what is an ac compressor?

Question

I am buying a house and I was told the AC compressor will be installed.

Answer 1

If they are speaking of an Air Conditioner it is the part of the unit that compresses the refrigerant. Years back you may have heard the term 'freon'. Today they use a different product, but it is the same idea. The act of compressing at one place and decompressing the refrigerant at a different place is how heat is moved from the inside to the outside of the house.

The same process is actually used by refrigerators and heat pumps.

The compressor sometimes fails and when it does heat can no longer be moved from inside to the outside of your house.

Answer 2

You had the system open for a while so yes you have air and moisture in the system. Did you pull a vacuum on the system before you charged it and did you change the receiver dryer? You Did not say anything about adding compressor oil which unless you recovered the freon in a machine oil went out with the freon when you drained the system, very bad thing to do. The reason for the compressor to stop all the time when you are rev-ed up is that the 30lbs you have on the low side is not enough and should be forty to forty five pounds. When you rev the engine you move more freon and the low side goes below the switch setting. You may be able to just boost the pressure and it will be okay but you should do it right and replace the dryer and pull a vacuum for a hour add oil and then freon. How much oil is the problem. If you use to much it will flood the system and reduce the performance, if you don't put in enough you will ruin the compressor in short order. I hope you now understand why A/C work in not a DIY thing.

Answer 3

I work at a heating and a/c company. An a/c compressor is inside your air conditioner unit and is a very expensive and important piece to the proper operation of your a/c. If a new one is being installed before you move in, GREAT. They cost around $1000-2000 to be installed.

And NO it's not the entire box outside, that is the air conditioner!! The compressor is the smaller (usually black) barrel shaped or similar part inside the air conditioner. If you look inside where the big fan blade is, you will see it sitting close to the ground inside the air conditioner. The air conditioner is called a "Condenser" and the part that compresses the freon is called the "Compressor". Just don't want you to think the whole outside unit is being replaced!!

For you below, I never said that the Compressor is inside the house!!! Read again...

Oh and btw, those pictures are of Condensers, not Compressor, here is a picture of a Compressor:
http://www.copeland-corp.com/cp_ac/cp_ac_1_1_2_2_1_1_.htm

or

http://www.copeland-corp.com/cp_ac/cp_ac_1_1_1_.htm

That's sort of funny information because every single company in our county installs compressors if that is what the h/o wants to pay for. Yes, it is easier to install a Condenser, but with all the seer rating changes (10 to 13 minimun), a condenser that is compatible with their current coil is usually a 10 seer, therefore, they need to upgrade the coil as well, then you have a situation where the Coil will not fit with the old system, etc etc etc. Lots of money for all that equipment so most of the time a Compressor is the resolution if thats the only malfunction.

Answer 4

The AC compressor is the heart of a refrigerated air conditioning system. These systems take heat away by using room or house heat to evaporate a refrigerant. That refrigerant is then compressed back to a liquid state at a relatively high temperature. The hot refrigerant is then circulated through cooling coils in the unit outside the house and this cools it down before it goes back into the cooling section of the system.

Now....Compressors are expensive, but for a house, they generally last as long a the rest of the system. If the owner is only replacing the compressor, it's because that's cheaper than replacing the whole thing. I just replace a 3 ton unit on my home for about $2500. If I had replaced only the compressor, it would have cost me at least $1500.

I would bargain to replace the entire outdoor portion of your AC system. And I would recommend that you have an AC repairman inspect the evaporator section as well.

Answer 5

It's the box on the outside of the house that contains the pump for the freon, the compression coil with the heat transfer blades and the really big, loud FAN that always comes on outside when your A/C is on. Also called the "condenser".

Edit:

Tracy W must be the secretary, becuase the compressor is NOT inside the house. I promise. here's a picture of some: http://www.rjdupre.com/images/Condensers.gif

The "Air Conditioner" is the Outside unit PLUS the fan in your attic. It's the entire system. Air conditioners and furnaces are now one piece of equipment. Yes, you're right the condensor is not ONLY the ccompressor, there is also a cooling coil and fan, this stuff only services the freon, which returns to your attic and cools the air in the main unit. When an HVAC guys says he will install a compressor, he is referring to the entire outside box. THey don't just come install a compressor. I promise.

The HVAC guys usually let the service people from the company who made the unit install the compressor.

I know what a Compressor and a Condenser are. I'm telling you what the HVAC guy was referring to. If you want, I can list every single component of a cooling system- A/C's water cooling systems, Ammonia cooling cores on submarines, vehicle A/C's whatever.

Answer 6

These A/C companies have a governmental licence to steal, and will not sell you the vapor pump, which is what a compressor does as liquid destroys it's usage and efficiency. Instead they prefer to sell you the cond. unit complete, which any new hire can install after 3 days on the job and knowledge of the way to your house and a cell phone walk through the job step by step through his rough periods. Most units come pre-charged so that he need not worry that part of the completion. About half of them will tell you that you will be ahead in the long run if you change the evap coil to an upgraded efficient one. You will assume some risk to a compressor change out, unless they put up a good guarantee, as they will accept a returned blown compressor at the supply house about twice and no more without returned lab results. All the while without cooling or by that time heating.

Answer 7

It's the mechanical part of your air conditioner. It compresses the refrigerant (used to be freon, now it's r-134a). The refrigerant then goes through the copper pipes you see come from outside into the house and into your ventilation system. Inside the ventilation system, just after the fan, is the evaporator (cooling coil) which is where the refrigerant evaporates to make the air cold. Then, the refrigerant goes back to the compressor (outside) and it repeats...rather, continues.

Answer 8

A/C compressor is part of your air conditioning system. Um main part to be exact. I would ask why the compressor failed and make sure the problem is fixed not just the symptom.

Answer 9

ac = air conditioner SO they are going to install you central heat and air unit. The part that sits out side is still not hooked up.

Answer 10

I think the AC is referring to air conditioner.