How Does a Heat and Air Unit Function?

air-unit

We take the function of our heat and air unit for granted. That is until, one day, it doesn’t work correctly, and we are left in a cold house in the middle of winter or a scorching house in the middle of summer. Many people don’t understand how their heat and air unit works, so they call a technician to fix it when there may be an easy solution.

In this article, we will explain how your specific heat and air unit works so that you can potentially troubleshoot it yourself next time it stops working. After this, you should better understand what is happening inside your heating and cooling system when you turn on the thermostat.

What Are Heat and Air Units?

A heat and air unit is a device used to heat or cool the air in a room. The most common type of heat and air unit is the furnace, which uses natural gas, oil, electricity, or propane as fuel.

Furnaces work by blowing air over a heat exchanger, which warms the air before it is distributed through your house’s ductwork by a blower fan.

Air conditioners are another type of heat and air unit. Air conditioners cool your home by circulating refrigerant gas through coils. This refrigerant gas absorbs heat from the indoor air, which lowers the temperature inside your home. The cooled refrigerant gas is then circulated back outside, where it releases its heat and begins the cycle again.

Many homes have a combined heating and cooling system, which uses a furnace and an air conditioner. This type of system is usually more energy-efficient than having two separate units because it can switch between heating and cooling modes as you require.

How Does a Heat and Air unit Work?

The most crucial part of any heat and air unit is the thermostat. The thermostat is what tells the unit when to turn on and off. Thermostats are usually on the room’s wall that you want to heat or cool.

Manual thermostats must be turned on/off by hand, while automatic thermostats will turn the heat and air unit on and off based on the temperature you set. Automatic thermostats are more energy-efficient because they will only turn the unit on when necessary.

The thermostat works by sensing the room’s temperature and turning the heat and air unit on or off. When the thermostat senses the room is too cold, it will turn on the heat. Similarly, the thermostat will turn on the air conditioner when it senses the room is too hot.

Once the thermostat has turned on the heat and air unit, a series of events must occur for the unit to start working correctly.

The first thing that must happen for furnaces is igniting the fuel. The furnace will not start blowing air until the fuel has been ignited, and this ignition can be done either automatically or manually.

Next, the blower fan will turn on and begin circulating air through the ductwork. The air will then pass over the heat exchanger, which warms the air. The air is then distributed throughout the house by ductwork.

The first thing that must happen for air conditioners is that the refrigerant gas must be circulated through the coils. The refrigerant gas will absorb heat from the indoor air, lowering your home’s temperature. The cooled refrigerant gas is then circulated back outside, where it releases its heat and begins the cycle again.

Once the heat and air unit has been turned on, it will continue to run until it senses that the room has reached the desired temperature, which will turn off the unit.

It is important to note that heat and air units do not work instantaneously. It takes a few minutes for the unit to start heating or cooling the air, so don’t be alarmed if you don’t feel a temperature difference immediately.

What to Check Before Calling a Technician

If your heat and air unit are not working correctly, there are a few things that you can check before calling a technician.

  • Check to see if the unit is receiving power.
  • Check the air filters and make sure that they are not dirty.
  • Check the vents and ensure that they are open.

If you’ve checked these things and the unit is still not working correctly, it is time to call a technician. Heat and air units are complex pieces of machinery, so it is best to leave repairs and maintenance to the professionals.

In Conclusion

Heat and air units are complex pieces of machinery that are used to heat or cool your home. The most important part of the unit is the thermostat, which tells the unit when to turn it on and off. The unit will also have a blower fan, which circulates air through the ductwork, and a heat exchanger, which warms up the air. Goodman heat and air can be used in furnaces and air conditioners, and is a good energy-efficient brand.