A few weeks ago, we posted a reminder that now is the best time of the year to schedule annual inspection and tune-up work for your residential air conditioner. You can take advantage of the more open schedule of HVAC technicians and get your AC ready for the summer heat in plenty of time.
To show you just how important maintenance is for an air conditioning system, we’ll take a look at one of the most vital components in an AC and how maintenance helps protect it.
The Compressor
Essentially, the compressor is the heart of an air conditioning system. It’s the place where the AC applies energy to the refrigerant that in turn creates the heat exchange cycle that cools down the inside of a home. The compressor is a pump that places warm gaseous refrigerant under pressure, making it into a high-pressure, hot gas. The refrigerant will then move to the outdoor coil, release heat through condensation, and then travel to the indoor coil, cooling down as it loses pressure until it’s cold enough to absorb heat through evaporation. After that, it returns to the compressor.
If the compressor stops working because it becomes stuck, its motor suffers an electrical failure, or it burns out, the air conditioner won’t work. The blower fan will still move air, but it won’t be cooled down.
A number of problems can cause a compressor to break down, but the simplest is just old-fashioned stress. Maintenance alleviates mechanical stress on the compressor and its motor, helping it to make it through the season. HVAC technicians will also look for other issues that might negatively affect the compressor during maintenance, such as a drop in refrigerant levels or changes in refrigerant pressure.
A broken compressor is one of the most expensive components in an AC to replace, so make sure that you always have spring maintenance to prevent this from happening.
Schedule your air conditioning maintenance this spring with Oasis Heating, A/C & Refrigeration. Serving Alexandria and all of Northern Virginia.
