Air Conditioning 101

HVAC systems and maintenance are easy to understand and maintain once you have a basic knowledge of how the system is set up and runs. Take the SimpleAir® Air Conditioning 101 lesson and learn the basic terms and components you will need to know to begin properly maintaining your home system.

Air Filter

A device composed of fibrous materials, which trap solid particulates such as dust, pollen, mold and bacteria and remove them from the air.

Air Handler

Also known as a blower, the air handler conditions and circulates air through the HVAC unit. 

Compressor

The compressor compresses the vapor refrigerant into a liquid form so the cooling system can begin again.

Condensate Drain Tube

Tubing that allows your air conditioner’s condensate to drain away from the unit.

Condenser

The part of your unit that is responsible for cooling vapors and condensing them into liquid. 

Cooling Tubes

Lines that carry refrigerant back and forth between the condenser and the evaporator.

Electrical Shutoff

A metal housing that contains the electrical shutoff for your outside unit (condenser unit).

Evaporator

The component of your HVAC system that allows compressed cooling chemicals, such as Freon, to evaporate from liquid to gas while absorbing heat.

Fins

Fins are aluminum barriers located on your condenser that aid in airflow and server as a buffer between the delicate copper coils and external debris.

Furnace Shutoff Switch

A device that protects from flood situations when water is sensed in the secondary drain pan due to blockage in the condensate drain line.

HVAC

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning. 

Thermostat

A component of a control system, which senses the temperature of a system so that the system’s temperature is maintained near the desired set point.