Thanks to central air conditioning systems, homes and businesses can help people find comfort on a hot summer day. Among the great examples of modern engineering as it provides the indoors with cooler temperatures is the central air conditioning system. There are many components to the central air that are made up of smaller parts to make the central air operate smoothly. In order to remove the warm air and push it outside, among them is the expansion valve. The central air conditioning relies on these parts. Air conditioning would not be possible without this vital component. The basics of the expansion valve to help you better know your air conditioner is what we at Hal Mechanical would like to do today.
What Does the Expansion Valve Do in an Air Conditioner?
By funneling refrigerant throughout the system and transforming that refrigerant from a liquid to a gas and back again is how your air conditioner functions. The cool, liquid refrigerant as the heat is absorbed is moving inside your home or business. The refrigerant then turns into a gas with the heat absorption. To allow the absorbed heat being released outside, the gaseous refrigerant moves to the outdoor portion of the unit. After the release transforms the refrigerant back to a liquid form, the cycle repeats. The refrigerant is still too warm to absorb more heat once back inside once the gaseous refrigerant releases the heat from the air into the outdoor. This is where the expansion valve steps in to play its part in the air conditioning process. In order to allow the refrigerant to cool rapidly in preparation for more heat absorption, the expansion valve removes pressure from the refrigerant.
What Happens when an Expansion Valve Goes Bad?
It can be associated with a malfunctioning expansion valve with a number of problems an air conditioner can experience. Some of the common examples include:
1) A/C runs continually. The refrigerant continues feeding into the compressor should the expansion valve malfunction. To deal with the gas as a result, the compressor continues running nonstop. This keeps your air conditioner will run continuously without shutting down between cycles to let the system rest.
2) Frozen AC coils. Since the expansion valve is valve is responsible for depressurizing the refrigerant to cool it, the refrigerant gets too cold and starts freezing everything in its path. All pointing that something is going wrong with the refrigerant, and the expansion valve, paired with other symptoms, indicates the valve isn’t doing its job, frost gushing from the vents, frozen coils, or ice forming on the appliance’s exterior.
3) The air conditioning is not creating cool air.
4) Air conditioning makes strange noises. When parts malfunction, it is not strange for the air conditioners to protest with odd sounds. Due to a faulty expansion valve, worsening over time, the clanging, squealing, or banging noises emit.
Expansion Valve Fix & More in Aliante, Anthem, Desert Shores, Eldorado, Enterprise, Green Valley Ranch, Henderson, Inspirada, Mountain’s Edge, North LV, Peccole Ranch, Paradise, Rhodes Ranch, Seven Hills, Silverado Ranch, Spring Valley, Summerlin, Sunrise Manor, The Lakes, Tuscany Village & Las Vegas Nevada
When the expansion valve is the problem with the air conditioner, most expansion valves can be repaired or replaced easily and inexpensively. In order to identify a faulty expansion valve and replace or repair it though it is a simple fix, it takes a qualified technician. Call Hal Mechanical if you are experiencing a problem with air conditioner.
