When thinking about your air conditioner, it is easy to overlook the small components that make your cooling system run with such ease. One of these small components is the expansion valve, which is a vital element of the air conditioner’s cooling cycle. Without it, your air conditioner would be left blowing warm air around, making it ineffective and wasteful. But what exactly does the expansion valve do, and how can you know when it is time for this component to receive repair or replacement? Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning will break down the role of the expansion valve and signs it is failing.
What Does an AC Expansion Valve Do?
The expansion valve, sometimes referred to as the thermostatic expansion valve (TXV), is a critical component in an air conditioner unit’s refrigeration cycle. It is located between the two sets of coils which are the condenser coils on the outside of the air conditioner and the evaporator coils on the inside. The expansion valve has a major role in the temperature’s regulation and refrigerant flow. An air conditioner works by moving a refrigerant through a closed loop. The expansion valve regulates this flow, allowing the refrigerant to expand and absorb heat from the air before being compressed again. The valve’s main function is to control the amount of refrigerant entering the evaporator coil, ensuring ideal performance and energy efficiency.
How Does an Expansion Valve Work?
The expansion valve responds to temperature and pressure changes in the air conditioning system. When the refrigerant in the evaporator coils heats up, the expansion valve increases the amount of refrigerant allowed into the coil to absorb the heat in the air. During the return cycle, when the coil cools down, the expansion valve will then decreases the flow. The expansion valve is like the thermostat of your air conditioner. It constantly adjusts to maintain the correct temperature and pressure, ensuring that the system cools your home as efficiently as possible.
Signs Your Expansion Valve is Bad or Failing
As with any mechanical device, the expansion valve can break or wear out over time. As it does, it will provide some signs that your expansion valve may be failing, such as:
• Poor Cooling: If your air conditioner is running, but it is not cooling your home as effectively as it used to, the expansion valve may be malfunctioning. This lack of cooling can occur because the valve is not allowing the needed amount of refrigerant to flow into the evaporator coils.
• Air Conditioner is Constantly Running: If the expansion valve fails to regulate the refrigerant properly, your air conditioner unit might run continuously to reach the desired temperature. This constant operation can lead to high energy bills and severe wear and tear on your cooling system.
• Frozen Coils: An overactive or stuck open expansion valve can flood the evaporator coils with too much refrigerant, leading to a drop in temperature and freezing the coils.
• Unstable Temperatures: If you notice the temperature in your home is frequently changing, even though the thermostat setting remains the same, it may be a sign that the expansion valve is not properly controlling the refrigerant flow.
• Higher Energy Bills: If your energy bills are unexpectedly high, it could indicate that your air conditioner is working harder than it should, possibly due to a malfunctioning or failing expansion valve.
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If you experience any of these symptoms, it is important to reach out to a professional HVAC technician. We can perform a thorough inspection and diagnose whether the expansion valve or another part of your air conditioner system may be to blame. For HVAC services, contact Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning today.