The air conditioner compressor is one of the most important parts of an air conditioner. It’s located on the outside of the air conditioner and its role is to pressurize the refrigerant that flows towards it from the inside of your house. Due to this, more heat is added to the refrigerant and as a consequence, heat is easily released to the outside of the house. Just like any other part of the AC, HVAC contractors observe that the compressor also develops problems.
Signs your air conditioner compressor has problems
There are a number of signs that let you know that your unit has problems. These signs include:
Failure of the unit to cool the house: As you might have guessed, when your air conditioner isn’t working effectively, it will hinder proper cooling of the house.
Hard starts: A hard start is described as the shaking and shuttering of the unit when you are kicking it on. When you experience this problem, your compressor is more likely to fail.
Tripped circuit breaker: The circuit breaker is more likely to keep on tripping when your compressor is working too hard or malfunctioning. If this problem is coming up more regularly than normal, your compressor might be having a problem.
Strange noises: It’s common for the outdoor unit to make some little noise when operating but the noise shouldn’t be extensive. If your unit operates more loudly than usual, you should ask a HVAC technician to inspect the compressor.
Major causes of air compressor failure
The failure of the air compressor can be brought about by a number of factors that include:
Dirty coils: Deposition of grime, dust, and mineral scales on your condenser coil provoke the air conditioner to work harder than it should. This results to high pressure and temperature that can cause the compressor to overheat and even stop working.
Blocked suction lines: When the refrigerant lines get blocked or damaged, your unit will stop cooling as effectively as it should. When you don’t fix the problem early enough, the air conditioner produces a lot of pressure and temperature that causes the air compressor to overheat.
Inadequate oil lubricant: The oil lubricant functions like blood in the body. If it’s inadequate the system doesn’t function as optimally as it should. The air conditioner might also develop problems including failure of the air compressor.
Conclusion
When you are having a problem with your air compressor you should fix it as soon as possible in order to prevent damage to the other parts of the unit. As rule of thumb ensure that the repair work is done by an experienced AC repair professional.
