It’s easy enough to refer to your air conditioning system as just that—a system. But, when there’s an issue with a specific part of that system, it sure helps to know what the different components are called. In this guide, we’ll define the different parts of an AC or HVAC system.
Parts of an AC System
Air Handler:
Transfers cooled air through the home via ducts, consisting of evaporator coils, a blower, an air filter, and other ventilation parts.
Evaporator Coil:
The coils within your air handler that remove heat and humidity from the air. This is done by pumping refrigerant through the coils which cools the air to be dispersed by the blower.
Blower Motor:
Within the air handler, the blower motor is the part of your air conditioning system that circulates air over the evaporator and disperses cold air. Think of this as the fan that pushes air through the home.
Drain Line:
A line that runs through your air conditioning system that allow for humidity and condensation from the air conditioner to be funneled outside. If this becomes clogged, it may cause water buildup which in turn can cause your system to freeze or turn off completely. Watch this video to see how to prevent a clogged drain line.
Furnace:
Similar to the air handler but provides heated air through the home via the duct system. Thankfully, we don’t have to use these very often in Florida!
Condenser:
The outdoor portion of an air conditioning system which releases heat collected from your air handler.
Humidistat:
A device that is used to control humidity in the home. It will automatically turn a humidifier or dehumidifier on or off based on the humidity of the room.
Thermostat:
The control system that allows you to choose the temperature and adjust how much cold (or warm) air is produced.
Ductwork:
Ducts run throughout the home and are the physical dispensers of cool air to each portion of the house. Most of this system isn’t seen in the living spaces of your home, but the air return and air supply registers are!
Air Return and Air Supply Registers:
Just like the name sounds, air supply registers supply cooled air to each room, where air return registers return air from the home back to your air conditioning unit to be cooled again! If you want to know which is which, hold your hand in front of a vent while your system is running. Air return registers will have a suction effect.
Vents:
Covers the air return and supply registers.
We hope this guide helped you identify the different parts of your A/C system! If you still have any questions, we’re always happy to help. Feel free to call the office at (941) 778-0773, and if we can’t help over the phone, we’ll gladly send a technician out to figure out exactly what part of your air conditioning is causing you problems! You can also schedule an appointment online!
