AC Condenser Repair Parts

If you live in an area that is typically hot — Arizona, SoCal, Florida — or even a place that just gets a little heat in the summer months, you know how miserable it can be when your air conditioner stops working. You might want to fix the problem yourself so you can get back to the cool life without spending too much money. Good for you! There are a few things you need to know about AC condenser repair parts before you get started, though.

AC Condenser Repair Parts & How They’re Used

1. AC Compressor & AC Condenser

A major part of the air conditioning system is the AC compressor. The compressor pressurizes refrigerant into gas.

That’s where the AC condenser comes in. (The two components are often confused for one another.) The AC condenser is the large unit you typically see behind a house in the backyard. The condenser is the main part responsible for the cooling process. It creates liquid from refrigerant gas with the help of a high-speed fan. The cold liquid then passes through the AC system and cools your home.

2. AC Condensing Coil

Remember earlier we talked about the cooling of the refrigerant gas? That’s the AC condensing coil’s job. It takes in the gas from the compressor and cools it until the gas becomes a liquid.

3. AC Refrigerant Lines

There are two types of AC refrigerant lines found on an air conditioning unit: large-diameter and small-diameter.

The larger suction line connects the outdoor compressor to the indoor evaporator coil. It causes the refrigerant to vaporize, thus making the line cool. The refrigerant that passes through the large line to the compressor has essentially absorbed the warmth from the house.

The smaller high-pressure line connects the compressor and the condensing coil. This line helps heat transfer from the home to outdoor air.

4. AC Fan

The cooling fan on the outdoor unit sends air across the condensing coil. This outdoor air helps cool the coil and turn the refrigerant gas into liquid again. This is the fan you can actually see spinning at high speeds in the outdoor unit.

5. AC Compressor Motor Crankcase Heaters

The crankcase heater helps prevent the compressor from being damaged due to liquid slugging. It also helps evenly distribute the oil that lubricates the system.

Every compressor does not necessarily use a crankcase heater, but the ones that do will have specifications for when to provide power for best results/damage prevention.

6. AC Electrical Shut-Off Switches

Shut of switches for AC condensers are used to turn off power when maintenance or repairs are in order.

Circuit breakers help protect the ac system power supply circuit. There are usually separate breakers for the outdoor and indoor units.

The AC contactor relay helps the system handle high voltages that the motors in the compressor or condenser need.

Visit our parts store to see what AC condenser repair parts we have in stock.