What is an Aircon Compressor?
A compressor, also known as the “heart” of your air conditioner is a vital and often expensive component of your air cooling cycle. This device keeps your home cool and comfortable during the warm weather season by converting power into energy and circulating the refrigerant necessary for the heat exchange process. Simply put, without a working aircon unit compressor, you don’t have cold air.
How does an Aircon Compressor work?
The aircon unit compressor is situated within the outdoor unit. This compressor’s job consists of circulating the refrigerant needed during the heat exchange process through the coils. Think of this as the energy source for the aircon unit: The electricity that runs through the home aircon compressor powers the aircon unit to absorb the heat from your home to formulate cool air and push it back into your house. The cooling process of the aircon unit compressor starts with the motor. The motor powers the compressor with a cylinder and piston. From there, the home aircon compressor raises the temperature and pressure of the vapor refrigerant that leaves the evaporator coil. The compressor must increase the temperature of the refrigerant in order to move the heat from inside the home to the condenser. The condenser will then cool down the heat, “condensing” incoming refrigerant vapor into liquid. The aircon unit compressor, in turn, raises the pressure of the refrigerant to move to the indoor unit. The process then repeats, again and again, creating a constant exchange of heat.
These are the common issues that cause Aircon Compressor Failure:
1) Dirty coils
When dust, grime, and mineral scales build up on the condenser coil, the aircon unit can’t expel enough heat from the system and it’s forced to run constantly trying to cool your space. The increased pressure and temperature can cause the compressor to overheat and fail.
2) Blocked suction lines
When your aircon unit refrigerant lines become blocked or damaged, the first thing you’ll notice is that the unit is not cooling as effectively. If this particular aircon issue is not fixed, once again the increased pressure and temperature cause overheating and aircon compressor failure.
If your aircon unit refrigerant lines develop holes or cracks, the aircon unit leaks refrigerant. After a while, the level becomes so low that the compressor has to work harder to pump enough refrigerant through the system to cool your space. The strain can eventually cause the compressor to break down.
4) Incorrect suction line size
If your refrigerant line develops leaks and needs to be replaced, make sure you get a professional aircon technician to do the job. A line that’s too large or too small for your system can cause premature aircon compressor failure.
If a less-than-qualified person works on your aircon unit and inadvertently adds too much refrigerant or even the wrong type of refrigerant, it can be a deadly mistake for the compressor.
An electrical failure can result in a buildup of acids that cause a great deal of damage to other parts in addition to the compressor. If you have a failed compressor, make sure the aircon technician tests for the presence of these acids. If he finds them, an electrical burnout has caused damage throughout the system that is probably not worth fixing.
But electrical problems are often easily preventable when a professional aircon servicing company inspects your system: they can spot and repair damaged wiring, fuses, and contractors before they take down your system and cause aircon compressor failure.
7) Contaminants in the system
The high heat and pressure in an aircon unit, not to mention the locations where they are typically housed in Singapore such as outdoors, on rooftops, in crawl spaces can introduce any number of contaminants that can cause damage. These include air, moisture, dirt, debris, leaves, soot, acids, and even bird and pest droppings.
8) Inadequate oil lubricant
To take the heart comparison a step further, think of your aircon unit’s oil lubricant like the blood in your body. If there’s not enough, the system can’t work properly and all kinds of problems can result, including aircon compressor failure. When your system is regularly maintained by a trained aircon professional, he will check the lubricant levels and the condition of the oil pump to prevent this problem.
About 338aircon.sg
It’s always a good time to talk about the common issues that aircon units have. This way, you’ll be able to spot if there are problems with your unit or not and prepare for its replacement accordingly. If you require our aircon servicing services, Whatsapp us at +65 9222 4141 for a fast and transparent quote.
338 Aircon Servicing Singapore provides an extensive range of Aircon Services including Aircon Servicing, Aircon Repairs, Aircon Installation of the best aircon brands, Chemical Overhaul, Gas Top-up, Aircon Leaking Water, and Aircon Not Cold Fix, and more. We have a team of professional technicians who are equipped with vast knowledge and experience in the Aircon industry.
We have over 15 years of experience in dealing with aircon works and have completed thousands of aircon works for both residential (Landed, Condo, and HDB) and commercial. We are a highly recommended Aircon Company in Singapore, with many delighted customers and reviews over the years on Google and Facebook.
WhatsApp us at +65 9222 4141 for a transparent quotation and honest pricing for all your aircon needs or Call us at +65 9222 4141. We offer a fast and efficient service to serve any of your aircon needs!