Air conditioners are essential to making our everyday life more comfortable and cooler. People usually have the idea that air conditioners put cool air inside a room, but what air conditioners really do is take away the warm air. All air conditioners have a compressor which is used to move refrigerant gas by the suction line and then send it back to the evaporator coil and into the air handler.

 With the constant increase in prices of things today, AC compressor replacements might be a little costly. So to help you keep your AC compressors in good condition, here is an explanation of the basic functions of an AC compressor and some tips on AC compressor maintenance and upkeep.

An AC compressor works like a pump that takes out the hot refrigerant gas from the evaporator coil and air handler. It then pushes the low refrigerant gas to the high pressured ones. The high-pressured gas then flows into the condensing coil and, once there, the gas is converted into liquid by cooling it down. The heat that is the by-product of this process is then pushed outside by a fan and that fan will push the air outside and across the condensing coil. The liquid refrigerant makes its way back to the evaporating coil and air handler and draws out any humidity inside the building.

For the maintenance and upkeep of your AC compressor, make sure that the power is off at the switch labelled “disconnect” during winter. Wrap the compressor with something that provides protection from inclement weather. When the weather warms, remove any debris such as dirt, leaves, or twigs away from it.

If you happen to live in an area with extreme hot temperatures or tropical climates, you might find your air conditioner shutting off on its own. This is due to the compressor being overheated and if this ever happens, find the switch called “high-pressure switch” and then reset it. This helps protect your compressor from shorting out and it is located in the compressor’s access panel. If the air conditioner is still shorting out, then it is time to call a technician. There might be a bigger problem that needs immediate attention.