Why is freon cold

Freon is a nonflammable gas that undergoes an evaporation process. This same process can be seen in a basic home refrigerator.

Once compressed, the pressure of the Freon rises which actually makes it hot. The hot Freon then moves through coils which subsequently cools it again and converts it into a liquid. After that, the newly-formed liquid flows into an expansion valve which causes it to cool down more until it evaporates and turns into a gas again. Still with us? And yes, I do need to get some more photos in there.

Let me clarify one thing you said, though. It sends heat outside. Ideally you want no air from the duct system going outside. Very informative article. I Very informative article. Based on your description of the process, it seemed to indicate the boiling point temperature of the refrigerant was different from the condensation point temperature.

When the 55 degree refrigerant picks up heat from the 75 degree house air, it boils presumably at a temperature somewhere below Then when the heat is transferring from the refrigerant to the 95 degree outside air, it condenses presumably at a temperature somewhere above Is that correct?

Pretty good stuff. Agreed Pretty good stuff. Agreed with the others on the water analogy. What is the effect on the efficiency of the system if the actual condensing units are shaded lower temp vs in the hot sun themselves with high cabinet temperature?

Great, very clear article Great, very clear article Allison. I was trying to explain this to a customer the other day to no avail…I will now email them the link to this article. Thank you! I had to read through the gravity analogy twice before I began to understand it…still not sure I get it. Great article. What people Great article.

What people want is comfort so the dehumidification and the cooling are separte functions. Save energy by using programmable thermostats. Be ready for the upcoming Demand Response opportunities that will ask that the compressor be turned off just for a short period to avoid the peak demand and the fossil fuel to meet it. Allison, great idea to cover Allison, great idea to cover basic refrigeration cycle. How about a primer on pschrometrics? The compressor serves the purpose of greatly raising the pressure of the gas, so the condensation point is also raised.

For example, at 95F, my system has a high side pressure of lbs. Steve, installing AC on north Steve, installing AC on north or northeast side of house or otherwise providing shade will increase both capacity and efficiency.

Keeping sun off the condenser is a great strategy in new construction when the cost may be next to nothing often depends on location of air handler, as well as aesthetic and noise considerations.

If you plant vegetation or build a shading structure, just be sure to respect the mfr recommended clearances. For heat pumps, ideal placement would put the unit in direct sun in the AM and shaded after noon. Outstanding, you could not Outstanding, you could not have made it clearer, with the exception of the gravitational analog How do you find the time……. Kevin L. David Butler did a great job explaining why the temperatures are different in a comment below yours.

Steve : I was focusing only on the thermodynamics of air conditioning in this article. Naturally, a better building envelope and ducts inside make the home more efficient and the equipment more durable, as will right-sizing. Improving the conditions of the condensing unit also help.

Mark T. What is Freon and how does it work? What is Freon? Is Freon Safe? Recent Posts QQ: Should you be opening your windows in the fall? Then the refrigerant line leads the heated refrigerant to the outside air, where the heat can dissipate.

It will drop or increase in pressure depending on the temperature. The most common cause for low freon is a leak somewhere in your line. If there is even a minuscule break or bend in the refrigerant line, the high pressure of the system will make it leak out over time.

These leaks can start from damage or erosion.