Atlanta AC Tip: Air Duct Components and Controls
Comfort Zone • May 7, 2012

May 7, 2012

By way of various types of systems, cool air is distributed through a series of passages called ducts to create comfort and a feeling of luxury so common today we could easily take it for granted.

While the purpose of air conditioning in Atlanta is to provide unobtrusive comfort, the components under the floor, behind the walls, alongside of the house or up on the roof are very real.

Basic Conditioning

Based on the principal that heat gravitates to cooler temperatures, most systems of air conditioning utilize a process of making a chemical rapidly transform from gas to liquid and back again to absorb and redistribute unwanted heat.  Known as refrigerants, these chemicals are chosen for their properties to expand and contract at low temperatures.  Pressure is added by a compressor or released in coils to accelerate the transformation.

Likewise (and more obviously), heat is produced typically by a controlled flame and transferred to eagerly awaiting air.  In both cases, at an exchange point, the air is conditioned and blowers circulate the air to and from the rooms through the ductwork.

Ducts

Forced air heat in many older homes has ductwork hanging between the joists.  They are commonly made of metal, take up a lot of space and are prone to rattle.  The one big advantage, it was discovered, was that they were all set in place to distribute cool air as well as heat.

Advances in technology have increased the insulation capacities and decreased the sizes of ductwork so that more and more space can be treated with better value and less structural impact.  This is due in large part to the highly efficient heating and cooling systems which are available today.

Enhancing Control

Although the movement of air is fairly simple (creating a “breeze”), efficiency is increased by controls that monitor, increase and decrease the amount and temperature, isolate sections and filters and adjusts humidity.  What began as a simple manual turn of a lever, technology again now makes possible fully automatic control of everything from a remote location with a smart phone.

In between are thermostats, dampers, zone controls and relay switches to accommodate all of the many varieties we have found to take care of our most basic creature comfort. For more information about how you Atlanta air conditioner works, give  Comfort Zone Heating & Air a call!

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