Thanks to central air conditioning systems, homes and businesses can help people find comfort on a hot summer day. Providing the indoors with cooler temperatures the central air conditioning system is among the great examples of modern engineering. There are many components to the central air, and they are broken down with small parts that make everything work smoothly. In order to remove the warm air and push it outside, central air conditioning relies on these parts, among them the expansion valve. Air conditioning would be impossible without this critical component. To help you better know your air conditioner, we at Ambient Heating & Air Conditioning would like to further elaborate on the air conditioner’s expansion valve.

How Does an Air Conditioning System Work?

By funneling refrigerant throughout the system and transforming that refrigerant from a liquid to a gas and back again is how your air conditioner functions. Absorbing heat as the cool, liquid refrigerant moves inside your home or business. The refrigerant then turns into a gas with the heat absorption. Where the absorbed heat is released outside, the gaseous refrigerant moves to the outdoor portion of the unit. This release makes the refrigerant transform back to its liquid form and the cycle repeats. The refrigerant is still too warm to absorb more heat once back inside after the gaseous refrigerant releases the heat from the air into the outdoors. This is where the expansion valve steps in to play its part in the air conditioning process. Allowing the refrigerant to cool rapidly in preparation for more heat absorption, the expansion valve removes pressure from the refrigerant.

Symptoms of a Bad AC Expansion Valve

A malfunctioning expansion valve can be associated with a number of problems an air conditioner can have. A few of the more common examples include the following:
1) The air conditioning is not blowing cool air.
2) A system that runs constantly. The refrigerant continues feeding into the compressor if the expansion valve is malfunctioning. As a result, the compressor continues running nonstop to deal with the gas. This keeps your air conditioner will run continuously without shutting down between cycles to let the system rest.
3) Frozen AC coils. Because the expansion valve is valve is responsible for depressurizing the refrigerant to cool it, the refrigerant gets too cold and starts freezing everything in its path. Coupled with other symptoms, indicates the valve isn’t doing its job, frozen coils, frost spewing from the vents, or ice forming on the appliance’s exterior all indicate that something is going wrong with the refrigerant, and the expansion valve.
4) A/C makes loud noises. When parts malfunction, it is not unusual for the air conditioners to protest with strange sounds. Squealing, clanging, or banging noises that worsen over time is due to a faulty expansion valve.

Central Air Conditioning Troubleshooting, Emergency Repair, Tune Up Maintenance, Replacement & More in Springfield, Granby, Holyoke, South Hadley, Monson, Chicopee & Agawam Massachusetts

When the expansion valve is the problem with the air conditioner, most expansion valves can be replaced easily and inexpensively. Where it is simple fix, it takes a qualified technician to identify a faulty expansion valve and replace it. If you suspect a poor expansion valve or the air conditioner is not operating efficiently, call Ambient Heating & Air Conditioning.