The air compressor in your air conditioner is what starts the air conditioning process. It takes cool, liquid refrigerant and compresses it until its hot. Then this gas enters the conditioner and cools down which is what you feel.
Air compressors are generally located at the outside unit of your air conditioner.
When your air compressor won’t turn on, the entire air conditioning process cannot function.
The first thing you must do if your air compressor is not working is check the power to the air compressor. This may seem trivial but many times this is the case. If a fuse has been blown or a circuit breaker tripped, your air compressor will not turn on. If after
If all the breakers are intact and there is in fact power to the compressor, it may be time to call in a professional.
CAPACITOR
The most common form of failure with air compressors is the capacitor failing. A capacitor can fail for many reasons such as old age and overuse. It is a very easy fix if the problem is with the capacitor. The only way to tell if the capacitor is broken is by changing out the capacitor for a new one and seeing if the problem is fixed. This is most likely the first thing a technician will do. If it works then your problem is solved.
START RELAYS
Similar to the capacitor, the technician will replace the start relay. If the compressor works after that, you have found the very easy solution to your problem.
VALVES AND CONNECTIONS
A technician can also check the valves and connections in the compressor. They can tell if something is broken if the coolant comes out a liquid rather than a gas. All the technician has to do is change the valve and your problem is solved.
If your compressor does not turn on after doing all of these procedures you may be left with a dead compressor. The only solution to this problem is buying a new compressor. However, if the new compressor costs so much that buying a new air conditioner would be more cost effective, I would buy a newer and better unit. Doing this will save you money in the long run.
