How does an air conditioner work?
Many consumers will probably have to deal with indoor air conditioning in the foreseeable future. Because: in the hot summer months, a functioning air conditioning unit can significantly improve the quality of life. But how exactly does the principle of an air conditioning system work ? In this article we will explain to you:
- the basic functional principles of an air conditioning system including its individual components
- the functional characteristics of different types of air conditioning systems
- the integration of an air conditioning system into a smart home concept
- the dehumidification function
- the heating function and
- whether and how you can ideally support the function of an air conditioning system with the help of a photovoltaic system.
For quick readers: The most important things about how air conditioning systems work at a glance
- The basic principle of air conditioning is to transfer heat from indoor spaces to the outside of the building using physical processes and with the help of energy. Many devices also filter and dehumidify the room air. To make this possible, the air conditioning system uses a system consisting of a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, refrigerant and fans.
- Air conditioning systems differ fundamentally in their equipment, their performance, their installation and construction, and the type of refrigerant used. We explain the function of the following systems in more detail: devices with exhaust hose, split systems and central air conditioning systems.
- Air conditioning systems with smart home functions increase operating comfort, energy efficiency and user-friendliness - e.g. thanks to WiFi control, sensors and automation rules.
- In addition to a pleasant room temperature, air conditioning systems also dehumidify rooms and thus prevent, among other things, the formation of mold.
- By reversing the refrigerant circuit with the help of a 4-way valve, certain systems can also be used to heat the living space.
- Coupling the air conditioning system with a photovoltaic system can significantly reduce the power consumption of the air conditioning units in summer, especially since very hot days usually provide good conditions for generating electricity using solar panels.
The principle of an air conditioning system
Put simply, air conditioning units cool living spaces by transporting the heat in the room from the inside to the outside using electrical energy and physical principles. Many devices also filter and dehumidify the room air. For the process, they use a refrigerant circuit, which includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator and distributes cooled air into the room with the help of a fan. Essentially, it is about absorbing the heat energy present in the room and then releasing it outside the room in order to reduce the temperature inside.
The device components and their function in detail
- Compressor
It compresses the refrigerant, causing its pressure and temperature to increase. This allows the refrigerant to transport heat from the inside to the outside more efficiently.
- Condenser
The role of the condenser is to cool and liquefy the refrigerant heated by the compressor. It transfers the heat absorbed from the interior to the outside air, causing the coolant to condense.
- Expansion valve
It regulates the flow of the liquid refrigerant and reduces its pressure. This reduction in pressure causes the refrigerant to cool down and evaporate at lower pressure in the evaporator, which is crucial for the cooling process in the interior.
- Evaporator
It is responsible for maintaining a comfortable temperature in an air conditioning system. To do this, it passes the liquid, decompressed refrigerant through its heat exchanger. As soon as the (still) warm room air passes over the cooling fins of the evaporator, the refrigerant absorbs the heat and evaporates, cooling the air before it flows back into the room.
- Refrigerant
The substance, also known as coolant, plays a central role in the cooling process. It absorbs heat from the interior and transfers it to the outside of the building. The agent circulates in a self-contained system and continuously changes its state between gaseous and liquid. This allows it to transport heat very effectively.
- Fan
It is crucial for the circulation of air. Warm room air is sucked in and fed to the evaporator, where it is cooled. The fan then distributes the now cooled air throughout the room, which noticeably reduces the temperature and, ideally, creates a pleasant room climate.
Functional features of different types of air conditioning systems
While the basic principle of air conditioning is basically the same for all types of devices, there are still differences in terms of
- the mobility of the devices,
- the type of installation and
- the structure of the cooling technology components in detail.
Refrigerators with exhaust hose
(Mobile) air conditioning systems with an exhaust hose suck in the warm room air, cool it using a coolant and then ventilate the cooled air back into the room. The refrigerant circuit is operated with the help of a compressor, which, like all other system components, is installed in a device housing - the so-called monoblock. In order to direct the warm exhaust air to the outside of the building, this type of device requires an exhaust hose.
During this process, the system typically produces condensation. This is either collected in an internal water tank and must be emptied manually on a regular basis. Or the condensate is drained via the exhaust hose using an automatic evaporation system, as is the case with Bosch products.
Split systems
Central air conditioning system
Smart home functions of modern air conditioning systems
Bosch is an absolute pioneer in the areas of smart home and sustainability. Therefore, smart functional aspects of modern air conditioning units should not be neglected – they increase operating comfort, energy efficiency and user-friendliness.
Air conditioning systems with WiFi: Many new air conditioning models can be connected to the home WiFi and thus controlled from a smartphone while on the move, for example. Ideally, suitable apps provide additional ease of use.
By integrating it into a smart home system, a lot of money can be saved in view of ever-increasing electricity prices - air conditioning systems benefit from being coupled with sensors that detect, for example, whether a room is occupied or a window has been opened.
Automation rules offer additional possibilities. Simply adjust the air conditioning control to your daily routine on weekdays or weekends and the system will cool rooms before you get home from work, for example.
How does dehumidification of room air work?
As already mentioned, air conditioning systems not only ensure a pleasant room temperature, but also change the room climate by dehumidifying. This happens during the cooling process: the ventilation directs warm, humid room air over the so-called cooling fins, in which the coolant circulates. The cooling ensures that the air is less able to hold moisture. This leads to condensation of the water particles bound in the air. The condensate is collected in the device and transported away. The dried air is released back into the room. Modern air conditioning systems with appropriate functionality measure the humidity and can be controlled to meet the individual needs of the residents. Dehumidification can not only improve the perceived comfort of the indoor climate, but also help prevent mold growth.
By the way: Bosch air conditioning units ensure high quality room air through the so-called Plasmacluster technology . You can quickly find all systems equipped with this in our product overviews using the icon marked in green below:
How does air conditioning work as a heater?
If an air conditioning system has a heating function, this allows the device to reverse the direction of the refrigerant circuit. In the standard configuration, the air conditioning system extracts the heat contained in the interior and directs it to the outside. When the heating function is activated via the 4-way changeover valve, this process is reversed. The air conditioning system then extracts heat from the outside air - even at low outside temperatures - and directs this heat inside. The outdoor unit of the air conditioner now works as an evaporator, absorbing heat from the outside air, and the indoor unit acts as a condenser, heating the interior of the building.
By the way: in our product overviews you can easily find those air conditioning units with integrated heating function at a glance using the icon marked in green below:
Good to know
Air conditioners with inverter technology work “smartly” or more evenly than air conditioners without a built-in inverter. They constantly adjust the output power to meet demand: shortly before the set temperature is reached, the air conditioning system reduces the rotation speed of the compressor. This means that the device's maximum performance is not used permanently, but only when it is really necessary. This way you save on electricity costs and your rooms will be exactly the temperature you want – not too cold and not too warm.
Air conditioning systems from Bosch
Please enter your Products
Our expert and certified air conditioning technicians from the Bosch network will be happy to help you find the best air conditioning system for your application.
Vyzkoušejte vizualizaci klimatizace u vás doma ve 3D
Vyberte si vnitřní jednotku:
Vyberte si venkovní jednotku:
Vyzkoušejte vizualizaci klimatizace u vás doma ve 3D
Vyberte si vnitřní jednotku:
Vyberte si venkovní jednotku:
Vyzkoušejte si vizualizaci klimatizace ve 3D!
Stačí naskenovat QR kód pomocí chytrého telefonu a ponořit se do světa rozšířené reality se 3D výrobky.