What is an AC Unit?
An AC unit, or in full an air conditioning unit/air conditioner is a box that takes the heat or hot air out of a room and converts it into colder air. Many places have air conditioning units installed. They include residential homes, commercial buildings, hotels, cars, warehouses, manufacturing plants, hospitals and healthcare centers.
Even places that we don’t think of first use air conditioners. A good example is pet stores and shelters – our cute furry friends appreciate cool air too. Data centers and processing plants use air conditioning units to prevent machines from overheating. The inclusion of air conditioning in an establishment makes it more comfortable.
When it comes to ACs, it is more about necessity than preference. When an AC unit stops working well or working completely, you can feel the difference instantly. The room will get hot and humid and there will be less flow of air.
The question on anyone’s mind at that exact moment will be, ‘How and why did this happen?’. It’s not so easy to answer. But for our company, it’s easy-peasy. Through our Air Conditioner maintenance plans in Oakville Ontario, we have help lots of our customers keep their AC unit working for many years. We have customers living near Charnwood, Bronte Station and Holton Heights in Oakville Ontario. Our excellent Topcare HVAC of Oakville Ontario technicians have the know-how and we can get to the root of the problem as soon as possible.
Your AC’s refrigerant might be leaking, the unit may be freezing, there may be clogged ducts or there may be an issue with the compressor or condenser coils. Does that sound like total jargon to you? Worry not! We can handle it. In case of queries, you can contact us and we will be at your service.
Now that you understand how an air conditioner works better and places where it is used, we can go deeper into looking at the different types of units that exist. The type of unit depends on the space, what the owner prefers and they vary from small to extremely large.
Below are these varieties:
Window AC Units
Window air conditioning units are very popular because of their affordability and ease of installation. As the name denotes, they are put up on windows and run on a system that works like an exhaust- it pushes the warm air outside and cooling the air and pushing it inside. They work well for individual rooms that need cooling or small apartments. Window ACs only cool one room well enough and you have to give up a window in the room to mount it. Thankfully, they can be taken down as easy as they can be installed.
Central AC Units
Central air conditioning units are units that cools entire homes and buildings. They use a compressing and cooling system that is not inside the building but outside it. The ducts installed in the home circulates cooler air and take out hot air. Central air conditioning uses heating ducts to operate, which makes its installation super easy for HVAC professionals. Some houses lack ductwork though and that has to be done as the central AC unit is installed.
Portable AC Units
Their name explains them all, they can be moved from one place to another. They often come with a cord so that they can be connected via a socket and efficiently cool a room. Some portable AC units come with a hose to expel warmer air outside through the window. Unfortunately, these units are loud and only work for rooms that are 600 square feet and small. Regardless, they work instantly and offer the cool relief and comfort required.
Through-the-wall AC Units
These air conditioning units are quite similar to window units but they are put up on the wall. Installing a wall air conditioner requires professional expertise because it requires the drilling of a hole. They are better than window units because you don’t have to give up your window view. Wall ACs work best for smaller rooms.
Ductless Split AC Units
Split system air conditioning units can cool multiple areas in the home. They also can cool these different areas and rooms at different temperatures. They have two or more components, the unit that carries out the condensing sits outside the house while the fans are on a wall in the various rooms in the house. These AC units are great for small to medium homes.
Packaged Terminal AC Units
These air conditioners are common in commercial complexes like malls, healthcare facilities offices, hotels and some apartments. They do not require ductwork and are not as costly as central AC units. They have both heating and cooling functions and function as self-contained units.
Evaporative Coolers
This HVAC system is very affordable and portable but doesn’t use refrigerant to produce cool air. The way they function is by passing hot air through pads saturated with water, cooling the air. They use the process of evaporation.
Geothermal Cooling & Heating
This AC unit is one of the most environmentally friendly units on the market because it doesn’t use fossil fuels. They cool your home via a system of piping known as earth loops. This works by creating a water temperature cycle between a pump and your house.
How To Make Your AC Unit Function Efficiently
When your air conditioning unit functions at its best performance, you save a large amount of money that would be otherwise spent on utility and energy bills.
Having an AC that works efficiently improves your air conditioner as time goes by. AC units are wonderful to have until they make you have to break the bank to maintain them. Here are some quick tips and tricks to save that extra buck and keep your AC unit in tip-top shape.
- Ensure nothing is obstructing the vents. If anything is blocking them, it will cut off the airflow into the air conditioning unit. A great way to combat clogging in the vents is to vacuum them.
- Keep your doors and windows bolted shut so that cooler air can stay inside and warm air doesn’t seep into the house.
- Your thermostat shouldn’t be close to appliances that heat up because it will trick the gauge into thinking that your room is warmer, and thus the AC will run more and run your bills up in the process.
- The area that’s around your condenser should be clear as day so that airflow is consistent. If things like debris clog the coils, it can damage your AC unit plus your utility bill.
- Keep changing the air conditioner filter regularly so that the airflow is always great. Debris and micro particles can block airflow and reduce air quality greatly.
- Step up and insulate the walls and attic in your home and be sure to do the same for cooling and heat that’s exposed.
For HVAC installation, repair, maintenance and diagnostics, be sure to contact us today, our technicians and personnel will be more than eager to restore your AC to its most efficient state.
