You don’t necessarily need to know everything about how your air conditioning system works in order to take proper care of it. Most of the maintenance and repairs should be undertaken by professionals anyway. However, there are a few parts of your air conditioner that you should know about in more detail. Specifically, you need to know so that you can recognize when they need repairs. One of these important parts is the compressor. Read on to find out more about what the compressor does, and the signs that indicate a problem with it.
What Is the Compressor?
The compressor is a gas pump, responsible for circulating refrigerant through the system. After the refrigerant is evaporated in the evaporator coil, it flows into the compressor. From there, the compressor pumps the refrigerant through the system to the condenser coil.
Without the compressor, the air conditioner would not be able to circulate refrigerant through the system. This is why the compressor is so important. The refrigerant must be circulated in order for the system to actually cool the home, and the compressor is what makes that possible.
Compressor Problems
The primary problems that afflict compressors have to do with them being exposed to liquid. Liquid refrigerant can make it into the compressor as a result of other issues, such as a frozen evaporator coil. If the liquid refrigerant makes it into the compressor chamber, it can create enough pressure to break the part. This can cause a condition called “short-cycling.” Short-cycling is where your air conditioner cycles on and off every few minutes. This puts the air conditioner under stress that it isn’t designed to handle. This drastically shortens the life of the system and increases the chances of a total breakdown.
