Air Conditioning
Published On:
January 18, 2023

Air Conditioning in Sutherland Shire: Improving Indoor Air Quality

Aside from reducing extreme heat, properly installed air conditioning in Sutherland Shire improves indoor air quality. It’s also helpful in preventing heat-related risks, such as heat stroke and dehydration. These benefits will be especially advantageous to allergy sufferers and those with vulnerable immune systems.

While it’s no secret that air conditioners produce cool artificial air to make the room atmosphere comfortable, have you ever wondered how the components filter the air?

In this article, Ozcon Air Solutions focuses on the function of air conditioning components in circulating filtered air inside your home or office. We will also provide tips to ensure that your systems will function in peak condition for years to come.

How Air Conditioners Work

An air conditioning unit contains 3 major components working together to cool the air. These are the following:  

  • Compressor. It plays a significant role in the overall air conditioning system, as it takes the heat in the air and throws it outside.  
  • Condenser. It extracts the heat from the unit’s interior and transfers it outside.  
  • Evaporator. It plays a major role in the last step of the system’s cooling process. The refrigerant in liquid form from the condenser will enter the evaporator. This turns it back into its gaseous state, allowing the cooling cycle to begin again.  

The compressor and condenser are typically located outside the system, while the evaporator is inside your home or workspace. These components manipulate the refrigerant system’s pressure, state, and temperature to allow your AC unit to do its job and efficiently cool the room.  

To illustrate it simply, the air conditioning process is as follows:  

  1. The system draws the warm air from the room.  
  1. The air then flows over the cold evaporator pipes inside. Then it cools the air down while the humidifier removes excess moisture.  
  1. Meanwhile, the coolant flowing through the pipes absorbs the heat from the air blowing past and evaporates. This turns from a cool liquid to a warm gas.  
  1. This warm air is pumped outside while the coolant passes through the compressor and condenser, turning it back into a cool liquid.  
  1. Afterwards, cold artificial air re-circulates into the room, mixing with the existing air and reducing the temperature and humidity.

Minor Parts of Your Air Conditioning System That Are Prone to Damage

Here are the minor parts of an AC system that should be checked regularly by a professional every few months to maintain an exemplary function:  

  • Expansion valve  
  • Air filters  
  • Muffler  
  • Thermostat  
  • Drain pipes  
  • Fan  
  • PCB (printed circuit board)  
  • Capacitor  
  • Refrigerant

How Air Filters Improve Air Quality

Before the cool air is distributed into the room, the air in the HVAC system passes through an air filter. This catches and pulls out particulates, including dust, mould, dirt, fungal spores, pet hair, or even human hair. The filter prevents this debris from entering the air-conditioned space. In this way, you can breathe dust- and pollutant-free air.  

Hire professionals to change your air filters as frequently as possible. When you disregard regular maintenance of your filters, the air cannot easily pass through. As a result, more particulates will also get through, harming indoor air quality.  

Moreover, when your filter is dirty, the air conditioning fan needs to work harder to push cool air, which will likely increase your electricity bills. At the same time, it will cause your system to become inefficient.

The MERV Scale

While different models, types, and brands of air conditioning systems are available, air filters also differ in their capability to sift debris. To determine the efficiency of the filters, consider their minimum efficiency reporting value, also known as the MERV scale. This will work out the size of the particles removed from the air.  

The MERV scale ranges from 1 (minimal filtering) to 20 (maximum filtering). The higher the MERV rating, the better the filter at trapping particulates. Experts state that levels 17 and above are commonly used in the most stringent hospital and cleanroom environments.  

For your home and workspace, AC experts recommend using filters ranked between 8 and 13. At a MERV-8, your air filter can remove pollen, dust, hair, and dirt. On the other hand, when you opt for a 13, it will remove all of the mentioned particulates, including bacteria and virus particles. HEPA filters—which are MERV-16 or above—are known as the most efficient filters since they can filter out 99.7% of particles in the air. This filter will also be ideal for preventing asthma attacks, especially for those with allergies.

Tips to Keep Your AC Systems in Good Condition

From sleeping better to inhaling allergen- and pollutant-free indoor air, there are various reasons why you must ensure that your air conditioning system in your Sutherland Shire home or office is performing well. One of these is to save on energy costs.

While we recommend regularly consulting an air conditioning professional experienced with taking care of any air conditioning component, there are DIY tips you can incorporate.  

Here are simple ways to take care of your air conditioning in Sutherland Shire:

  1. Change your filter regularly (ideally once per month).  
  1. Check the fins to ensure sufficient airflow. Air conditioning equipment sellers can offer a “fin comb” to help you solve blocked airflow and bent fins issues.  
  1. Inspect the condensate drain, as this will become clogged over time.  
  1. Check the evaporator coil and clean it as necessary (at least once a year).  
  1. Pass a stiff wire through the unit’s drain channels occasionally to avoid wall or carpet discolouration.  
  1. Scan the seal between your unit and the window frame at the start of the cooling season. Moisture can damage the seal and allow cool air to escape from your space.
  1. At the onset of the winter season, cover your air conditioning systems. You can also remove and store it somewhere else. The outdoor unit must be covered to prevent winter weather and debris damage.  
  1. Lastly, consult a professional team that offers air conditioning services in Sutherland Shire. This is vital when your air conditioning units need more than regular maintenance.

Dependable Air Conditioning Services in Sutherland Shire

Not regularly maintaining your air conditioning in Sutherland Shire will cause a steady decline in your system’s performance. At the same time, the energy used will steadily increase, there will be a reduction in the airflow, and it will lessen system efficiency. Your air conditioning components need professional servicing every few months to maintain their peak performance in generating clean, filtered air.  

Conduct a thorough background check when looking for an air conditioning services company in Sutherland Shire to hire for regular maintenance. Be sure that the company you’ll hire is licensed and has a proven track record for the quality of their service—like Ozcon Air Solutions.

Ozcon Air Solutions, a team of professional and licensed air conditioning technicians, has been servicing the Sydney region for over 15 years. Contact us to find out the full scope of our superior air conditioning services. Talk to us by calling 1300 341 694.