Category: Air Conditioning

Your air conditioner relies on the compressor to cool your home. This internal component helps move refrigerant through the system to transport heat outside. While compressors often last between 10 to 15 years, some factors can cause early failure or malfunction. In this article, we’ll explain how a compressor works, the reasons it may fail, and what to do if it stops working.  AC Compressor 101: How Does it Work? The compressor is an essential part of the system, allowing the AC to cool a space effectively. It compresses refrigerant and helps move it through the system to absorb and release heat from the air. The compressor begins by squeezing the refrigerant and pushing it through the condenser coils to release heat into the outside air. The refrigerant then moves through the expansion valve, losing pressure and absorbing heat from the hot indoor air. Why Do AC Compressors Fail? While most compressors will fail after 12 to 15 years, some factors can result in early failure. Some culprits that signal your AC compressor is not working include: Refrigerant issues: Low or leaking refrigerant causes the compressor to work harder, causing it to get too hot and eventually fail. Electrical problems:

A hissing noise from your air conditioning unit is not necessarily something that needs to cause alarm, but you must ask a professional. There are several reasons that your AC unit makes a hissing noise. The Compressor One reason that your AC unit makes a hissing noise is because of the compressor. An air conditioner’s compressor is what makes the entire system run, and it contains refrigerant. Refrigerant is a cool liquid that has low pressure. When the compressor begins to work, it changes the refrigerant into a gas that has high pressure. The compressor also turns this high-pressure gas into a liquid again. As it cools the refrigerant, the air conditioning system can create cool air. Without refrigerant, your AC unit would be unable to cool your house. If the refrigerant is at a low-pressure state, it is cool, and when it comes in contact with warm air, it lowers the temperature of the air. If the refrigerant is at a high-pressure state, it is hot, and when it comes in contact with cool air, it condenses. This causes the temperature to rise. The description above takes place inside the outside unit of your air conditioning system in the

You’ve enjoyed a long, cool summer with your air conditioner, but the wind is chilling, and it’s time to let go of the heat and embrace the cold. However, you may wonder how you should prepare your air conditioner for the coldness of winter, too. There are a few very important steps to make sure your air conditioner is prepped and ready to be stored safely all winter. Hiring a professional like can make it simple to protect your air conditioning unit in any season. Turn Your AC Off Leaving your air conditioning unit on all winter can lead to expensive damage and problems in the future. When you leave your AC on, it may turn on and off on its own if there is a warmer day, making liquid in the unit. When the weather gets cold enough and it freezes, you’re left with a big problem in the spring. Damage to the coils, difficulty turning it on when you’re ready, and broken parts inside can be some of the issues you run into. Turn your air conditioner off by finding the “on/off” switch and turning it to “off.” Once it’s off, you don’t have to worry about any