why does my air compressor outside for the house run all the time?

Question

isn't it supposed to only run when the ac is on? it is an older home built in the early 60's. the compressor must have been replaced at one time. it's a carrier...this is the first winter i have been in the home and it runs full-time even in the winter. is that normal?

Answer 1

If in fact it is an A/C unit, it should not be running at this time of year. You may find it is a "heat pump" unit and in that case it does run most of the year. Heat pumps were very popular heating helpers back in the early 1980's. In a southern state, you might be able to heat the house but up here in Canada they are only good until end of December and then again late March... no good for the extreme cold; we also need a furnace. In the summer they work in reverse to cool the house but again, not as good as pure A/C

Answer 2

First off, it isn't an air compressor, it's a compressor for the freon in your A/C unit. Now, do you have a heat pump unit? If you do, it uses the compressor and reroutes the freon flow so the evaporator and the condenser are reversed. This puts the heat from compression into the coils inside the house. It is generally effective down to around somewhere around 30 degrees F. Much lower temps outside and you don't get much exchange from the freon and have to run on the emergency heat (usually electric strips)
The other possibility is the A/C unit or the thermostat is wired incorrectly making your air conditioner run when you call for heat. This should be checked out by a trained person.

Answer 3

It isn't an air compressor....
It's either a heat pump (most likley) Or an air conditioner condensor unit.

Basically Heat pumps are Air Conditioners. In the summer the unit evaporates freon in the coil above your furnace,cooling the house,. and the outside unit cools the freon and condenses the evaporated freon gas back into a liquid form. That's why you feel heat from the outdoor unit in the summer and cool air indoors.

In heat pump mode the process is reversed, the outside unit acts as an evaporator coil and the indoor coil acts as a condensor coil.
So basically in the winter the unit draws as much heat from the ambient air as it can to transfer it into your house.
When the outdoor temp drops to a point where your heat pump just can't draw any more heat from the air(right around freezing), a secondary heat source(usually electric heating coils) will kick in to satisfy the demand from your thermostat.

If you have a heat pump it's more than likely running normally. If it's an A/C unit than you have a stuck contactor and should have it fixed ASAP.

If you don't have any experience working with electricity then under no means should you remove any cover from your unit.
Not trying to come off sounding like a jackass but you can be hurt or killed!

It's a good idea to Have a reputable HVAC company in your area clean & check your unit to keep it running at it's most efficent.
If you have a heat pump have them explain how it works so you will know what types of problems to be aware of in the future.

Answer 4

Possibly the contactor (relay) in the compressor is stuck. Open the enclosure and try tapping it with a rubber mallet if you have one. If this fails, there should be a fuse box nearby. Pull the fuse and call an HVAC service man sometime before next summer. You don't want the compressor running all winter. Not only does it waste electricity and work against your furnace, but there is the risk of damage to the compressor if the pressure line freezes.