How Refrigeration Units Work
Just about every household has a refrigerator, as it is a staple in home necessities. Consumers are usually concerned about whether or not they do their job but not usually how they do their job. Here is some information on how refrigeration units work for those concerned about both.
Each refrigerator part works together, and one part works after the other has completed its job; here is how each part of the refrigerator works in order.
The Evaporator
An evaporator is usually a copper metal tubing that has metal fins attached. As the refrigerant enters the tubing, the evaporator is cooled. The fan blowing across the fins removes heat from the air within the refrigerator, lowering the temperature. The removed heat is absorbed in the refrigerant, which turns it from liquid to gas.
The Compressor
The heat from the evaporator to the refrigerant has made it hot and it needs to be cooled back down in order for it to continue cooling; the compressor prepares the gas to be cooled. A mechanical compressor run by a motor compresses the gas coming out of the evaporator and serves as a pump that keeps the refrigerant circulating in the loop. By the time the compressor puts out the gas, it is very hot and ready for the condenser.
The Condenser
The condenser has to cool down the very hot gas coming from the compressor. The condenser allows for the refrigeration system to dump the hot air outside into the atmosphere. The condenser is built much like an evaporator and has fans that blow on the fins. The passing air from the condenser picks up heat from the refrigerant and drops the temperature to where it is able to convert back to liquid.
The TX Valve
With the refrigerant cool again, the system is ready to use the cool liquid for cooling down the unit. The TX valve allows the liquid to pass through it. Being a flow restricting device, the pressure of the refrigerant is lowered which cools down the liquid even more. The refrigerant is now ready to enter back into the evaporator where the process starts all over.