What You Need to Know About Your Air Conditioner's Compressor

Problems with your air conditioner’s compressor can cause an incredible amount of stress. Homeowners who find themselves with an A/C that is non-functional have the need to be able to rely on an air conditioning professional that can help them quickly work on their air conditioning compressor repair.

What is a Compressor?

The air conditioning compressor motor is a steel-encased container that functions as a pump for your AC system. If the compressor fails then your entire air conditioning system will be unable to perform its duty to cool down your home. The pump draws in refrigerant gas that is laden with heat from the inside unit of your system and it compresses the refrigerant gas (which is a low pressure gas) to a higher temperature and a higher pressure. When this gas refrigerant enters the air conditioners condenser coil it is rapidly cooled into a liquid state. The heat from the gas is then transferred to the outside unit and is blown out into the air. The cooled refrigerant then returns to the indoor unit to continue to the interior of your home. When the system’s compressor fails, the refrigerant is not able to be pushed to where it is needed – and your air conditioner is essentially useless at that point.

Some of the signs that your AC’s compressor might be to blame re as follows:

• Your AC’s exterior fan is spinning but cool air is not blowing through the vents.
• The fan and the compressor are both not running.
• When the compressor powers on it trips your circuit breaker or blows a fuse.
• Nothing happens at all when you turn your air conditioner on.
• A major clue that you are headed for an air conditioning compressor repair is that the compressor hisses, hums, or makes a loud squealing noise when it is turned on.

Compressors will occasionally come off of their mounts. In a case like this, it is generally a quick and easy fix by just reattaching the compressor and testing it to make sure that everything is fully operational.

There are a few things that might cause your air conditioner’s compressor to fail, including some of the following situations.

• The fuse or the circuit breaker might blow for any number of reasons, including a power surge caused by a severe weather storm.
• If your air conditioning system has low levels of refrigerant fluid it could quickly overheat the motor, causing it to burn out.
• If the insulation of the motor is corroded, the compressor will also burn out.