Condenser
The condenser is the most easily located part of an air conditioner, thanks to its large cubical shape. Because of its size, the condenser is usually located along the outside perimeter of a house. This vital component–which is itself comprised of numerous different components–is where the refrigerant that flows through your system is refreshed. Literally the refrigerant must be condensed from a gas to a liquid; only once this transformation has taken place can it then absorb more heat from inside of your home.
Evaporator Coil
Once refrigerant has been condensed to a liquid state, it flows through a series of metal supply lines back into your home–specifically, to the evaporator coil. This component is generally located inside of the plenum, which is a metal box located on top of or near your furnace. This location allows it to share the same circulation system as your furnace.
This circulation system draws warm air from your home into the plenum, where it circulates around the relatively colder evaporator coil. The refrigerant inside the coil absorbs heat from the air, which is then sent back up into your home. Meanwhile the refrigerant–now in a gaseous state–is sent back to the condenser to that it can be transformed once more to a liquid.
For more information about how your air conditioning system works, and the sorts of maintenance that it requires, feel free to contact the experts at McKee Energy Solutions.