Parts of A/C Unit

How this list was compiled: Part names and every detail line were checked, for facts only and with nothing copied, against pages read on 2026-09-20. US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Residential Rehabilitation Inspection Guide, section 7.7, Central Air Conditioning Systems: https://www.huduser.gov/publications/pdf/rehabinspect.pdf (in a split system the compressor and condenser are outside and are connected by refrigerant lines to an evaporator inside the air distribution ductwork; a split system in a building heated by forced warm air usually shares the warm air system's circulating fan and ductwork, and the evaporator is placed directly above or below the furnace; the compressor pumps refrigerant gas under high pressure through a condenser coil, where it gives up heat and becomes a liquid; the heat is exhausted to the outside air by the condenser fan; a photograph caption of an outdoor unit with the top cover removed; condenser coils and fins; an electrical disconnect switch for use during maintenance and repairs, within sight of the unit; the larger of the two refrigerant lines carries low pressure, cold refrigerant gas from the evaporator to the compressor and is insulated, the smaller line is uninsulated and carries high pressure, warm liquid refrigerant to the evaporator; a sight glass is sometimes provided on the smaller line; the evaporator can only be seen by removing a panel or part of the furnace plenum; high pressure liquid refrigerant enters the evaporator and expands into a gas, absorbing heat from the surrounding air; air is pushed past the evaporator coil by the circulation blower, and water vapor condenses on the coil and drips into a drain pan, then goes to a condensate drain line that may include a condensate pump and empties into a house drain or outdoors; an auxiliary condensate drain line located above the regular drain line; heat pumps are similar to central air conditioners but are reversible). US Department of Energy, Energy Saver. The live pages, https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/central-air-conditioning among them, returned 404 on 2026-09-20, so the Internet Archive copies were read: https://web.archive.org/web/20250110204351/https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/central-air-conditioning (split-system and packaged central air conditioners; the blower fan; a packaged unit stands on a roof or a concrete slab); https://web.archive.org/web/20250102073619/https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/air-conditioning (evaporator coil, also indoor coil; condenser coil, also outdoor coil; the compressor as an electric motor-driven pump that circulates refrigerant); https://web.archive.org/web/20251219193346/https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/air-conditioner-maintenance (the aluminum fins on the evaporator and condenser coils bend easily; condensate drains) and https://web.archive.org/web/20260101015354/https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/common-air-conditioner-problems (a tripped high-pressure limit switch may stop the compressor). Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_conditioning, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vapor-compression_refrigeration (every such system has four components: compressor, condenser, thermal expansion valve and evaporator), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condenser_(heat_transfer), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporator, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_expansion_valve (TEV, TXV; it meters how much refrigerant enters the evaporator; often called a metering device; its sensing bulb), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_capacitor (run capacitors; some air conditioner compressor units use a dual run capacitor to boost both the fan and the compressor motors), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contactor (a type of relay with a high power rating), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disconnector (disconnector, disconnect switch or isolator switch), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_handler (blower), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condensate_pump, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_(machine) (fan blades and the guard in front of them) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scroll_compressor. Maker A, homeowner pages: https://www.carrier.com/us/en/residential/hvac-resources/air-conditioners/ac-parts/ (evaporator coil, often called the indoor coil, sits in the air handler or on the furnace; compressor, condenser coil and expansion valve as the four core components; capacitor, contactor, condenser fan, fan motor, blower motor); https://www.carrier.com/us/en/residential/hvac-resources/air-conditioners/how-do-air-conditioners-work/ (an expansion valve controls how much refrigerant goes into the evaporator coil; refrigerant lines; the blower fan); https://www.carrier.com/us/en/residential/hvac-resources/air-conditioners/ac-capacitor/ (run capacitors; a dual run capacitor supports both the compressor and the fan motor); https://www.carrier.com/us/en/residential/hvac-resources/air-conditioners/ac-condenser/ (the compressor pumps hot refrigerant gas to the condenser coils; a fan blows outdoor air over the fins) and https://www.carrier.com/us/en/residential/hvac-resources/air-conditioners/why-is-my-ac-leaking-water/ (drain pan, condensate drain line). Maker B, specification sheets, brochure and feature pages: https://www.goodmanmfg.com/docs/librariesprovider6/default-document-library/ss-glxs4b-r32.pdf (factory-installed filter drier, sweat connection service valves with easy access to gauge ports, wire fan discharge grille, steel louver coil guard, enclosed contactor, high-pressure switch, single-panel access to controls, ground lug, capacitors, CONTROL BOX on the wiring diagram, and four brackets needed to anchor the unit to the pad); https://www.goodmanmfg.com/docs/librariesprovider6/default-document-library/ss-gcoil-r32.pdf (cased A coils for upflow furnaces; factory-installed thermal expansion valves; drawing labels COIL, DRAIN PAN, ACCESS PANEL, SECOND DRAIN PORT, PRIMARY DRAIN PORT, SUCTION LINE and LIQUID TUBE; a drain pan with secondary drain connections; a single front access panel); https://www.goodmanmfg.com/docs/librariesprovider6/default-document-library/cb-acsplit_g_r32.pdf (scroll compressor, in-line filter drier); https://www.goodmanmfg.com/products/air-conditioners/features/louvered-coil-guards (louvered coil guards protect the coil from sticks, lawn equipment and hail); https://www.goodmanmfg.com/products/air-conditioners (a factory-fitted filter-drier absorbs and filters leftover contaminants and moisture) and https://www.goodmanmfg.com/resources/hvac-learning-center/hvac-101/how-does-a-central-air-conditioner-work (the outdoor unit holds the condenser coil, compressor, electrical parts and a fan; the evaporator coil usually sits on top of the gas furnace; refrigeration lines). Maker C, glossary: https://www.lennox.com/residential/buyers-guide/guide-to-hvac/glossary/ (refrigerant lines: two copper lines from the outdoor air conditioner to the indoor evaporator coil; outdoor coil, see condenser; indoor coil, see evaporator coil; fan blades) and https://www.lennox.com/residential/buyers-guide/guide-to-hvac/glossary/condenser-coil (the condenser cabinet holds a compressor, a fan, the condenser coil and various controls; copper tubing with aluminum fins). Maker D, brochure: https://doxrepo.mrcool.com/mc-ss-ac-ap-br-en.pdf (steel louver coil guard). Maker E, owner's manual: https://trane-assets-grd.s3.amazonaws.com/residential/en/assets/owners-manuals/32-5084-1A-AC-AH-HP.pdf (access panels; blower door). Maker F, specification sheet and product page: https://files.myrheem.com/webpartners/ProductDocuments/E845BE2B-8BB0-4A6D-9652-02F0A206C01A.pdf and https://www.rheem.com/product/rheem-ra14az-endeavor-line-classic-series-air-conditioner-ra14az30aj1nalhp/ (scroll compressor, filter drier, front seating service valves, external gauge port access, two-screw control box access, curved louver panels that come out one at a time, a unit top that lifts off with the fan motor on it, composite base pan). The pad under the outdoor unit is printed by one source only, maker B, so it is drawn and not asked: see leftOut. No agency and no maker is named on the page. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-26: a split central air conditioner, the outdoor unit with its fan stack lifted out and a corner panel off, and indoors the furnace with its cased A-coil opened. Our own geometry; nothing traced or copied; the text sources are listed in this dataset's source. Licence: own work