All About An AC Expansion Valve From Your Reputable AC Repair Company | Arlington, TX
Have you installed an air conditioner at your home? If you have, then you know its functionalities. They are responsible for cooling your home, regulating indoor humidity, filtering the indoor air, and ensuring that your IAQ is high. The air conditioner has to move the refrigerant around, cooling the indoor air. The coolant absorbs the heat from the incoming air and carries it out. The expansion valve is one of the components that aid in refrigerant flow. Unfortunately, the expansion valve may also experience some issues that will require the attention of an AC repair company. This article will explore expansion valves and their role in an air conditioning unit.
What Are Air Conditioner Expansion Valves?
In operation, there is an increase and a decrease in pressure. The expansion valve is the air conditioner component responsible for regulating pressure drops in an air conditioning system. This happens as the AC unit transforms the liquid coolant into vapor within the AC evaporator coils. The Ac unit allows the coolant to expand into a gas by managing the evaporator pressure. The expansion valve guarantees the consistency of the flow. Hence, you should call an AC repair company if you suspect the refrigerant levels are low or the expansion valve has a problem.
How Do Air Conditioner Expansion Valves Work?
An expansion valve is an essential component in an air conditioning system that controls refrigerant flow from the system’s high-pressure side (compressor) to the low-pressure side (evaporator). This component plays a crucial role in facilitating the cooling process. It allows only a small amount of refrigerant to flow into the evaporator coils at any time. As the liquid refrigerant is introduced into the coils, it rapidly expands into a vapor, causing a significant drop in temperature. This drop in temperature allows the evaporator coils to absorb heat from the surrounding air, thus creating cool air that is then circulated throughout the space.
An AC repair company in Arlington, TX may install several expansion valves in your unit, including the Automatic Expansion Valve, Thermal Expansion Valve, Thermostatic Expansion Valve, and Capillary Tube. Each type operates slightly differently, but the overall function remains the same – to control the refrigerant flow and ensure efficient cooling. Choosing the right type of expansion valve according to the AC unit is essential to ensure optimal performance.
Importance of an AC Expansion Valve
Maintaining Evaporator Pressure
Properly managing the pressure within the evaporator coils is crucial for the optimal efficiency of an air conditioning system, as the refrigerant needs low pressure to transition back into a gaseous form. To maintain these low pressures, the expansion valve plays a vital role. Thus, if you suspect that it has a problem, you should immediately reach out to an AC repair company near you in Arlington, TX. This results in refrigerants having enough space to expand, which helps to regulate the pressure in the evaporator coils. The lower the pressure, the more efficiently the refrigerant can transition back into a gas, which helps to maximize the system’s cooling capacity. Hence, it would be best if you had an AC repair company send a technician for routine maintenance and inspection.
It Keeps the Air Cool
Expansion valves are important in ensuring that the air conditioning system operates efficiently. Though they do not directly impact the temperature in the room, they are responsible for facilitating the movement of refrigerant through the unit, which ultimately results in the cooling effect. That’s why an AC repair company must inspect it when they come for a maintenance visit.
This movement is what cools the air and removes heat from the room. However, for the refrigerant to return to its gaseous state and provide cooling, it must have enough space and low pressure to turn into a vapor. This is where the expansion valve comes in. It regulates refrigerant flow by only allowing a specific amount of refrigerant to flow at any given time. This entire process effectively pulls heat from the room, providing efficient cooling. Hence, it is required that an AC repair company services your expansion valve for effective cooling.
How to Diagnose a Faulty or Damaged Expansion Valve
When the AC Isn’t Properly Cooling
When an expansion valve is not functioning properly, one of the key signs is an air conditioner that cannot produce cold air. This is because expansion valves regulate refrigerant flow from high to low-pressure points. If something is wrong with the valve, it can result in fluctuations in the liquid line that inhibit the refrigerant from changing from liquid to gas. As a result, the refrigerant cannot effectively remove heat from the air and cool it. One symptom of this malfunction could be feeling warm air coming from the air conditioning system instead of cold air. There could be several reasons for an air conditioner to produce warm air. However, a faulty expansion valve is one possible cause. Hence, it should be immediately repaired by a reliable AC repair company.
When the AC is Producing a Whistling Sound
A malfunctioning expansion valve can forcefully release high-pressure liquid refrigerant, which can sound whistling or high-pitched as it flows through the valve body. Other parts, such as a broken fan motor or leaky refrigerant lines, can produce high-pitched squealing or whistling noises. Have a registered AC repair company in Arlington, TX analyze and inspect your air conditioning unit for a definitive diagnosis if you think the AC expansion valve is the issue. Additionally, our professionals can fix any expansion valve issues and replace the expansion valve as necessary.
An expansion valve is an essential component of your air conditioner. Hence, it has to be optimally functioning to regulate the refrigerant pressure. This means having a routine air conditioning service. Do you need any air conditioning inspection, maintenance, or even replacement? Contact us at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth. You will be glad you used our services.