A Bad Compressor Can Cause Your AC To Blow Warm Air
If your air conditioner won't blow enough cool air to chill down your house, the problem might be with the compressor in the condenser. The compressor itself might be bad or other parts might be bad and affecting the compressor. Here are some signs of a bad AC compressor and what an air conditioning repair technician might do about the problem.
What You Might Notice With A Bad Compressor
The compressor may not fail all at once. You might have vague signs that something is wrong with your equipment due to higher power bills. You might notice your AC doesn't keep you cool or that it blows warm air.
The condenser might make odd noises, or you may notice your compressor doesn't kick on like it usually does. In addition, when the fan blows in your condenser that normally blows away hot air, you may notice the air isn't as warm as usual.
What An AC Repair Technician May Do
The technician may want to verify the compressor is getting the power it needs to run. This involves testing the capacitor and contactor in the condenser. These can be checked with a multimeter to verify they're getting power and passing it on to the compressor. If a capacitor is bad, it might not be supplying the start-up power the compressor needs. Changing the capacitor might fix the problem.
If the wiring, capacitor, and contactor all have power and are working, the air conditioning repair technician might open up the condenser to check the compressor. This might entail pulling out the fan to reach the compressor underneath it. The technician might also be able to reach the compressor by opening a side panel.
Once the technician can see the compressor, they check the wiring contacts. The problem might be as simple as tightening the wiring. They can also use a multimeter to test the compressor to see if it's burned out. If the compressor is bad, it has to be replaced. If your AC is still fairly new, the compressor may still be under warranty as long as the failure wasn't caused by something you did, such as fail to maintain your AC equipment.
If your AC is old, you may decide to get a new condenser rather than just replace the compressor. A compressor is an expensive part, so it may be more cost-effective to replace the entire condenser. The AC technician can offer advice on the right thing to do.
Why Quick AC Repairs Are Important
Compressor failure can often be prevented by taking good care of your air conditioning equipment. If other parts fail or don't work optimally, your compressor strains to operate. If repairs aren't done soon enough, the compressor can fail. Maintenance and repairs for a minor problem cost just a fraction of what a new compressor costs, so be sure to call an air conditioning repair service when your AC isn't keeping you cool.
