Do Air Conditioners Bring In Fresh Air From Outside?

Phill Crawley

Smarter Air & Electrical

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So do air conditioners bring in fresh air from outside? Continue reading to learn more. Australian’s are well accustomed to the relief that air conditioning brings on those sweltering hot days. It’s true many Aussies love modern air conditioning and it’s the ability to offer both heating and cooling benefits. However, the way in which air conditioners work remains a mystery for many.

One of the biggest riddles most users want to solve is this — do air conditioners bring in fresh air from outside? Well, if you are one of these curious users, we’ve got all the answers. Understanding how an air conditioning system works also has the added benefit of knowing how to get the most out of your air conditioning unit.

 

Most Air Conditioners Do Not Bring In Fresh Air From Outside.

In short, the answer is no, air conditioners do not bring in fresh outside air. Rather, it takes the air inside your house and puts it through a heat exchange process. So, how exactly does it work?

Generally, air conditioners move unwanted heat out of your home, thus lowering the temperature inside your home. However, some air conditioners have a reverse option providing heating during winter. The process works in a similar way for ducted air conditioning systems and split system air conditioners.

 

Moving The Hot Air To The Curb

Built inside every air conditioner is a heat pump that removes the heat from your house. Reverse cycle systems work both ways, i.e. moving the heat or thermal energy inside your home during winter or drawing it out in summer. But how does it capture and release the heat?

It all has to do with the compressor (also known as an air conditioner pump). The compressor absorbs heat from your home and dispenses it outside using a special fluid called “refrigerant”. This fluid is covered by a metal loop and works as a shuttle to move the heat out of your home.

do-air-conditioners-bring-in-fresh-air-from-outside

The Refrigeration Cycle

This heat exchange process, also known as the refrigeration cycle, is what creates a cool atmosphere. There are four stages involved, and they are:

  1. The heat from inside the house is absorbed by the refrigerant.
  2. The refrigerant gets hot from absorbing the heat.
  3. The heat from the house is then transferred outside via the refrigerant, flowing from warmer to cooler to be released/transferred to outdoor air.
  4. Once the heat is dispensed, the refrigerant gets cold and is distributed through the house by other parts of the system.

When the refrigerant is distributed back into the home, it passes through a narrow valve into the evaporator, which is kept at low pressure. When the refrigerant flows in, it quickly expands causing the fluid to become very cold. The cool air is then blown by a fan which spreads it throughout your house via ductwork.

This is also part of the heat transfer process because as the cooled air is distributed, the air is blown across the evaporator (from return ducts) again transferring heat into the fluid. The refrigerant is then pumped back to the condenser, beginning the cycle again.

The compressor is one of the most important components of the air conditioner. Any fault in this part will stop the cooling process immediately. If you are experiencing cooling issues with your system, we highly recommended calling a licensed expert such as Smarter Air.

 

Do I Need Additional Ventilation?

It all depends on your needs. Additional ventilation, installed by a trusted air conditioning company, can lower your electricity bills by reducing your cooling needs, or improving indoor air quality. The style and function of such ventilation will vary based upon your home’s age and construction, as well as your family’s health and comfort requirements. Your best option is to discuss additional ventilation with your installer to find out if it’s right for you.

Contact Smarter Air

If you’re considering getting air conditioning installed in your home, speak with the team at Smarter Air. We are one of Brisbane’s leading full-service air conditioning companies providing breakdown service, maintenance & installation of split system and ducted air conditioning.

We offer competitive quotes, a 10-year workmanship guarantee on ducted installations and exceptional customer service. For honest advice or a quote for quality air conditioning, reach out to our friendly team today on 07 3067 2396 or Contact Us Via Email.

Want to learn more? Check out our frequently asked questions here.

Scott Booth
We had a great experience from quote to install. I spent a year shopping around for air conditioning solutions and this mob had the best ...
Scott Booth
We had a great experience from quote to install. I spent a year shopping around for air conditioning solutions and this mob had the best price and the best service by far. An easy decision.
Scott Booth
Scott Booth
Jade Marsh (Jadey k450)
Had ducted aircon installed very promptly. Chose this company due to their customer satisfaction and importance for continuing to offer support. Have had to have ...
Jade Marsh (Jadey k450)
Had ducted aircon installed very promptly. Chose this company due to their customer satisfaction and importance for continuing to offer support. Have had to have technicians out twice to replace sensors and the second technician was absolutely phenomenal and gave use amazing advice.
Jade Marsh (Jadey k450)
Jade Marsh (Jadey k450)
Goran Radosavljevic
Very professional and friendly people at the same time, so easy to deal with. They always come on promissed time and deliver all 100%. They run ...
Goran Radosavljevic
Very professional and friendly people at the same time, so easy to deal with. They always come on promissed time and deliver all 100%. They run like ants, everyone knows what he's supposed to do and before you know it's ready to be turned on, when they start showing you how to control your new AC. Well done Smarter A&E, very happy with what you've accomplished. I strongly recommend this business to everyone.
Goran Radosavljevic
Goran Radosavljevic
Zuzana Husak
Smarter Air & Electrical made the choosing and installation of aircon a breeze. From the first contact, through inspection and installation I was impressed with ...
Zuzana Husak
Smarter Air & Electrical made the choosing and installation of aircon a breeze. From the first contact, through inspection and installation I was impressed with the professional service, punctuality, tidiness and politeness. I would highly recommend the team, in fact I already have. Thank you Alex, Davis, Tom and the boys.
Zuzana Husak
Zuzana Husak
Dave B
The guys were great. Professional, polite and efficient. Arrived on time, completed all work to a very high standard and left the house cleaner than ...
Dave B
The guys were great. Professional, polite and efficient. Arrived on time, completed all work to a very high standard and left the house cleaner than when they started. Would not hesitate to recommend Smarter Air to anyone.
Dave B
Dave B
Aslam Chapri
Excellent!!! The customer service was outstanding. Alex went above and beyond to help me finding the product I wanted. They efficiently and in time replaced ...
Aslam Chapri
Excellent!!! The customer service was outstanding. Alex went above and beyond to help me finding the product I wanted. They efficiently and in time replaced my old ducted aircon system. The installation team, Tom, Jacob, Levi and rest of the team were highly professional and polite and tidied up nicely after completing installation. Davis' initial site inspection was very informative. I highly recommend Smarter Air & Electrical.
Aslam Chapri
Aslam Chapri
Frankie Smith
Contact from start to finish was good, company was very responsive. Guys who installed were polite and professional. Price was much better than other quotes ...
Frankie Smith
Contact from start to finish was good, company was very responsive. Guys who installed were polite and professional. Price was much better than other quotes we got too. Happy all around, would highly recommend
Frankie Smith
Frankie Smith
Aaron Bey
Had our ducted aircon installed today the team was on time very professional and very efficient and tidy. It has been an amazing experience...
Aaron Bey
Had our ducted aircon installed today the team was on time very professional and very efficient and tidy. It has been an amazing experience from initial contact to quoting through to site visit and install. Didn’t try to sell us anymore than we need and really knew what they were talking about. Would highly recommend to anyone look to have air con installed. Thanks to the whole team.
Aaron Bey
Aaron Bey
Adam Staier
These guys are great. From initial quote right up to demonstration after it was installed they’ve been brilliant. Ours was a tricky install...
Adam Staier
These guys are great. From initial quote right up to demonstration after it was installed they’ve been brilliant. Ours was a tricky install due to access issues and they absolutely nailed it. Friendly professional staff and they work hard.
Adam Staier
Adam Staier
Anna Marcantelli
Have had the team from Smarter Air and Electrical do an aircon system for our shop and it’s absolutely changed our life. We were...
Anna Marcantelli
Have had the team from Smarter Air and Electrical do an aircon system for our shop and it’s absolutely changed our life. We were dying from the heat before but the guys had it installed in no time and couldn’t have been any easier to deal with! From calling up and booking in to having the system installed was seamless and the super friendly team made the decision that much better! Will continue to use these guys and always recommend to anyone in the future needing any air conditioning and electrical work done!
Anna Marcantelli
Anna Marcantelli

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