What is the condenser's primary job in the refrigerant cycle?

• A. To cool the refrigerant
• B. To heat the refrigerant
• C. To filter the refrigerant
• D. To compress the refrigerant

Answer: (A)

In the refrigerant cycle, the condenser’s job is to reject heat from the refrigerant to its surroundings and turn the high-temperature vapor into a high-pressure liquid. The compressor pushes the refrigerant as a hot, high-pressure vapor; the condenser then passes it through coils or tubes where air or water removes that heat. As the refrigerant loses heat, it changes from a vapor to a liquid, which then moves on to the metering device to drop in pressure and temperature before entering the evaporator to absorb heat again. The condenser isn’t about heating, filtering, or compressing—that’s done by other components.