Spring has arrived and before long the hot days of summer will be upon us. Now is the time to get your vehicle into an auto shop for an A/C service so you can actually enjoy summer. You will not only beat the heat, but you can avoid the rush of other vehicle owners at the auto center waiting to get their A/C serviced at the last minute.
Actually, vehicle air conditioners are pretty simple in theory as to how they function. Understanding this will help you know when your A/C system is not working properly.
The compressor and Freon are the main components of the A/C system. The compressor pumps Freon throughout the system. This Freon is a gas and liquid combination that is compressed and circulated throughout the air conditioning system. The compressed gas is pushed through the system under pressure and is passed through different sized metal and rubber hoses and an expansion valve that cause the gas to expand and contract.
This expansion and contraction makes the gas very cold. This cold gas makes its way via metal lines into the dash area of your vehicle to the evaporator core. This is like a small radiator, except it has cold gas circulating inside and not hot antifreeze. A small fan sits in front of the evaporator core and blows air across this cold evaporator and then through the vents inside your vehicle.
The other function of the air conditioning system is to remove the heat from inside the passenger compartment. The Freon does this with the help of the A/C condenser located at the front of the car. The Freon is forced through coils which have small slits or fins. The condenser will have an electric cooling fan mounted in front or behind it to push or pull air through these fins to remove the heat from the Freon.
The following are typical causes of inefficient cooling:
- Lack of air flow across the condenser -- If the electric cooling fan motor is not operating, the cooling system will not operate properly.
- Low Freon levels -- Freon level and pressure must be at recommended levels in order for the A/C system to operate properly.
- Overheating -- If the engine is running hot or overheating, it can have a noticeable negative effect on the air conditioning system, especially if the cooling fans are not operational.
Spring has arrived and before long the hot days of summer will be upon us. Now is the time to get your vehicle into an auto shop for an A/C service so you can actually enjoy summer. You will not only beat the heat, but you can avoid the rush of other vehicle owners at the auto center waiting to get their A/C serviced at the last minute.
Actually, vehicle air conditioners are pretty simple in theory as to how they function. Understanding this will help you know when your A/C system is not working properly.
The compressor and Freon are the main components of the A/C system. The compressor pumps Freon throughout the system. This Freon is a gas and liquid combination that is compressed and circulated throughout the air conditioning system. The compressed gas is pushed through the system under pressure and is passed through different sized metal and rubber hoses and an expansion valve that cause the gas to expand and contract.
This expansion and contraction makes the gas very cold. This cold gas makes its way via metal lines into the dash area of your vehicle to the evaporator core. This is like a small radiator, except it has cold gas circulating inside and not hot antifreeze. A small fan sits in front of the evaporator core and blows air across this cold evaporator and then through the vents inside your vehicle.
The other function of the air conditioning system is to remove the heat from inside the passenger compartment. The Freon does this with the help of the A/C condenser located at the front of the car. The Freon is forced through coils which have small slits or fins. The condenser will have an electric cooling fan mounted in front or behind it to push or pull air through these fins to remove the heat from the Freon.
The following are typical causes of inefficient cooling:
- Lack of air flow across the condenser -- If the electric cooling fan motor is not operating, the cooling system will not operate properly.
- Low Freon levels -- Freon level and pressure must be at recommended levels in order for the A/C system to operate properly.
- Overheating -- If the engine is running hot or overheating, it can have a noticeable negative effect on the air conditioning system, especially if the cooling fans are not operational.
