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When the temperature outside begins to climb, many people seek the cool comfort of indoor air conditioning. Like water towers and power lines, air conditioners are one of those things that we see every day but seldom pay much attention to.
Wouldn't it be nice to know how these indispensable machines work their magic? In this article, we will examine air conditioners -- from small to huge -- so you know more about what you're seeing.
The Basic Idea
An air conditioner is basically a refrigerator without the insulated box. It uses the evaporation of a refrigerant, like Freon, to provide cooling. The mechanics of the Freon evaporation cycle are the same in a refrigerator as in an air conditioner. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online, the term Freon is generically "used for any of various nonflammable fluorocarbons used as refrigerants and as propellants for aerosols."
