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The evaporator is a long tube, or coil, that goes back and forth
through a multitude of cooling fins. It is quite similar to the
condenser in structure.
The refrigerant is a liquid when it enters the evaporator. A fan
blows warm air over the evaporator. The warm air causes the liquid
refrigerant to boil. This means that it absorbs the heat from the
warm air. Once it has absorbed the heat from the warm air, the warm
air isn't warm anymore. The same blower that blows the warm air (that
is now "cool" air) over the evaporator, keeps on blowing it into the
interior of your car, and you have -- air conditioning!
The evaporator also removes the moisture from the air coming through
its fins and turns it into water. The water just drains off.
The temperature of the evaporator coil can go from 33 degrees F to 0
degrees F. If it goes below 32 degrees F, the moisture that's
supposed to drain off the coils will freeze. This makes for a very
(surprise!) inefficient system, so a thermostatic switch is used to
connect and disconnect it to the compressor as necessary.
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