Causes and troubleshooting guide for an overheating AC compressor
It is recommended to do an air conditioning service Raymond Terrace when your AC compressor starts overheating. An AC compressor is one of the most important parts of an air conditioning unit as it ensures the coolant circulates through your AC unit, allowing it to cool the air. When your AC compressor overheats, your cooling system will not function properly.
Dirty or damaged air filters
Dirty or damaged air filters restrict the free flow of air around the unit. This causes the warm air to be trapped inside. The AC would have trouble getting air through a damaged or dirty air filter. This forces the AC to work harder. It can cause the compressor of your AC to overheat as it works extra hard to circulate the refrigerant with the restricted flow of air.
High head pressure
Dirty condenser coils may get clogged as debris and dirt pile up through the vents. Dirty condenser coils cause high head pressure and this may make your compressor coil overheat as the cooling fails to let warm air out of your air conditioning unit.
High head pressure can be caused by a heat pump that warms the unit resulting in overheating the compressors. Ambient temperatures during hot summer months can contribute to overheating. However, a dirty coil is the most common reason for high pressure.
Low levels of the refrigerant
When there is not enough coolant for the AC compressor to circulate, it can grind the AC and cause mechanisms to overheat needing an AC service. Low refrigerant levels lead to serious problems if not fixed on time. They may lead to frozen AC coils, leaking water, and burnt smells. The burnt smell is usually the compressor overheating.
An AC that is too small for your application
Air conditioning units come in different sizes and with different efficiency levels. The larger the area you wish to cool, the stronger the AC is required to cool the space. An AC that is too weak or too small to cool the room to the desired temperature level will force the system to work harder. This causes the compressor to overheat.
Fixing the above issues
Clean the evaporator coil and the air filters
One of the most basic AC care routines you can do for your AC is to clean the coils and filter. You can clean the filters using water and soap and a vacuum cleaner. You should be cleaning your filters after every two weeks.
Clean the condenser coils
You should remove any heat lamps or heat pumps nearby your AC and provide enough insulation to protect your AC from high temperatures and extreme sunlight.
Top up coolant
During your air conditioning service Raymond terrace, it is essential to ensure there is enough coolant. Contact a professional to find and fix any leaks and have the levels of refrigerant topped up accordingly.
