Knowing the names of the HVAC parts that are part of your home’s cooling system not only helps you understand how the cooling process works, but makes it easier to communicate with your HVAC contractor.

Outdoor Components

Condensing unit. That big box that sits in your yard is called the condensing unit. It’s so named because it houses the condensing coil, a large fan and the compressor. Manufacturers weatherize this unit so that it withstands nearly all kinds of weather, although it is vulnerable to large hail and pounding winds. It needs to be outside because its fan blows away all the heat the air conditioner removes from your home.
Compressor. The compressor is the loudest and most expensive of all the HVAC parts in the cooling system. It changes the refrigerant pressure, which is part of the cooling process. It sits inside the condenser. The compressor also pumps the refrigerant through the system.
Condensing coil. The coil that winds around the sides of the condenser contains the hot refrigerant from your home. The fan inside the condensing unit blows over the coil to remove most of the heat.

Indoor Components

Air handler. The air handler contains all the furnace components and some of the air conditioner’s. The furnace and air conditioner share a blower fan that sends the conditioned air into the ductwork where it blows through the ducts and exits through registers.
Evaporator coil. This coil connects to the compressor and houses the chilled refrigerant inside the air handler. As the blower sends air over the coil, the super-cold refrigerant absorbs its heat. The air then moves into the ductwork, where it cools off your home.
Drain Pan. Condensation is a natural byproduct of cooling and when the A/C runs, the humidity in the air that blows over the evaporator coil condenses and drips onto the drain pan just below the coil.

Each of these HVAC parts is vital to keeping your home comfortable. Have the experts at Jackson & Sons maintain your whole system for optimal performance year-round. Jackson and Sons has been providing HVAC services for Eastern North Carolina homeowners and businesses since 1974.

Jackson & Sons, Inc.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, Pitt and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).