How does an air conditioner work?
Cooling circuit, evaporator, compressor? We’ll explain!
FAQ 17.08.2023An air conditioner has the function of extracting heat from the air in the room to be cooled and releasing it to the outside. The air-conditioning system therefore does not transport fresh outside air into the interior, but cools the existing room air. This principle corresponds to that of your refrigerator. With a split air conditioning unit, only a small indoor unit remains in the room - the remaining components are housed outside your home, shop or office in the outdoor unit.
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Step by step How the refrigerant circuit works
Mode of operationWithin the cooling circuit, the refrigerant transports the extracted heat from the indoor unit to the outdoor unit and cools down again via the heat exchanger:
1. The evaporator is an essential component of the indoor unit. There, the liquid refrigerant absorbs the heat and thus becomes gaseous. You can compare this to water turning into steam when boiling, except that the refrigerant becomes liquid or gaseous more quickly. As a result of this change of state, heat is extracted from the room air and thus cooled down.
2. The compressor installed in the outdoor unit sucks the now gaseous refrigerant out of the evaporator and compresses it to such an extent that the temperature rises extremely due to the pressure.
3. The condenser is located in the outdoor unit. Here, the compressed and heated refrigerant releases the heat into the ambient air. It condenses and becomes liquid again. Again, you can visualise the pot of boiling water: The steam condenses on the lid and drips back into the pot.
4. The high pressure of the already liquid refrigerant is reduced again by an expansion valve. It flows back to the indoor unit in a liquid state to absorb heat again. The cycle begins again.
In heating mode, the cooling circuit is reversed and the air conditioner works as a heat pump. In the process, the heat is extracted from the outside air and released back into the room at the indoor unit.
Modern air conditioning for your home, office or business
InnovationOur Mitsubishi Electric air conditioners run through the cooling circuit with modern rotary compressors. These operate particularly quietly and with low vibration.
Thanks to inverter technology, the speed of the compressor is precisely adapted to the required cooling capacity. This means that our air conditioners are also particularly energy-efficient.
Discover our latest models for commercial and private areas.
