Central air conditioning systems have essentially two parts: an evaporator that removes unwanted heat from the air and transfers it to a refrigerant; and an condenser that removes unwanted heat from the refrigerant and transfers that heat outdoors. The primary component of a condenser is typically the condenser coil, through which the refrigerant flows.

The condenser is located outside of the house.

Types of Condensers

There are essentially three types of condensers: air-cooled, water-cooled and evaporative. These types differ in how they remove excess heat:

• Air-cooled condensers remove heat by blowing air over the condenser coil
• Water-cooled condensers remove heat by pouring water over the condenser coil
• Evaporative condensers do not typically use a refrigerant. They remove heat by allowing water to evaporate directly into the air
• Air-cooled condensers are by far the most common type of condenser in residential systems.