Okay, we know this is an urgent, even alarming problem. When an air conditioning system’s compressor burns out, its AC can’t provide any cooled air. The compressor is what allows the AC to circulate refrigerant and move heat from inside the house to cool down. (A few months ago we wrote a blog post detailing exactly what a compressor does.) Without a working compressor, the air conditioner will only circulate room temperature air around the ventilation system.
What are your options when an AC compressor dies?
- Replace just the compressor: If it’s still under warranty, only replacing the compressor is a practical and cost-effective solution, especially if the rest of the system is in good shape.
- Replace the outdoor condenser unit: This includes the compressor, condenser coil, and fan, suitable if you’re on a tight budget and the indoor components remain sound.
- Replace both the condenser and indoor evaporator coil (full AC replacement): Ensures matched components, improved efficiency, and includes a fresh system warranty, usually the best choice if the compressor is no longer under warranty.
- Replace the entire HVAC system: If your heating system is also aging, replacing everything, the AC, air handler, and heater, at once can save time and money, especially if you’re transitioning to a heat pump.
You may have heard that replacing a dead compressor is so expensive that you’re better off having a complete air conditioning replacement. This is true sometimes, but not always. Below we’ll look at the different replacement options and help you think about the right choice for your situation.
Whenever an appliance stops working in your house, it’s not a highlight of the day. But there is a big difference in finding out the microwave won’t turn on and discovering the air conditioning system isn’t cooling the house—especially during a hot late summer day!
A short quiz. What is the most important component in your air conditioning system?
When the heat ramps up during the summer days, you may run into an air conditioner that can’t ramp up to meet it. It’s alarming when an AC isn’t sending out the cool air you need to feel comfortable, or if it isn’t sending out any air at all. In the rush to have your AC back to work as fast as possible, you may try to fix it yourself by opening up one of its cabinets and poking around inside with a DIY guide up on your smartphone. You might also call on a local guy with some tools in his van who says he can fix the air conditioning for you “real cheap.”
Your home’s air conditioning system is designed to run during warm days, hot days, hotter days, the hottest days. There’s not much point to an AC otherwise! You don’t run it during cool weather, after all. But even though your AC was built with the heat in mind, it can still overheat during the summer. Just as when a car engine overheats, this will leave you with a busted system that won’t work.