Why Are Air Conditioners So Heavy?

[Persia]

With temperatures rising, Americans have begun the annual summer tradition of installing cumbersome removable air conditioners. It's tough to find a window unit that's lighter than 46 pounds—and a machine like that would be able to cool only a fairly small room (150 square feet or less).

What makes them so heavy?

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[odiesbsc]

The main reason A/C units are heavy is all the internal parts. Let's take for example a small room A/C.

You have to have a compresser to compress the refrigerant (freon) in a gas state to a high temperature, high pressure gas. The compresser will weigh 20 to 30 pounds.

Next, you have to have a condenser that will condense the high temp, high pressure gas into a medium temp liquid. The condenser will weigh 10 to 15 pounds.

Next, the high pressure, medium temp liquid goes through a metering devise, usually a capillary tube of a certain length (a few feet) with an inside diameter of a few thousands. (Larger units sometimes have a thermal expansion valve.) What this does, it converts the high pressure, medium temperature liquid into a low pressure, low temperature liquid.

That liquid has to go into an evaporater which causes the liquid to flash off removing heat from the evaporater eventually turning it back into a low pressure, low temperature gas. The evaporater weighs 5 to 10 pounds.

Now the low pressure, low temp gas goes back into the compresser to do the complete cycle all over again.

Then you have to figure in all the tubing, the electrical parts, the fittings, the controls, the fan motor, fan blades, and the metal case. That's probably another 15 pounds.

I may be off a little on the weight of the components but you get the picture. If I missed anything or you need any more information, I'll be glad to help you out.

Odie

[Pax Unum]

Why America?, do other countries have 'lighter' A/C units?...

[Rafterman]

I can attest to the fact that they are getting lighter.

[odiesbsc]

Some or most of the window A/C today are making the condenser and evaporator out of aluminum tubing which is much lighter but if it ever gets a crack or hole in it, it's very hard to fix properly.

Odie

[odiesbsc]

Why America?, do other countries have 'lighter' A/C units?...

I doubt if other country's A/C units are any lighter Pax. They all have to operate the same way. There are a lot of swamp coolers around, but that is a completely different system. Until someone invents a compresser and / or fan motor that will fit in your pocket with the same horse power, I guess we'll have to deal with the weight.

Odie