Your air conditioner is a vital part of your home. Without it, life would be much more uncomfortable.
The condenser unit may be out of sight and out of mind since it’s outside of your home. But this unit plays an important role in how well your air conditioner performs.
Have you been noticing that your AC condenser unit isn’t running as good as it should? Here’s the low down on the main parts of the unit and how issues with them can affect their performance.
What Are the Main Parts of an Air Conditioner Unit?
When it comes to your air conditioner, there are 4 main parts that you should know. They are the condenser coil, evaporator, expansion valve, and compressor.
Each plays a vital role in how well your unit performs as a whole. If an issue even occurs with just one, it can throw a wrench in the performance of your HVAC system.
Condenser Coil
The condenser coil has a big job to do. It works to take refrigerant from its gas form and turn it back into a liquid.
The exchange happens once that air touches the condenser coil and it moves through it. Though it may seem like a small part of a huge system, any problems here can turn into something much bigger for your air conditioning unit.
Evaporator
The evaporator works in a similar fashion to the condenser coil. The difference is that it converts the refrigerant into gas.
It does so by taking the heat from your home which is absorbed by the refrigerant. It’s an important component that helps to keep the temperature down in your home.
Expansion Valve
The expansion valve works very closely with your evaporator. When the evaporator takes in all the hot air, the expansion valve removes the pressure from it.
It can also limit the amount of refrigerant that reaches your evaporator coil. This refrigerant is also temperature controlled by these two components.
Compressor
The compressor, like many other important components, also works with the refrigerant.
Its main job is to circulate both energy and refrigerant. It has the ability to push both to the other parts of the unit. Through all of these processes, your home receives cool air.
How Can Each Part Affect the Performance of My AC Condenser Unit?
Your AC unit needs to have all its parts working to perform its best. Even one small issue can cause your unit to underperform or even break.
Regular maintenance is one of the best ways to keep it working its best.
Condenser Coil Issues
One of the most common issues that homeowners experience with condenser coils is due to dirt. Over time, your condenser coil will start to accumulate dirt. When it gets dirty enough, the problems will start to occur.
The best way to combat the issue of dirt on your condenser coil is to clean it. The cleaner it is, the better it will work.
Regular maintenance will also help to ensure that this important part stays clean.
One other issue that can take place with the condenser coils that leaks can occur. This is a more serious issue that takes more than just a cleaning to fix.
If your condenser coil is leaking, it can cause other parts of your system to be damaged as well. In this case, a replacement is in order.
Regular maintenance is another preventative approach that you can take in this case. It will catch the issues with your condenser coils before they have the chance to damage your entire condensing unit.
Evaporator Issues
Evaporator coils are unfortunately prone to building up with ice. This only happens when there’s something else that’s also wrong inside of the system.
If your evaporator coil builds up with ice, you should check on your refrigerant. If this starts to leak, it can cause big problems for your coils and other areas of your system.
Leaving this issue unfixed will create even more of a headache later on. It’s important to have this repaired so that your air condenser unit can perform its best once again.
Expansion Valve Problems
If there’s an issue with the expansion valve, it could be one of a few different things causing it.
A broken expansion valve can make for one noisy unit. It can cause odd sounds like clanging to be heard from your unit.
If this happens, you’ll know that it’s broken and you should call for repairs. This can also be a problem if the coils in your unit are freezing up.
An expansion valve that’s stuck will cause your compressor to overwork itself. This isn’t good for your home’s energy bill. It’s also a serious issue because it can cause your HVAC condenser unit to fail.
In this case, you should call a technician in as soon as possible.
Compressor Issues
Your compressor can cause many issues when it’s not running its best. Sometimes, these issues don’t even take place inside the condenser unit!
For example, you might find that you’re having trouble with your breaker constantly tripping. This can be caused by your compressor.
If this is happening to you, then your compressor might be failing. This causes it to overuse power and makes your breaker trip.
When you have this issue, you need to call a professional as soon as possible.
You might also notice that your compressor won’t run at all. If this is the case, you can try to turn down the thermostat. If the compressor kicks into gear, you’re good to go.
In the case that it doesn’t, it means that there’s a problem and you should call a professional.
Experiencing Problems With Your Condenser Unit in Austin, Texas?
The many parts of your condenser unit work together to supply your home with cool, clean air. If there’s even one small issue wrong with it, the problems can grow and become even worse.
Are you looking to get maintenance or repairs done to your system? Call us today at Schneider Mechanical Heating and Air to book an appointment with our trained professionals!
