How Does Air Conditioning Work?

Air Conditioning boils down to the ability to transfer heat from one place to another and replacing it with cooler air.

Air Conditioning occurs in two stages. First, the air needs to be dehumidified because moisture in the air acts as a source of heat transfer. Second, the refrigerant in each coil needs to flash from a liquid into a gas and during that process, the coil simultaneously absorbs heat and releases cold air.

For the mechanical functioning of the equipment, please reference the triangle below. When the equipment is running, you have pressure, temperature, and airflow. All of those elements are dependent on one another in order for the system to function. If the temperature of the evaporator coil in the indoor air handler is too high, it won't provide enough cooling; too low and the coil will freeze over. If the airflow is too high, the coil won't be able to transfer the heat fast enough and the system will be noisy. If the airflow is too low, you can't conduct the transfer of heat from the system fast enough and the coil will freeze over.