Car Condenser: Types Components and Functions
ebanmella – A car consists of various components to make it work well and be comfortable to use. Among them is the condenser in the AC cooling system. A car’s air conditioner is an important part of the AC system’s performance, it blows cold air and cools the cabin.
Ebanmella explains the car’s condenser completely, how to work, parts, location, function, damage features and how to take care of them. If you are very concerned about driving comfort, you should read this article to the end to take better care of your condenser.
What is a car condenser?
The car condenser is one of the parts of the car that is located between the grill and the engine cooling radiator. It consists of sheets of tin, each sheet of which is covered with paraffin paper and rolled tightly to form a small cylinder.
In summary, the sequence of how a car AC works to produce cool air is as follows.
- The AC compressor releases the compressed refrigerant in gaseous form. The compression process causes this refrigerant gas to be at high temperature and pressure. This hot, pressurized brake gas goes to the AC condenser.
- In the reservoir, as the heat carried by the brake enters, the brake, which was initially in the form of a gas, turns into a liquid, this change of substance is called condensation. In the process of absorbing the heat, the air conditioner is assisted by the fan by blowing air through the air conditioner’s wings.
- After passing through the condenser, the liquid freon is filtered to the receiver dryer, so the air becomes cleaner and fresher. The air then enters the expansion valve, where the Freon is converted back into gas form. Next, the air enters the evaporator and is distributed into the cabin using a blower.
If you pay attention to how the AC system works above, the function and role of the car’s condenser is to absorb heat from the freon that comes from the compressor, so that it cools down. In addition, the condenser changes the form of the refrigerant from a gas to a liquid.
Considering its important role in the car’s AC system, the maintenance of the car’s air conditioner also needs attention.
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Car cooling area
As mentioned earlier, the position of the condenser is in front of the car’s radiator, between the car’s grille and the radiator. By opening the front grill of the car, you can see the air conditioner directly.
This position allows the conditioner to get a lot of dirt and dust from the outside, which makes the parts dirty or blocked. This is one of the causes of problems with the condenser, which cannot work properly.
Car condenser function
From the above explanation, the function of the car condenser is explained, which is known to the general public. However, if you look specifically, the car air conditioner has several functions, such as refrigeration, lighting system and cooling system. Following is an explanation of each of these functions:
1. Cooling method
As described in the general function of the condenser, this device is a component that works to absorb heat or heat from the refrigerant in the refrigeration system. By absorbing the heat, the freon changes from a gas state to a liquid state.
In the cooling process, the medium used is air or wind. In this process, the role of air is needed as a cooling mechanism. Therefore, when releasing this heat, the car’s condenser is assisted by a fan that can blow air.
2. Ignition system
In addition to the cooling system, the conditioner has a role in the ignition system. The function of the capacitor in the ignition system is to absorb the jump of the spark plug at the breaking point in the platinum. The conditioner will increase the voltage on the second circuit and the platinum condition of the car is better protected from the risk of loss.
3. Cooling method
In a refrigeration system, the condenser works as a condensing device, aka a high-pressure, high-temperature compressor that condenses gas into a liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant holds the heat so that the refrigerant or refrigerant has a cold temperature.
How does a car air conditioner work?
After knowing the role of the condenser in several systems in the car, it will be a good idea for you to know how this device works in these systems.
1. Ignition system
When the platinum is closed, the capacitor flows the primary current from the battery to the mass of the battery and to the secondary winding. Meanwhile, when the platinum is opened, electric current flows into the condenser, preventing sparks from occurring.
2. Cooling method
In the refrigeration system, the conditioner works in 2 ways: natural oscillation and forced expansion. In natural convention, the system depends only on the wind blowing from outside the car, so the air flow rate in the air conditioner is very low. Meanwhile, in forced convection, cooling is also carried out with the help of a fan or something similar.
3. Cooling method
In the refrigeration system, the conditioner works by converting gas into liquid. The freon pumped into the refrigeration system by the compressor is forced into the condenser in the form of a high-pressure, superheated gas. With the help of a fan, the condenser removes the heat so that the gas refrigerant turns into a liquid.
Characteristics of a damaged car condenser
When the air conditioner does not work, it really reduces the comfort of driving, because the temperature in the cabin will be hot, especially when you drive the car at low speed or stop.
Therefore, it is very important for car owners to know the signs of condensation damage, so that the problem can be prevented from getting worse. So here are 3 signs that can be indicators of a damaged car condenser.
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1. The AC is not cooling and there is no leakage in the pipe
If the AC doesn’t feel cold but you don’t find any freon leaks in the ducts or other visible parts of the AC system ducts, this could be an indication of damage to the condenser. So, how do you know if the tube is leaking or not?
The method is very simple, you only need to check the ductwork of the AC system. If you find it full of dust or seeping traces of compressor oil, the hose is leaking. This is because the leakage in the pipe causes the compressor oil to leak or drip. If you don’t find any compressor oil leakage, you can be sure the line is safe.
Or you can test for looseness using soapy water. The method is simple, i.e. cleaning the hose or other channels of the AC system using soapy water, then turning on the AC. As we know, there is air flowing in the AC system. If there is a leak, air will escape from the hole and blow into the soapy water, causing bubbles to appear. This means that when you see bubbles when the AC is turned on, the hose must be flushed.
If you find no signs after checking the tube for water leakage using the two methods mentioned above, but the AC is not cold, you can suspect that the damage is in the condenser.
2. Big difference in high and low pipe pressure
The upper pipe is the pipe connecting the compressor and the condenser, and the lower pipe is the pipe after the evaporator. There are nipples on both tubes that work to check the pressure value.
If the air conditioner of the car is closed, the freon is blocked and cannot flow into the condenser. This causes the nipple to sense the high pressure in the upper tube. Since it does not flow into the condenser, that is, it does not flow into the evaporator, the nipple on the lower tube realizes a very low pressure.
3. There are signs of leakage in the condenser
Just like an AC hose, you can see the same symptoms when the conditioner leaks, such as compressor oil leaks. If your car model allows you to see the conditioner between the grills, you can check that the appliance is draining easily. If it is dry, the item can be said to be good, but if there is visible bleeding, then there is a leak.
However, to find out more accurately, the condenser must be removed first to check its condition. Checking is usually done by immersing the condenser in water and then applying pressurized air.
However, this process cannot be done haphazardly, because you need to drain and remove the car’s AC system. So it’s a good idea to just trust a car AC repair shop to do it. They may suggest replacement if the leak is severe. The price of a car condenser itself varies quite a lot, for the OEM type it can reach IDR 2-4 million.
Causes of Damaged Car Condensers
After knowing the characteristics of a damaged car condenser, you need to know what the cause is so you can prevent this component from being damaged. Immediately, here are the most common problems and causes of damage to car condensers:
1. Leaking Condenser
Not only the condenser, the average component in a car’s AC system is susceptible to leaks. The part that most often leaks is the connection pipe that connects the condenser to other components in the car AC system. When this problem occurs, the air distribution process is disrupted so that the temperature of the exhaled air feels hot.
Meanwhile, for the condenser, leaks are usually caused by bad habits that you always do while driving. For example, opening and closing the car window too often when the AC is on. Opening the car window will cause dust and other dirt carried by the outside air to enter the cabin and be sucked in by the car’s AC. This dust can continue to enter and reach the condenser, the accumulated dirt will cause the condenser to leak easily.
Gravel can also be the cause of the condenser leaking. The reason is, small stones that might bounce off and hit the car AC condenser can cause holes in this component.
2. Clogged Condenser
Apart from triggering leaks, dust and dirt that enters the car condenser can also cause these components to become clogged. Even though it is small, dust can also threaten the health of your car. If dust and dirt is allowed to accumulate, it is very likely that the car condenser will become clogged, so clean it regularly.
3. Overheating
Overheat is a condition when the temperature of a tool or component is very hot beyond what it can tolerate. Usually components such as a car condenser will heat up with use. However, there are also several conditions that cause heating to occur too quickly, causing overheating.
Well, several things or conditions that can cause the condenser to overheat include the following:
- The fan that helps the condenser work to cool the refrigerant is not functioning
- Accumulation of dirt in the car condenser
- Compressor oil too much more than required
- Too much freon fluid exceeds requirements
- Weakening of the viscous radiator fan rotation
You can prevent overheating by installing an extra fan. Apart from preventing overheating, adding an extra fan can also help speed up the cooling process.
4. The condenser has been used for too long
It is natural that each item has its own operational lifespan, including your car’s condenser. There is no question that an old condenser will not work as well as a new condenser. This component’s blowing system will gradually degrade over time of use.
5. Rust
Another cause of condenser damage is rust. The condenser will usually rust because a lot of dirt has accumulated inside it. Rust can also appear due to water droplets that appear during the cooling process.
Of the five causes of damage above, we can see that dust or other dirt that enters and accumulates on the condenser is the most important cause. Therefore, cleaning the condenser from adhering dust should become a routine for car owners.
