Many older cars and some new ones are air cooled. This cooling system relies on fins over the cylinders to increase surface area exposed to cooling air and promote greater heat dissipation.
The fan in the indoor unit pulls warm air from the room through filters and passes it across the cold evaporator coil. The thermostat monitors and controls the cooling process.
Air Cooling
Air cooling systems are inexpensive and easy to install. They work fine for most PCs, but they may struggle with overclocking and other high-performance activities.
They use oil-free compressors or blowers to compress coolant and disperse it into the space. It can be driven to a location inside the equipment room or to an external air conditioning plant for further cooling.
This system is commonly used in data centers, where the equipment needs to operate 24/7 and be kept cool. The air can be pumped through tubes into hot and cold corridors, allowing for better temperature control. It also helps reduce humidity levels and maintain an ambient air temperature of optimum performance. The cooling systems are available in various sizes and shapes to meet the specific requirements of the application.
Liquid Cooling
With conductive liquid cooling, the coolant directly removes heat from the components in your computer, eliminating the heat transfer inefficiencies of air. Heat sinks are mounted directly to the heat-producing components, and tubing carries the coolant from them to and from the radiator.
Water has a higher heat capacity than air and transfers it more efficiently, so your processor runs cooler with a liquid cooling system. This helps you get the most performance and power out of your computer.
One drawback of a liquid cooling system is that it’s more complex to install and can void the manufacturer warranty. It can also be more expensive, but the investment pays off with increased processing power and a quieter computer. The location of your computer can also factor into whether you opt for a liquid cooling system.
Thermostats
Thermostats are temperature sensors that send a control signal to the air heating and cooling system. They are usually mechanical switches or electronic sensors.
Most non-electronic thermostats use substances that expand as they heat up, like bimetallic strips or gas bellows. These sensors connect an electrical circuit to a thermostat switch that activates the heating or cooling systems.
Alternatively, wax thermostats use a plug of melted wax inside a sealed cylinder to actuate the thermostat switch. The wax melts slowly when the cylinder reaches a certain temperature, allowing the cylinder to open and give space for coolant to flow in.
It’s important that a thermostat is properly installed to ensure maximum effectiveness and efficiency. It should be placed on an interior wall away from drafts, sunlight and other objects that can cause false readings. It should also be located where natural room air currents (warm air rising, cool air sinking) occur.
Fan Speeds
Your blower fan speed affects how much air your AC circulates per minute. Low fan speed can lead to a lack of air flow which in turn leads to poor home comfort, equipment wear and tear and increased energy costs.
If your fan speeds are too high, they can increase humidity levels in the air which can lead to mold and mildew growth which in turn can cause respiratory health issues and indoor damage to your property. Keeping your fan speeds low can prevent this and also reduce your energy consumption.
Fan curves allow you to control the speed of your fans based on different temperature readings from your CPU. They can be set to start slow at lower, “safe” temperatures and then ramp up as the temperature approaches higher, more dangerous readings.
Radiators
Radiators, also called thermal radiators, are the smallest units in the cooling system. They are designed to deliver long-lasting heat to the air in your home or business.
They work by warming the air in a room via radiation and convection. As the hot water from a radiator warms the air next to it, this air rises and sets up vertical currents that distribute the heated air throughout the room.
When the cooling system is working properly, all of the radiators in a house will give off heat at roughly the same rate. This is known as being ‘balanced.’
One way to test whether or not a radiator is balancing correctly is to put a thermometer on the inlet and outlet pipes of the radiator when water is flowing through it. If the temperature drops significantly, then that radiator is giving off heat too quickly.