If you are planning to get yourself a car air conditioner it would help if you do some preliminary homework and gather a workable knowledge about the device. In this article we will discuss about the three most important parts of an air conditioner - the compressor, the condenser and the evaporator.

Compressor

This is to an air conditioner, what the processor is to a computer. It is actually a pump that is driven by a belt. The compressor is attached to the engine. There is a magnetic clutch at the front of the compressor. Its job is to make the compressor active as soon as power is given to it. The main responsibility of the compressor is to compress and thereafter transfer the refrigerant gas. The compressor works similar to the human heart, pumping refrigerant in a loop along the system. The refrigerant allows the hot air to be cooled and this air then is released back to the car.

The air condition system is basically divided into two parts, the high-pressure side called the discharge and the low-pressure side known as the suction. The compressor sucks in the low pressure gases released by the evaporator and the accumulator. Then it compresses the same to a high-pressure hot gas and sends it across to the condenser.

Condenser

Usually located at the front of the radiator the condenser is almost similar in appearance to that of the radiator. The main job of the condenser is to receive high-pressure hot gases from the compressor and then cool the gas. The cooling takes place until it condenses all of the hot air. Finally a high-pressure condensed liquid is released from the condenser.

Evaporator

The function of the evaporator is pretty similar to that of the heater core, the only difference being that the evaporator absorbs heat from the passenger compartment instead of supplying it there. The evaporator is generally installed under the passenger side dash. The low pressure liquid refrigerant from the condenser enters the evaporator through the bottom. This is then evaporated and released into the passenger compartment through the vents. Although, the primary function of the evaporator is to provide cool air into the vehicle, the evaporator also works as a dehumidifier.

This is the outline of only the three most important parts of a car air conditioner though there are numerous other parts of the air conditioner in your car which you need to know of. Now that you have been initiated, it would be easier to learn henceforth.