A/C and heat pump split systems are ideal cooling and heating units for Columbus area homeowners, delivering efficient performance as well as moisture removal during hot, humid summer days. If you’re upgrading your A/C or heat pump system or in need of an indoor (evaporator) or outdoor (condenser) replacement, make sure that you install an exact match to maintain energy efficiency, home comfort and system longevity.
A/C and heat pump design
The components of split system A/Cs and heat pumps are installed as two units connected by copper tubing for refrigerant flow and electrical components. The indoor components are the evaporator coil, which is where heat exchange occurs, and the air handler. The outside cabinet houses the compressor, which pumps the refrigerant through the system, and a condenser coil which, like the evaporator, is the heat exchanger.
Perfect match is key
The evaporator and condenser coils, especially in recent years with advanced designs, are engineered to promote optimal heat exchange. This is the determining factor for an A/C or heat pump’s SEER (cooling efficiency) and HSPF (heating efficiency for heat pumps only).
For optimal heat exchange at the coils, the evaporator and condenser must be perfectly matched. A mismatched system affects cooling and heating capacity, energy efficiency and is detrimental to the long-term function of the system.
For instance, if you’re installing a new A/C or heat pump with a larger evaporator coil than condenser coil, the condenser won’t have the capacity to meet the performance of the evaporator, which results in sluggish performance at best.
If you’re replacing a component, new evaporators, condensers and compressors are designed to operate with higher-pressure refrigerant (R410A) as opposed to old A/Cs and heat pumps that used R-22 refrigerant. This change of refrigerant is mandated by law to help protect the ozone layer (R-22 depletes the ozone). Although using a newly-designed replacement component is possible, it doesn’t make sense for overall system performance and the sky-rocketing price of R-22.
Contact Indoor Solutions, Inc. today for more information about the best practices for installation of split systems. We’ve proudly served homeowners of Columbus and the surrounding regions for a decade.
