Why Is My AC Compressor Not Working?

If you feel like your AC system isn’t working well, you may ask, “Why is my AC compressor not working?” Like many other issues with the best air conditioner, you may experience various complications with your compressor.

These problems require a specific solution, but you can avoid most of them with regular maintenance and cleaning. However, you may need to call a service specialist if you find you cannot fix the issue, like if you need an ​​air conditioner circuit board replacement.

Why Air Conditioner Compressors Stop Working

When your compressor dies or becomes faulty, it’s disastrous to your entire system since professionals widely consider the compressor the beginning of the air conditioning cycle.

This element in your outdoor unit compresses the cool gaseous refrigerant and increases its heat and pressure before entering the condenser. As a result, the entire system may not work when you have compressor problems, whether your air conditioner fan is not blowing.

Lack of Power

One common issue that causes your compressor to stop working is a lack of power. Of course, you can quickly determine whether you’ve lost power in the case of an outage since everything stops working. However, you likely won’t notice immediately if your AC alone loses power.

Power fluctuations cause surges to affect your air conditioning unit. As a result, the inside capacitors may become damaged and no longer store power for AC start-up or running. Additionally, you may have a tripped breaker or blown a fuse for your AC unit.

When you have an outage in your area, pay attention to how your air conditioning system acts once power is restored. A capacitor problem may need to be repaired by a certified technician. If you have blown a fuse, one or more of your fuses in the fuse box will appear different. A tripped circuit will show the switch facing the opposite direction.

Other Possible Causes

• Dirty condenser coils
• Low refrigerant charge or too much refrigerant
• Incorrect suction line size
• Faulty wiring
• Contaminants
• Insufficient oil lubricant

Prevention of Compressor Issues

Wash your condenser coils at regular intervals. Dirty coils can lead to the compressor overheating, causing the compressor to become faulty over time. You should also clean your vents and each air filter. If you haven’t replaced your filters in a while, consider installing new ones. Because if you don’t, there’s a good chance your A/C will stink when you turn it on.

If you hear a humming sound coming from your high-end 15000 BTU AC unit, ‌check and replace capacitors and starter relays. As I mentioned above, occasionally ‌check for blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers, especially after power outages. Additionally, you may want to have service performed before the summer.

A compressor problem can be determined by ruling out other problems that can cause similar issues to those described above. If you have considered each air conditioner component and found no other cause, you may have a faulty or dead compressor.

However, these elements cannot be replaced by anyone except a certified technician. Unfortunately, compressors are expensive to replace, so maintenance is crucial. Sometimes, where the compressor and air conditioner are old, or there are other complications, it may be worthwhile to replace your entire unit.

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