What Is A Compressor For Air Conditioner?

During the hot summer days, living without an air conditioner becomes a brutal experience. While most people in warm climates depend on these cooling machines, many do not know how they work. For example, you may be wondering: what is a compressor for air conditioner? The compressor is an integral component of the AC, but the same element also makes sure that the AC works effectively. 

It’s essential to understand where the compressor is located, how it functions, how to maintain it, and when you should repair it. Once you uncover the answers for all these, you will be able to understand the connection between your AC units and compressors, and will surely take better care of this modern machine.

Where is it located?

You can locate the compressor in the outdoor unit of your AC. In some ACs, the compressor can be located on the side of your home as well. Apart from the compressor, there are other vital parts of the AC: the fan, condenser coil, and condenser. 

The copper refrigerant tube connects the indoor part to the outdoor part of the air conditioner. These two parts connect together and work to start absorbing hot air from inside your indoor space and then transforming it into cool air. 

How does a compressor function?

To understand the working process of the compressor, simply think about the cooling process of split AC. The heat will be pulled out of the air present indoors and then cool through the cold pipes, the evaporator coil; after that, the cool air will be released to the indoors. This is all thanks to the liquid refrigerant that cools down the hot air — it basically absorbs the hot air, thereby changing it into gas. The gas will be transported from the condenser coil, transforming it into liquid. And then the same cycle continues, which is why you keep getting cold air. 

So what is the role of the compressor? It moves the refrigerant between the condenser coils and the evaporator, which ensures that the refrigerant changes to liquid or gas — whatever is required. The compressor is the heart of the AC unit, and the blood will be the refrigerant. 

How to maintain the compressor? 

Maintenance of the compressor is crucial, because it’s the part that ensures your AC unit works properly without any issue. Don’t take the risk of not going for maintenance service. Also, don’t try to fix anything about your AC unit that you don’t feel confident about as you might cause more damage. Call an experienced HVAC technician who will come to your office or home to check the compressor. If there is anything seriously problematic, the technician will tell you about the same and also provide you with the best solution to solve the problem. One thing that will also be checked is the compressor pads. This will be done to identify if there are any electrical issues because if there are, they can affect the compressor direly. 

How to know if the compressor is malfunctioning?

The compressor is made up of many components, and these moving parts can break or go through occasional wear and tear. One common way to know if the compressor is damaged is when your AC starts making some noises. If you hear clanking or banging noises, the compressor might have some loose parts inside it. Hissing and bubbling sounds are common as well. Another way to find out if the compressor is not functioning properly is when the AC is not producing enough cooling. 

Wrapping Up

A compressor is the main part of an AC unit, so if you think that the AC isn’t working properly, call an HVAC technician to get into the root cause and resolve it.