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Air Conditioning Explained – Does HVAC Use Gas Or Electricity?

By Aztil –

An HVAC is one of the most important appliances for almost every Florida citizen. After all, without them, our homes would become as inhospitable as a jungle. At the same time, many homeowners are unfamiliar with how their HVAC systems work and get confused when something goes wrong. 

For example, it’s not uncommon for some to look at their bill and wonder does HVAC use gas or electricity.

As simple as it seems on the surface, the truth is a bit more complex because the term air conditioning is often used to describe various things. As such, it tends to cause all sorts of confusion.

Let’s dive deeper into the matter – by the end of this article, you’ll become a bonafide AC expert!

How Do Air Conditioners Even Work?

Despite the fact that your air conditioner has many different components, the main contributor to the cooling cycle is a chemical – refrigerant. 

Refrigerants have a particular set of properties that allow them to condense and evaporate once the pressure changes. When this happens, refrigerant, in its liquid form, can lower in temperature to absorb the heat from the room or get hotter in order to radiate off the heat it absorbed.

In technical terms, this is how this heat exchange process works:

The compressor pressurizes the refrigerant, turning it into a dense gas brimming with heat. The heat will then radiate away from the condenser coils, which changes the form of the refrigerant from a gas to a liquid. In liquid form, the refrigerant goes through an expansion valve which drops the pressure, consequently dropping the pressure of the liquid itself. 

As a result, the coils are cooled down and once the fan blows the air over them, they will cool too. The refrigerant will then warm up and evaporate, entering the compressor and restarting the whole cycle. 

The only ‘’gas’’ involved in this process is the refrigerant itself and everything else happens through the wonders of electricity. So why do people even wonder does HVAC use gas or electricity?

The answer might be surprising – it’s not uncommon for the term gas-powered air conditioning to pop up. That’s the kicker as it refers to the air conditioning and not an air conditioner. 

What Does Air Conditioning Refer To?

Now that the question of does HVAC use gas or electricity is out of the way, it’s time to clear up the confusion. When referring to an AC unit or an air conditioner, most people think about a heat exchange system that uses refrigerant as the main method of heat transfer.

With that said, it’s common to use the term “air conditioning” in a general way when describing any technique for increasing air comfort. For instance, air conditioning refers to both a furnace that warms cold air but also an air conditioner that cools hot air.

A furnace is a unit that burns fuel oil or gas to heat the air, which is then expelled through the ducts into different areas of your home. So technically, while no air conditioner uses gas, you’d still be correct if you called a furnace gas-powered air conditioning. 

What Are Central Air And Heating?

We mentioned how the confusion over the question does HVAC use gas or electricity is not that uncommon, but many people are also confused about other terms. For example, the terms “central air conditioning”, “central AC”, and “central air” are quite confusing and interchangeably used.

In short, central air is an umbrella term to describe any appliance which uses forced air, such as the furnace. It can be powered by gas, fuel, or electricity – it doesn’t matter, it’s still called “central heat”.

Here is the confusing part: central AC and central air conditioning refer to a system that uses refrigerant to cool the air in a central location and pushes the air through the home using the same ductwork system the furnace uses.

Thus, when you abbreviate the full phrase to just central air, many people inadvertently confuse the central cool and heating systems. 

What About Recharging The Gas In Ac Units?

In addition, it’s not rare to hear people discuss the act of recharging the gas in an air conditioner. As such, this may be a possible source of confusion and a major contributor to the question of does HVAC use gas or electricity. 

The aforementioned act is just adding more refrigerant into an AC unit that developed a refrigerant leak.

Although furnaces combust gas to heat the air, the gas/refrigerant in the air conditioner doesn’t go anywhere. AC units are sealed to keep refrigerant from escaping and to ensure there’s always the correct amount of refrigerant necessary for proper cooling performance. 

Do Evaporative Coolers Use Refrigerant To Cool The Air?

Even if these devices are not a good match for the Florida humidity, many homeowners in the less-humid northern part of the state sometimes use them when the weather is unbearable. 

These units are a type of portable air conditioner that uses evaporating water to cool the air. Because they evaporate the water to drag the heat from the air, they don’t need refrigerant. Consequently, they also don’t need a bulky compressor, which is why their form factor is significantly smaller. 

But how can water cool the air?

Simple – evaporating water turns into a gas and the particles highest in energy leave the water first. The result is a drop in the temperature.

Choosing The Right Unit For Your Air Conditioning Needs

Hopefully, this post erased a lot of confusion for you and you now have some extra appreciation for what your air con does. 

If you’re in the market for an HVAC and you don’t know which type of unit is the best for your home, feel free to reach out to Aztil Air Conditioning. Our experts have been at it for decades, and you only need to say what you want to achieve to find the right type of unit. 

Whether you’re looking for something that only cools, helps you feel warmer during the winter, or maybe just a unit to will cool one room, we’ve got covered – we will provide you with expert advice so you can get the best value for your money.

Call 561-559-2205 or fill out our contact form to speak to one of our air conditioning experts.

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Dana excellent service!! Found the issue quickly and fixed it with no problems. Very pleasant guy!!
Lee was super. He explained everything all his work performed perfectly. Very neat professional. A pleasure to deal with him.
Ricardo did an amazing job servicing our dryer and showing me how to keep it clean. He was efficient and courteous.
Response from the owner: Hi Richard, thank you so much for your kind words about Ricardo! We are so glad that he was able to provide you with excellent service and helpful tips. We appreciate your feedback.
Ricardo cleaned our air ducts today and did a great job! He was professional, kind, and extremely thorough. He went above and beyond any other tech who has done any work in our home by going the extra mile…in a nutshell he treated my home like it was his own, which I could tell from the minute he walked through the door. He is a true professional, and it was obvious that not only is he knowledgeable and skilled, but he truly takes pride in what he does, which is a rare thing to find. I highly recommend him, and I can only hope that he is the tech who shows up whenever I call Aztil for work to be done!!
I scheduled an appointment for yesterday for AC maintenance for a newly purchased property. As it turns out, a new AC was recommended because of mold found inside the old unit. Aztil was able to schedule my new AC installation right away for today. Iker & Inder were professional, efficient, friendly, & very knowledgeable. I know I will be signing up for Aztil’s preventative AC maintenance program. I highly recommend Aztil AC for any of your AC needs!!!
Tino fixed my problem of no heat on my new RHEEM air conditioner on a Sunday. He knew where to look for the problem, a bad connection. It's great to know that Aztil has such professional and experienced technicians.
Response from the owner: Hi Michael,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Aztil was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Outstanding service!!!
Response from the owner: Hi Rich,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Aztil was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Dana and Alex were the ultimate professionals. They repaired my air conditioner quickly and did a great job cleaning up.
Response from the owner: Hi Neila,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Dana was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Dana Dussault is awesome.After 4 hellish days without A/C, he came to our rescue. My family and I thank you for your swiftness and professionalism.God bless you
Response from the owner: Hi Germaine,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Dana was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Dana was awesome! Clean, courteous, efficient and polite. Fixed the A/C and replaced a capacitor and got a quote for a new product Aeroseal that sounds like a good investment for the a/c ductsThanks Aztil for such an excellent experience today!
Response from the owner: Hi Pamela,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Dana was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Roberto just came and did a very thorough maintenance job on our system. He was very professional and did not leave any stone unturned. We will be very happy to have him come next time!!
Response from the owner: Hi Andy,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Roberto was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Tino the service representative did an awesome job. He called to confirm ahead of time. Very courteous and professional. Outlined his scope of work before starting. Gave options to consider for future to improve performance. I would recommend him to anyone seeking service.
Response from the owner: Hi John,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Tino was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Paul was professional and knowledgeable with the repairs made on our air conditioning. He arrived on time and informed us of what needed to be done with an estimate of the costs.
Response from the owner: Hi Rhonda,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Paul was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
My new HVAC unit suffered a major mechanical failure. Technicians Dana and Rick are incredible and are true experts. Sabrina Corradetti, a manager, is one of the best customer care people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Getting the required parts from the manufacturer was a time-consuming ordeal, but Ms Corradetti stayed on top of the issue, kept me informed, was ALWAYS courteous and very helpful. Aztil has some really good folks working for them.
Response from the owner: Hi John,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Dana and Rick was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Ricardo did an amazing job on my contract maintenance tune up. Very thorough and explained to me what he was doing every step of the way. Thank you Ricardo
Response from the owner: Hi Howard,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Ricardo was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Dana and Jordan went above and beyond on our AC service today. They were professional and thorough. They communicated very well and answered any of my questions.
Response from the owner: Hi Nicole,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Dana and Jordan was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
I continue to recommend this business to those in the area. When I have questions, if the technician is unable to answer I am immediately able to get an answer from those in the office.
Response from the owner: Hi Ashley,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Aztil was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Dana, outstanding technician
Response from the owner: Hi Giovanni,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Dana was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Ricardo was very thorough and knowledgeable. He explained everything he did . He was on time, polite and very nice. I would like him to come for all my routine maintenance of my AC.
Response from the owner: Hi Anne,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Ricardo was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Dana was the Aztil tech who came by to fix my AC issue on a Sunday. He was very professional and did explain everything to me very well.This is the second time I renew my 5 year contract with Aztil.
Response from the owner: Hi Ayman,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Dana was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Paul was excellent, experienced. Recommend completely. Explained everything thoroughly.
Response from the owner: Hi Mary,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Aztil was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
WOW. David did a wonderful job. Nice when a company has an employee who cares enough to do a good job.
Response from the owner: Hi Debra,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that David was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Knowledgeable, Professional, efficient, personable, and timely.The experience From the office personal to the technician was excellent
Response from the owner: Hi Steve,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Aztil was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Last week we had an issue with our A/C...our request for service was handled promptly and professionally. The work took an extra day and this morning, DANA & ALEX showed up as promised. They completed the work, explaining what they did making sure we were completely satisfied. You have two outstanding employees representing your company.
Response from the owner: Hi Hanna,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Dana and Alex were able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Ricardo is Amazing!!!!!! He did such an incredible job helping my ducts get clean!! We can now finally breathe healthier and live happier!!!! Overall, everyone that has come to my house has done more than a 5 star job!! I wish we had been dealing with this company from day one. I will NEVER use another company again!!!
Response from the owner: Hi Melissa,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Ricardo was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Dana was very professional. Explained every step of the way
Response from the owner: Hi Jennifer,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Dana was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Paul g is awesome and so is the company
Dana and Cody from Aztil arrived when scheduled. He had the part needed and proceeded to replace the broken piece. Everything was fixed quickly, and our air conditioning is working perfectly, and he left his work area clean and neat. It’s the kind of experience one wants for a repair.
Response from the owner: Hi Patti,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Dana and Cody were able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Dana was great. Quickly fixed the problem and advised me on how to avoid future issues.
Response from the owner: Hi James,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Dana was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Wr have been under service with Aztil since 2013 and they have kept us going. Our technician, Ricardo is excellent, very knowledgeable. He takes his time for little things and keeps our AC going smoothly. Couldn't recommend more!. Thanks!
Response from the owner: Hi Czarree,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Ricardo was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
I have been under contract with this AC company since 2013. They have kept me going since. Just got my usual 6 month tune-up, and my technician, Ricardo was excellent and very helpful, and answered all my questions. Highly recommend. 6 months later, Ricardo is back! Excellent as always!
Response from the owner: Hi Bret, We're glad to hear that the technicians were courteous of your belongings and that Patty was helpful in scheduling the service. We take pride in our customer service and we appreciate your feedback. Thank you for choosing us for your duct cleaning needs.
We had a great experience with Dana from Aztil. He was super thorough and very helpful. He communicated great and was right on time! Highly recommend !
Response from the owner: Hi lindsay,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Dana was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Ricardo went above and beyond to ensure my AC was functioning well. He took the time to review routine maintenance . He also cleaned the dryer duct and again with above and beyond. He was polite and efficient.
Response from the owner: Hi Barbara,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Ricardo was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Jordan Henry was very nice and helpful to us at late night. We much appreciated his work on our HAVC. We support this company.
Response from the owner: Hi Claudia,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Aztil was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Ramon is absolutely amazing! Very informative and an excellent technician! This is the second time we’ve had him and he’s great
Response from the owner: Hi Kathy,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Ramon was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Dana & Cody gave excellent service to my freaking out self, answered all my many questions about my cracked water tray and more. Also explained about a condensate pump. Very pleased with both them and the way they work together as a team to ensure my problem was repaired.
Response from the owner: Hi Dottie,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Dana & Cody was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Ramon from Aztil cleaned out the A/C drain and was very thorough, in addition to being polite!
Response from the owner: Hi Marna. Thanks for your positive feedback. Glad you were satisfied with the service from Lee. We value our employees and treat them well, that's why they stay with us. They also enjoy working with great clients such as yourself :) We appreciate your support and business.
We had our six month maintenance and had a great experience. The technician went above and beyond to ensure our unit was cleaned out.
Response from the owner: Hi Ashley,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Aztil was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Ramon took the time to be very thorough and informative. Answered any questions we had and explained recommendations well. Feel comfortable that we are in good hands with Aztil. Great service and fast response to urgent calls for service.
Response from the owner: Hi Steven,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Ramon was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Dana from Aztil completed a major repair to my 3 year old Carrier A/C unit. Dana worked efficiently, carefully and neatly in my home. The replacement of the defective part was covered by the carrier warranty and all of the labor was covered by my Aztil maintenance contract. Dana was extremely fair and honest and did not do any upsell or extra work to run up a big bill. It was all covered by my warranty and maintenance contract. My home is cool and comfortably. I highly recommend Dana and will ask for him for all routine maintenance and repairs.
Response from the owner: Hi Michele,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Dana was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
We had an A/C tune up today. I am happy to give 5 stars to Ricardo who was meticulous in doing the job right. He went above and beyond and was very courteous. 👍
Response from the owner: Hi Robert,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Ricardo was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Great Job Dana !
Response from the owner: Hi Mario,Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're glad to hear that you had an excellent experience with our service. We pride ourselves on our knowledgeable staff, and it's great to know that Dana was able to provide you with such great service. We appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Dana was professionally trained and efficient and quick to get my unit working
Response from the owner: Thanks Linda for your positive feedback. We appreciate your business.
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