Category: Air Conditioning

Professional AC repairers know a lot about the main parts of an air conditioner. This info is more useful on repairs than ac installations. If your air conditioner is no longer performing well, it could be a fault on one of these ac replacement parts. The basic parts of an ac unit are: –

The refrigerant

Compressor

Condenser Coil

Expansion Valve

Evaporator Coil

In this case, we focus on a split ac unit only. The split aircon unit is the most common type of aircons in South Africa. Additionally, it is easier to understand the link between ac replacements parts on a split system. Other ac unit types will also have these typical ac parts, but will vary in arrangement and other support structures. Ducts for instance, are common components of central air conditioning system.

The components of an ac unit in a split unit are in two main sections. First, the outdoor ac unit parts and then the indoor ac unit parts.

The indoor parts of an air conditioner.

First, the evaporator. This unit enables the liquid refrigerant (coolant) to turn into a gas. As air from the room passes this unit, the refrigerant absorbs the heat very fast. The liquid coolant then turns into gas. The gas coolant is then sent to the compressor. Meanwhile, the room gets cooler as more heat from room temperature air is being used up to heat the coolant and boil it into gas.

Second, the refrigerant (coolant) is a special fluid that moves round the system in a loop. It is responsible for absorbing heat from room air and to release it outside. The coolant has good quality in terms of the ease to convert from liquid to gas and back again. Therefore, it is a chosen medium of heat transfer in air conditioning units. Heat transfer is the main activity in the air conditioning and refrigeration services.

Filters – the indoor unit also contains filters and the display functions of an air conditioner are on the indoor unit. The unit is usually a wall mount or a ceiling mount position. Filters help trap dust and therefore are vital for making sure that the air is fresh. Furthermore, dust hinders the spread of cool air, and end up compromising the cooling ability of the unit. Additionally, filters also aid in keeping the ac drain clean, a blockage in the drain will strain the compressor. Consequently, this will cause the pump to over work and run down.

Let us look at the outdoor parts of an air conditioner.

AC Compressor

The compressor receives the coolant from the evaporator in gas state, and turns it into liquid by pressing it. As the pump presses the gas, its turns to liquid and is sent to the condenser. The liquid coolant is then sent to the condenser coil.

Condenser Coil – By the time the refrigerant gets to the condenser coil, it is already hot and at high pressure. As it passes through the condenser coil, it releases heat and becomes cooler. The cool liquid is then taken back to the evaporator where it absorbs more room temperature air and the cycle continues.

Expansion Valve

This ac unit part used to be in the indoor, but now commonly found outdoor. Although the coolant leaves the condenser in its liquid state and cooler state, it is still too hot to enter the evaporator coils. The expansion valve is a main part of the air conditioner for this work, and it further lowers the heat levels of the refrigerant to levels that the evaporator can accept.

These three parts, together with the electrical components supplying the compressor, are the main parts of an air conditioner on the outside.

Samsung Wind-Free aircon South Africa, a product for better air quality and safer environment.

Many aircon installers will be happy to install this model of air conditioner.

The wind free air conditioners cool the room with no discomfort of direct cold airflow, by making use of thousands of tiny openings to spread the air around.

Additionally, the tiny particles are also said to filter tiny unwanted dust particles.

The wind free cooling is made possible in two ways

First, it lowers heat levels to the setting of choice.

Then after that, the unit then maintains the pre-set heat level.

The air spreads gently, so that there is no draft or cold air blowing into your face. That is why the air is rightly termed “still air”, due to its gentle movement around the room.

Therefore, wind free aircon is ideal for both home and business use.

It comes with fast and wide cooling capabilities as well as with smart Wi-Fi capability.

Additionally, the new blade design gives a more powerful and rapid air cooling.

Apart from ability to purify air and dehumidify it, the wind free aircon is stronger, cheaper and more energy efficient.

The environmental benefit is that wind-free air conditioners use R32 refrigerant.

R-32 refrigerant is the latest product that offers the most efficient and safest cooling properties.

The Wind Free’s R32 Refrigerant comes after a series of improvements of air conditioning refrigerants over years.

Air conditioning refrigerants has been constantly improving over the years, towards a greener and environmentally safer product. First, the R12 which was phased out in 1994 due to environmental concerns relating to ozone layer depletion. Then next came R22, which was slightly better than R12 but still had a high level of damage to the atmosphere. After that came R410, which is the most common refrigerant in use today.

R32 is the most recent and most advanced refrigerant today, with the highest energy efficient rating and lowest global warming potential.

In Summary, this is what the R32 gas offers: –

30% lower Global Warming Potential than that of R410A

More efficient and less costly – R32 systems use 20% less refrigerant

Ozone Depletion Potential of 0

Easier to recycle than R410A

Samsung air conditioners remain one of the most wanted aircon brands in South Africa for users and air conditioning companies alike.

Thinking of buying a fridge in South Africa? Here are tips on buying a refrigerator in South Africa. But first, some basic information about fridges in general.

Refrigerators stay connected through-out the day. Therefore, they use up more energy than most household appliances. Good maintenance practices will save on fridge repairs.

Especially bigger fridges, which tend to use more energy than smaller ones.

Thankfully, recent milestones in the industry in areas of insulation and compressor technology, there is much less energy usage than before.

We look at what to consider when buying a fridge.

The size of your desired fridge should fit into the space you have available.

It is therefore important to measure the dimensions of your old unit, if you are looking at replacement. If it is a completely new buy, measure the space where you need to place your cooling unit. In the case of a kitchen island, measure how much clearance you have to open the fridge doors or walk past the fridge.

As you take the sizes, also think about the path a delivery person will take in order to get to the location of choice. This will prevent any unexpected issues in moving from vehicle into the kitchen. Make sure the door won’t hit an island or a wall. Some might find it useful to take a picture of existing space and compare as you open the doors in the shop.

Consider brands that offer energy saving models

Brands and models that have an energy rating will help you save on energy.

If maintenance cost is a huge factor as it normally is, then you definitely need to check energy rating.

Also, freezer location may also influence the energy usage of a fridge.

Because storage space is one of the factors to consider when purchasing a refrigerator, it is important to consider the position of the freezer, which has an impact on storage space.

Top freezers – They have less storage space and are usually basic in function. They are cheaper and quite ideal for small kitchen and tight budget.

Bottom freezer – slightly larger sizes than top freezers. These are more modern, stylish and have bigger space. The downside is that one has to bend down to reach for food in the freezer.

Although more expensive than the top freezer, they are still cheaper than French door models

Side-by-side – The two qualities of space and extra features share the limelight on side-by-side fridges.

Their doors are narrower and longer and they bring in the convenience of an eye level platform to use.

Clearly, if you have a narrow kitchen this is definitely an option

French door – A mix of side-by-side and bottom freezer models which can be found in many colors and finish options

French doors offer more space and have a very pleasant eye appeal. If you looking for extra features and large size, this one is ideal for you. Good things come at a cost, so the French door fridge will take more from your pocket than the other options.

Extras can include ice makers, water dispensers, flex drawers, dual evaporators and smart home applications

Finish options for refrigerators are:

Stainless

Black stainless steel

Plain black or white – these basic colours are cheaper and easy to blend with most home décor’.

SMEG also brings in other colour variations, and as a matter of fact, SMEG appliances are trending these days.

Summary

1. Space available
2. Style and finish
3. Budget allocations/constraints
4. Food storage space you need
5. Choice of features
6. Defrosting options

Air conditioner sanitizing and servicing is become more necessary as business returns to normalcy. Most organisations are now engaging air conditioning companies in Gauteng to sanitize and service their units. Air conditioning contractor includes sanitizing in their aircon servicing package

Air conditioning cleaning and sanitizing is necessary to prevent your air conditioners from spreading any virus. Therefore chemicals that kill bacteria are used in this case. Sanitizing of air conditioners can be loosely referred to as air treatment or “air repair”. This is because the air coming from the cleaned unit is free of virus, hence higher quality air circulates within a room

Air conditioner treatment will become more frequent and cheaper as contractors adjust the pricing to ensure client affordability. The basic rule of quantity vs pricing will naturally bring air conditioning service price down

Sanitizing gets rid of allergens, dust, pollen and mold

Both the minor and major air conditioning and sanitizing service will include the following areas

Replacement/repair of air conditioning compressor

Inspection of air conditioning condenser unit repairs and replacement

Cleaning and inspecting air conditioning fan and air conditioning gauges

Examining and repair & service of air conditioning vacuum pump

Cleaning of filters

Examining and repair of air conditioning circuit board if needed

Inspection and testing of controls and safety

Refrigerant change where necessary

Inspection and cleaning of relays and contractors

Recording temperature and pressure

Tightening any loose unit wiring

Testing capacitors

Checking thermostat, motors, condensate drain, belts and pulleys

Lubricating all rotating elements