Answers to Your Air Conditioning Questions

There’s nothing like walking into your cool and nicely air conditioned home on a hot summer’s day! Cooling systems, such as air conditioners, make that comfort possible. However many homeowners aren’t particularly familiar with these systems, so the pros here at Native Air, Inc. are here to help! Below we have answered some of the most commonly asked air conditioning questions we receive from our customers here in the greater Lowell, NC area. Keep reading to learn more!
How Does My AC Work?
Air conditioners work hard to cool your home using refrigerant that absorbs and discharges heat. Below are the steps an air conditioner takes to cool your Lowell, NC home:
- Warm air from your home moves across the AC unit’s evaporator coils and the refrigerant within the coils absorbs the heat
- The refrigerant converts the cool liquid into hot vapor which then travels to the compressor in the outside AC unit
- ·Refrigerant travels to the condenser where it is condensed into a liquid form again which causes heat to release and dissipate to the outdoors
- The refrigerant is now cooled and in a liquid state and it cycles back to the indoor unit
What Are the Different Types of Air Conditioners?
When most people think of air conditioners, they think of cooling systems with a condenser outside and an air handler inside. In reality, there are actually a few different types of air conditions that can be used to cool your Lowell, NC home including the following:
- Central air conditioners use an outdoor condenser and an indoor air handler to deliver cool air inside
- Heat pumps can operate for both heating and cooling, and are an option for central air conditioning
- Ductless mini-split air conditioners utilize individual air handlers installed throughout the home connected to an outdoor heat pump to provide zoned cooling
- Portable and window air conditioners are additional options for space cooling
How Do You Measure Air Conditioner Efficiency?
Your air conditioner’s efficiency is measured in SEER. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. A unit’s SEER is calculated by dividing the unit’s cooling output over an average cooling season by the amount of electric energy input over the same period. The higher the SEER rating, the more efficient the air conditioner. The minimum SEER rating allowed on newly manufactured air conditioners is 13 or 14 depending on where you live and the most efficient AC unit’s have SEER ratings around 22.
If you have additional air conditioning questions you would like answered, give the Native Air, Inc. team a call today at our Lowell, NC office or check out our services page .




