What is an air conditioner ? An air conditioner is a machine used to condition indoor air. It includes a compressor, a fan, condenser coil, evaporator coil and a chemical refrigerant. An air conditioner can not only cool and filter the air, but can also control the humidity. Some units even provide heating.

Who invented the first air conditioner ? Dr. Willis Carrier. Please click here if you want to know more.

How does an air conditioner work? An air conditioner removes indoor heat and replaces it with cool air. Refrigerant in the system absorbs excess indoor heat while being pumped through a closed system of piping to an outside coil. A fan continuously blows outdoor air over the hot coil. This will transfer the heat outdoors.

How many different types of air conditioners are there ? There are three major types of air conditioners. Window type air conditioner: A window unit is a self-contained packaged air conditioner. All components are housed within the unit. It is installed through an opening in the wall and no inter-piping connection is required. Split type air conditioner: A split unit comprises two parts - the outdoor Condensing Unit (CDU) and the indoor Fan Coil Unit (FCU). The CDU consists of a compressor and a heat rejecting condenser coil. The FCU is a cooling coil. Interconnecting piping between CDU and FCU is required to run this system. Window-split type air conditioner: The window-split unit is similar to a regular split unit except the size and outlook of its CDU. The size and outlook of window-split's CDU is similar to that of a window type air conditioner.

• How do you measure the capacity of an air conditioner ?
  Although horse power is commonly used to indicate the capacity an air conditioner, the scientific measure is BTU/HR (British Thermal Unit per hour). One BTU/HR is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. The conversion from horse power to BTU/HR is as follows:

• Energy Efficiency Rating
  The efficiency of a room air conditioner is measured by the Energy Efficiency Rating (EER). This is a ratio of the cooling output (in BTU) to the power consumption (in watt-hours). The higher the rating, the higher the efficiency.
  

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