much.

  

11 years ago. Rating: 3
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Basically a medium is compressed to give up the latent heat.  That medium then is run through a inside coil, over which air from the room is passed over to cool the room.

In doing so the medium is rewarmed, then the medium is passed through an external coil and.   another external fan passes air over that coil, to move the heat outside.

The medium then returns the compressor to resume cycle.

It takes around d one tenth much energy to cool a room as it does to heat that same room.

 

12 years ago. Rating: 2
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i got A 95 f 150 5.8 L 4x4 and around my ac clutch are these rubber things that go around the bearings I think.well as I driving they started to smoke really bad to where I had to pull over and rip all three out.I was woundering if my ac compressor or something else may have caused this and can I still drive it if I unplug ac

11 years ago. Rating: 1
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