The compressor is one of the most important parts of your aircon unit. Not only does the compressor play an important role in the cooling process, but it also ensures that the aircon unit works effectively and continually.
A good professional aircon servicing company should give you a grasp as to how an aircon compressor works, you should know about its location, function, maintenance, and repair needs. Once you do, you’ll understand the connection between your aircon unit’s compressor and regular aircon unit servicing and maintenance.
Important things to know about an aircon compressor:
Location:
The compressor can be found in the outdoor aircon unit, at the rear, or on the side of your home. Other important parts within the outdoor unit include the condenser, condenser coil, and fan.
The outdoor unit connects to the indoor part of your entire aircon unit through a copper refrigerant tube. Once connected, these two parts work together to absorb hot air from inside your home and transform it into cool air.
Function:
To understand how the compressor works, think about the cooling process for a split-system aircon unit. The aircon unit pulls heat out of the air in your home, cools it over a set of cold pipes, an evaporator coil, and releases the cool air into your home.
The evaporator coil remains cold thanks to a liquid refrigerant that absorbs hot air and changes it to gas. This gas is then transported outside to the condenser coil where the gas again becomes a liquid. From this point, the cycle continues.
How does the compressor fit into the picture? The compressor is responsible for moving the refrigerant between the evaporator and condenser coils, ensuring that the refrigerant changes to gas or liquid as needed.
You can think of the compressor as the heart of the aircon unit and the refrigerant as the blood.
To this end, the compressor pumps the refrigerant through the system to keep it alive and running properly.
Maintenance:
Maintaining the compressor is crucial for the overall functioning of the aircon unit after it is installed by a good aircon installation company. However, don’t attempt to maintain this part yourself. During a professional aircon servicing company appointment, they will check the compressor for any obvious damage or failure, as well as the compressor pads to make sure that the aircon unit does not have any electrical problems which could affect the compressor.
Malfunction:
The compressor has many moving parts and is easily susceptible to breaks. If the compressor malfunctions, the following consequences would be:
1) Noises coming from the aircon unit: You may hear banging or clanking noises if a loose part is inside the compressor. Bubbling and hissing may indicate that the compressor has a refrigerant leak. Keep in mind that a brief noise at startup is often normal for compressors.
2) Insufficient cooling: When the compressor is loose or worn, the aircon unit will not cool your home properly.
3) Hard starting: If the compressor struggles to turn on or off, “hard starting,” this problem could be the result of an electrical problem with the aircon unit.
Other consequences of a malfunctioning compressor include the outdoor unit running hot, the compressor burning out, and the aircon unit not working at all. If you think you have a problem with your compressor, contact a professional aircon servicing company for help.
Repair:
If your compressor malfunctions, your repair options may be limited. Always contact a professional aircon servicing company for any repair decisions. Sometimes what appears to be a broken compressor may actually be a malfunction elsewhere in the aircon unit.
However, if the compressor is to blame, replacement may be your only option. Depending on the aircon issue’s severity and the aircon unit’s age, you may need to replace your aircon unit entirely.
Pro 338 Reminder: To keep your aircon unit functioning properly, proper functioning of your aircon unit compressor is essential. If you need aircon unit repair or maintenance on your compressor or any other part of your aircon unit, call a professional aircon servicing company right away.
What are the Types of Aircon Compressor?
Inside each aircon unit is a compressor. The compressor plays a very important role in compressing the refrigerant as it enters the machine in order to increase its temperature. Once heated, the gas leaves the compressor and goes into the condenser so the cooling process can begin. While all aircon unit compressors have the same job, they work in varying ways and offer different pros and cons.
1) Reciprocating
This is the most popular type of aircon unit compressor. A piston compresses the air by moving up and down inside of a cylinder. As the piston moves down, it creates a vacuum effect that sucks in the refrigerant. As it moves up, the gas compresses and moves into the condenser. A reciprocating aircon unit compressor is very efficient, as aircon units can have up to eight cylinders within the compressor.
2) Scroll
Scroll aircon unit compressors, like those LG compressors, are newer on the scene. They contain one fixed coil called the scroll in the center of the aircon unit, and then there is another coil that rotates around it.
During this process, the second scroll pushes the refrigerant towards the center and compresses it. Scroll compressors are quickly becoming as popular as reciprocating compressors because they do not have as many moving parts and are therefore more reliable.
3) Screw
The screw compressor is extremely reliable and efficient, but it is mainly used in large buildings where there is a vast amount of air that requires continuous cooling. A screw aircon unit compressor contains two large helical rotors that move the air from one end to the other. As the refrigerant moves through the compressor, the space gets smaller, and it gets compressed.
4) Rotary
Rotary compressors are small and quiet, so they are popular in locations where noise is a concern. The inside of this type of aircon unit compressor contains a shaft with several blades attached to it. The bladed shaft rotates inside the graduated cylinder, consequently pushing the refrigerant through the cylinder and compressing it simultaneously.
5) Centrifugal
The final type of aircon unit compressor is the centrifugal compressor. As the name implies, it uses centrifugal force to pull in the refrigerant gas and then spins it rapidly with an impeller to compress it. Centrifugal aircon unit compressors are usually reserved for extra-large types of aircon units.
Which aircon unit brand has the best compressor and why?
Samsung: Three Compressor Models
Samsung has been manufacturing aircon unit compressors for decades and they currently produce three of the best compressors in the industry. Their reciprocating compressor is an eco-friendly option that functions smoothly in all situations.
A reciprocating compressor works by using pistons to compress air, like a combustion engine. It uses a crankshaft to get the pistons moving so gas can enter when the pistons are pulled back.
Their rotary compressor is another favorite. This style works with two screws that spin simultaneously. They are rather quiet because there is little vibration when they spin. As the screws spin, the gas rises to the top where it is cooled and cools the air.
The third type is the scroll compressor, which has a smaller footprint than Samsung’s other two types of compressors. This type of compressor has been used for over 100 years and continues to be popular because it continues to efficiently cool air. It has two metal spirals inside that suck air in and spins it to the outer edges of the spirals. There, it is cooled and then released back into the environment.
Daikin Compressors: Creating a New Design
This is a popular brand that makes its own aircon unit compressors in its own factories. Daikin understands that without the compressor, the aircon unit will not work. Their compressors actually increase pressure so the refrigerant gets even cooler and works more efficiently to cool your tropical home. They offer several styles of compressors, including a swing compressor as well as a scroll and single-screw model.
The swing compressor is an incredibly efficient compressor for hot climates because it only has one moving part that is controlled by electromagnets, so the single-piston only moves a small amount. It requires little-to-no maintenance and has very little vibration and noise. It can even work when placed at a tilt up to 30 degrees.
Sabroe Compressors: High-Quality Products
This brand of aircon unit compressors is designed to meet the needs of anyone who wants a cool spot in a tropical climate. They work with a variety of different refrigerants, like natural ammonia, as well as calcium chloride, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and water. The company makes traditional screw compressors.
They also make a reciprocating compressor. Sabroe tests every compressor in their factories before they put them out for sale to the public. This brand is part of the global group Johnson Controls, a highly respected manufacturer of industrial and residential products that make life more comfortable.
Voltas Compressors: Sensible Cooling
Voltas All-Star Inverter aircon unit has a twin rotary compressor, which operates on a unique twin rotary inverter technology, that lets you minimize the running cost of your aircon unit effectively. This type of aircon unit works perfectly well for rooms having a size of 100 to 160 sq. ft or a medium to large size room.
About 338aircon.sg
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