WHAT IS CENTRAL AC AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

September 20, 2023

Central air conditioning is an integral part of a centralized heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system designed to cool homes efficiently. But what exactly is central AC, and how is it different from other types of indoor air conditioning?

We’ll define central AC, describe how it works, and explain how it is different from similar systems.

WHAT IS CENTRAL AC?

Central air conditioning refers to the cooling aspect of a centralized heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, known as an HVAC. An HVAC is an appliance that combines an air cooling unit and a furnace for heating air and has a single thermostat control for operation.

A home’s HVAC uses ductwork installed throughout the house to distribute conditioned air through every room.

IS CENTRAL AIR BOTH AC AND HEAT?

Central air generally refers to the cooling portion of an HVAC. Technically, both heat and cooling condition the air, but discussions of central air focus on cooling it.

DOES CENTRAL AIR USE GAS OR ELECTRICITY?

Typically, in an HVAC system, the air conditioning is electric, and the furnace is gas-powered. However, people can also have a heat pump that is different from the typical HVAC. The heat pump is used to both heat and cool, in which case it can all be electric.

DO ALL HOUSES HAVE CENTRAL AC?

Homes aren’t required to have central air. Full HVAC systems with indoor and outdoor units and full ductwork are more common in certain regions and climates than in others. In warmer climates with very hot summers, it is more common for nearly every home to have central air. Often, hotels and apartment complexes will have window-unit air conditioning instead of intricate HVAC systems.

MORE ABOUT THE HVAC

Two main types of HVAC systems exist: a single packaged unit and a split system. Most often, professional HVAC services will install and maintain split systems, where the noisier condenser and compressor are housed outside the home in a single metal enclosure, with the furnace and air handler indoors.

HOW DOES CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING WORK?

Central air is an amazing and complex invention involving mechanics, chemistry, and physics. Understanding the parts involved is the best way to quickly understand how it works.

CENTRAL AC PARTS

Central AC is composed of the outdoor system and the indoor system.

OUTDOOR SYSTEM

The outside unit contains your AC’s compressor and condenser. Together, they pressurize refrigerant into a gaseous state, and the condenser converts it back into liquid.

The refrigerant absorbs heat from your home and out of the cool air that blows through your ducts. Transforming from low pressure (gas) to high pressure (liquid) allows it to generate cold air. The refrigerant travels through the condenser’s coils, changing its form from gas to liquid as it releases heat.

INDOOR SYSTEM

Inside your home, you have ductwork that carries conditioned air through all the rooms in your house. The indoor components include the air handler, evaporator coil, and blower motor.

AIR HANDLER

This conditions and distributes the cooled air.

EVAPORATOR COIL

The evaporator coil cools the air within the air handler by removing heat and humidity.

BLOWER MOTOR

This circulates the conditioned air through your ductwork

AIR FILTER

This traps dust and debris and helps keep indoor air clean, protecting the system from clogging and losing efficiency.

With all these intricate parts acting in unison, you can understand why it’s so important to have reliable maintenance from your local AC technician.

Get in touch with your local HVAC contractor to talk about a regular maintenance plan for your current system or a replacement.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CENTRAL AC AND NORMAL AC?

Central AC refers to the air conditioning aspect of a heating and air system. Central air is one of the most common forms of indoor air conditioning, but swamp coolers, wall-mount units, and window units also cool the air.

Most often, when someone refers to “normal AC” not associated with a full HVAC system, they are talking about a mini-split or a window unit. Mini-splits still require an outdoor component but are designed to cool fewer rooms and are ductless, where multiple wall-mount evaporators can connect to the same outdoor compressor.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CENTRAL AC?

Central air conditioning uses one centralized HVAC appliance to cool air for distribution via ducts throughout a structure. If you own a home, central air conditioning can be an appealing option that offers many benefits over maintaining multiple window air conditioner units. Central air conditioning can keep your entire home cool conveniently and cost-effectively while helping to lower your energy bills.

Central air provides the following benefits:

GREATER COOLING CAPACITY

Individual room air conditioners are designed only to cool a small area, meaning you must install units in different rooms to achieve comfort throughout your home.

Relying on separate air conditioning units is inefficient compared to using central air conditioning, which provides equal cooling throughout your home using only one system.

You’ll be able to enjoy a cool, comfortable environment in every room of your home by using a single thermostat to set the temperature.

Central air conditioners are more effective at removing moisture from the air, further enhancing your comfort levels throughout your home.

Is it time to see if central air is right for you? Give us a call at 614-405-7819.

IMPROVED CONVENIENCE

While the ability to cool only a single room is convenient under some circumstances, controlling the temperature in multiple rooms this way and always having to remember to turn multiple units on or off as needed can be overly complicated.

Many think that the lack of individual room settings is the trade-off for having central air, but using programmable thermostats allows you to control temperatures at different times of the day. Plus, modern systems let you activate individual zones in your home, controlled by dampers throughout your ductwork that direct the airflow.

LOWER NOISE LEVELS

Individual room air conditioners package an entire air conditioning system into a single unit, leading to higher noise levels in every room where you want to control the temperature. When conditioned rooms are adjacent, this noise volume combines to sound even louder.

Central air conditioners can be strategically located in unobtrusive areas of the home, such as basements or garages. This limits the noise you will hear as your air conditioner cools the air.

Split systems take this benefit a step further by placing one portion of the air conditioning system outside the home entirely.

CLEANER AIR

Central air also helps you breathe cleaner air indoors. It draws air out of rooms through return air ducts and removes airborne particles like dust and lint.

Learn more about air conditioning installation and maintenance with a qualified professional. Visit our website to check out our HVAC products and services.

IS CENTRAL AC CHEAPER THAN REGULAR AC?

The actual price of a mini-split system or individual window AC units is lower than that of a central air system, but the long-term cost value for central air is much better.

Window units are only powerful enough for a single room and aren’t as energy efficient as other options. While they are the least expensive option, they also tend to last 8–10 years.

Mini-splits are more efficient than window units and can cost anywhere from $2000–$12,000 depending on features, quality, and the number of indoor wall-mount units connected to an outdoor compressor. Because they are efficient and designed similarly to central air, minus the ductwork, they can last 10–15 years.

Central air is the most efficient, cost-effective solution, as the distribution to all rooms of a home makes the best use of components converting electricity into cold, blown air. They typically last around 10 years and cost depend on square footage or more advanced features. Installation and maintenance can also vary widely depending on the specific variables involved. Usually, special financing options are available that make it easier to afford.

FIND THE RIGHT CENTRAL AC FOR YOUR HOME

Our friendly professionals understand it’s a big decision, so we take every visit and call seriously and back our work with our service guarantee. It’s important to get the facts regarding when it’s the right time for ongoing maintenance, a repair, or a full system replacement, and we’re here to help you make the right choice.

Ready to upgrade your central AC? Schedule an appointment with us today!

Got questions? Talk to one of our experts at 614-405-7819.