You don't have to be an auto mechanic to understand the basics.
Air-conditioning (AC) has remained a part of the automobile experience since the 1940s. While technology has changed considerably since then, the basics of AC design are essentially the same. The AC "radiator" has played a role in air-conditioned cars since the beginning.
Cooling Down
If you have ever used ice to cool a drink, you understand half of how an air conditioner works. The ice in your drink changes into water as it absorbs heat, and the fluid in your air conditioner changes to a gas as it absorbs the heat from the compartment inside your car. Once the air becomes cooled, the hot gas in your air-conditioning system has to cool off, requiring the "radiator."
AC "Radiator"
The AC "radiator" is traditionally called a condenser, though it has a function to that of your car's radiator. The warm gas that leaves your auto's cabin transports the heat it picked up along the way. Tubing carries the heated gas to a system of coils at the front of the car. As air moves over the coils, heat travels out of the AC's gas and returns to a fluid state, ready to be used again.
Recent Developments
As environmental law has changed, the coolant liquid in AC systems has changed to meet the new guidelines. The new refrigerants may require you to upgrade your existing components to handle the higher pressure requirements of the newer coolant.
Tags: absorbs heat
