Residential and commercial property owners face an increased personal responsibility regarding property upkeep. As a result, these owners benefit from understanding how complex systems operate within their homes or businesses. This knowledge can include the basics of repairing or rebuilding walls, installing appliances and fixtures, how those appliances work, and more.
At SM Mechanical Services, our team goes beyond simply providing outstanding HVAC installation and repair services. We empower our clients as property owners by keeping them informed during every step.
This blog post breaks down what an AC expansion valve is, its role in cooling your indoor spaces, and some of the signs it’s time to seek repair services.
For personalized answers to your HVAC, AC, and furnace questions, reach out to Glastonbury’s trusted furnace technicians and AC experts. Call SM Mechanical Services at 860-296-5100 today.
Understanding Indoor Cooling Systems
To fully understand the role an expansion valve plays in your indoor cooling system, let’s take a step back and begin by looking at the larger picture.
Indoor cooling systems differ in many ways depending on the model. For example, HVAC systems connect to and cool your home using external units, ductwork, and thermostats. A standalone air conditioning system, such as a window unit or ductless mini-split, requires less extensive installation or alteration to a property.
Most indoor cooling systems utilize liquid refrigerant chemicals to absorb heat. By creating a closed loop between a special condenser and an evaporator coil, these systems maintain the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant, allowing the chemical to continuously pull heat from the air entering your indoor spaces.
Refrigerants must stay at low temperatures to effectively cool a space. For this reason, air conditioner compressors increase the pressure on gaseous refrigerant intake from the evaporator. This pressure allows the refrigerant to return to a cooled liquid state and effectively expels any absorbed heat passing through the condenser coil.
Refrigerant leaving the condenser coil hasn’t reached ideal temperatures for heat absorption. For this chemical to effectively cool indoor air, it must reach a lower temperature. For this reason, the expansion valve enters the equation as refrigerant passes out of the condenser coil.
What Is an Expansion Valve?
Expansion valves serve a vital purpose in the internal workings of almost every type of air conditioning system. This valve has a small metal rod that controls refrigerant flow throughout the closed-loop evaporator coil mechanism.
How It Works
The metering rod on an AC expansion valve moves depending on the amount of refrigerant needed to reach desired indoor air temperatures. When the rod moves down, refrigerant flow throughout the system ceases. When the rod moves up, it determines how much refrigerant flows throughout the system and at what rate.
How This System Cools Indoor Spaces
Once the rod in the expansion valve lifts, the refrigerant passes through the expansion valve and expands, depressurizing and cooling further. This expanded state allows the liquid refrigerant to pass more easily through the evaporator coil, where it absorbs heat.
As the refrigerant absorbs heat in the evaporator coil, it warms and returns to a gaseous state before entering the compressor and condenser coil part of the loop.
Without an expansion valve, refrigerant would enter the evaporator coil in a high-pressure state, potentially damaging the evaporator coil and reducing the efficiency and function of the air conditioning system.
Signs of Expansion Valve Issues
Now that you know what an AC expansion valve is, you may wonder how to tell when one malfunctions.
In truth, attempting to troubleshoot or self-diagnose any AC issues may prove ineffective or cost more than necessary. However, being vigilant about signs of AC malfunction can help you catch problems like a faulty AC expansion valve early, potentially reducing your overall repair bill costs.
AC Blowing Warm Air
One of the primary signs of a potentially failing AC expansion valve comes in the form of warm air. If you run your AC, you want cool, dry air flowing throughout your indoor space. Your AC blowing warm or humid air indicates a problem with an internal component, such as the evaporator coil, refrigerant, or the expansion valve.
Inconsistent or Constant Air Flow
Expansion valves control the rate at which refrigerant passes through your system by regulating the pressure of the refrigerant. Without this regulation, the refrigerant may pass through the loop with too much or too little pressure, creating further damage inside the system and preventing it from cooling the air properly.
When expansion valves malfunction, the resulting damage and deficiencies in other parts of the AC system may lead to inconsistent airflow. If this happens, you may notice:
- Weak air movement coming from vents
- Air constantly blowing through vents
- Frost buildup on vents or around ductwork
- Frost buildup on external units
- Airflow pressure that changes or fluctuates rapidly
Depending on the extent of the damage, your broken AC expansion valve may present with other symptoms. To know the correct steps to take based on your specific AC malfunction symptoms, reach out to the experts in your area for help.
When To Call in the Experts
Many residential and commercial property owners attempt to diagnose and fix their AC systems alone to save money. However, relying on trained, insured professionals like those you’ll work with at SM Mechanical Services reduces the risks that property owners assume during these repairs.
It generally pays to avoid DIY fixes for most AC repairs, no matter the complexity. These professionals have the training and tools to get the job done quickly and carry licensing and insurance that protects them, you, and your property during all services.
Find Quality AC Repair Services in Glastonbury
If you think you have a faulty AC expansion valve, don’t wait. Avoid extra repair expenses, stress, and muggy indoor temperatures by reaching out to the AC and ventilation repair experts at SM Mechanical Services. Call 860-296-5100 to get started.