Car AC Condenser

The air-conditioning condenser is a radiator positioned between the car’s grille and the engine-cooling radiator in which the gaseous refrigerant sheds heat and returns to a liquid state. The liquid refrigerant flows to the evaporator inside the dashboard, where it cools the cabin. Not cool enough for you? It might result from a clogged air-conditioning condenser or disabled cooling fan. A leak in the condenser will also result in a loss of refrigerant.

Air conditioner (A/C) condenser is an essential part of a car air conditioning system.

Let's review how the vehicle A/C system works:

The A/C system is a closed loop filled with refrigerant (typically R134) under pressure. The A/C compressor circulates the refrigerant through the system.

The evaporator is a small heat exchanger installed inside the vehicle ventilation system.

The cabin air flows through the evaporator fins.

The condenser is a larger heat exchanger installed in front of the vehicle, typically, beside or right in front of the radiator.

The ambient air is pushed through the condenser fins by an electric fan and by natural flow during driving.

The system is based on a simple effect: the cabin heat is absorbed when the refrigerant vaporizes inside the evaporator. The heat is released outside when the refrigerant turns from a vapor into a liquid state inside the condenser. Through this continuous process, your cabin is kept cool even on a hot sunny day.