We’re only halfway through the summer and we’ve already received dozens and dozens of calls from people wanting to know how much it costs to replace the compressor in their central air conditioning unit. The straightforward answer is that it costs a lot more than you should spend repairing an old ac unit. Unless your air conditioner is new enough that the cost of both the parts and the labor to install the new compressor is covered under warranty - it’s almost always a bad idea to spend the money replacing the compressor. To have a well-known, reputable heating and air company in Denver replace your compressor is typically going to cost between $2,200 - $2,800. A handful of the biggest companies in Denver can charge more than $2,800. Keep in mind… the size of the company and the level of service they are structured to provide affects the price for any type of air conditioning repair. Spending $2,200 - $2,800 for a new compressor into an ac unit is pretty close to just lighting money on fire in my opinion.

That’s 1/2 the cost of replacing your entire air conditioning system (a new condenser and evaporative coil) and you still have an old air conditioner, it just has a new compressor in it. A good analogy would be putting a new transmission in a car that already has 200,000 miles on the engine. You can be pretty sure something else is going to go wrong with it before long. Most of the top air conditioner manufacturers back their units with a 10-Year Parts Warranty and a 1-Year Labor Warranty. However, some manufacturers only provide a 5-Year Parts Warranty. If the compressor in your air conditioner goes bad within the first 12 months, it’s a no-brainer - just call the company that installed it and you shouldn’t have to pay anything to have the compressor replaced. If your compressor goes bad sometime between the 2nd and 10th year after installation of your central air conditioner, the cost of the compressor itself can still be covered under warranty, but you will have to cover the cost of the labor to replace the compressor.

You can expect to pay a well-known, reputable Denver air conditioning contractor between $1,500 - $2,000 just for the labor. If your air conditioner if not more than 7-8 years old - and all the other components are in good shape, it may not be the worst financial decision in the world to replace your compressor if you only have to pay for the labor. Obviously individual financial circumstances have to be taken into consideration, and sometimes you have to choose the lesser of two evils. If you’re air conditioner is 10 years old then you would absolutely want to replace the entire air conditioning system instead of installing a new compressor. Air conditioning manufacturers typically do not honor warranty claims on equipment that has not been properly maintained or neglected. This is why it’s so important to have annual maintain performed on both your furnace and your air conditioner. Shameless Plug Alert: American Standard provides a 12-Year Warranty on the compressors inside their air conditioning units.

Full Disclosure: Altitude Comfort is an authorized American Standard dealer, and it’s our most popular brand by far. People often are confused by the technical names for the components of their air conditioning system, and they’ll refer to their outside unit (the condenser) as their compressor. Just so we’re all on the same page... Condenser: This is the outside unit that everyone typically refers to as their air conditioner.outside ac unit cycles on and off Compressor: The compressor is a big component that sits inside your condenser (the outside unit). once through air handling unitWhat does the compressor do? ac window unit tipsIn simple terms, an ac compressor circulates the refrigerant in your air conditioning system.

You probably don't realize how much you rely on your air conditioning compressor until it's gone. A pivotal part of your air conditioning system, your A/C compressor provides critical cool air on hot days. Without your air conditioning compressor, you and your passengers are in for an extremely stuffy and very uncomfortable ride. Fortunately, AutoZone carries a number of air conditioning compressor replacements, specifically made for your vehicle, so you can have your faulty AC compressor fixed in no time.With Red Orifice Tube Check Availability and Pricing InformationWith factory installed A/CWith 13mm diameter black orifice tube. Your vehicle's air conditioning compressor is a vital component - your AC unit doesn't work without it, after all. The first step of the A/C compressor process occurs when the highly pressurized liquid refrigerant transforms to a gas and is circulated into tubes, where the heat from the gas is quickly released. This process causes the gas to cool.

The cool gas then reverts back into liquid form as it returns to the compressor. The cool gas is used to chill the vehicle's cabin air, at the convenient touch of a button or twist of a knob. The easiest way to tell that your air compressor isn't working is simple - there isn't any cool air coming out. When the compressor stops pushing refrigerant through the system, you're left with a hot cabin and a visit to AutoZone. AutoZone offers air conditioning compressors for a wide range of vehicles, including a Honda Accord A/C compressor and an air conditioner compressor for Grand Cherokee SUVs. Stop by your local AutoZone and ask an AutoZoner how to improve the quality of your air conditioning compressor or order online and receive Free Shipping on purchases of $75 or more. Videos for car repairs, auto parts and products.There are any number of issues that can cause your air conditioner to stop working. Luckily, they’re not all expensive fixes. The problem could be just a loose wire that’s caused a power failure in your air conditioner.

Or you could have a clogged air filter that’s impeding the air flow to the system.On the other hand, when AC compressor failure causes your system to breakdown, you have a major AC emergency service problem and a big expense on your hands. The compressor is a vital and expensive component, and when it goes you may find yourself dropping a lot of cash on a new AC unit.The good news is, as much as 80 percent of the causes of AC compressor failure are preventable if the problems leading to the failure are corrected in a timely manner. These problems can be detected and eliminated during regular AC preventative maintenance.Related Article: 8 Ways AC Preventative Maintenance Keeps the Repairman Away.Your air conditioner’s compressor is often called the heart of the system. This is a good analogy for a few reasons:Now that you understand why it’s so critical to keep your compressor in good shape, let’s take a look at some of the things that can cause AC compressor failure and what you can do to avoid them.

When AC compressor failure happens, it’s often due to an underlying issue that causes stress on the system. That’s important to know for two reasons:These are the common issues that cause AC compressor failure:When dust, grime and mineral scales build up on the condenser coil, the air conditioner can’t expel enough heat from the system and it’s forced to run constantly trying to cool your space. The increased pressure and temperature can cause the compressor to overheat and fail.When your air conditioner’s refrigerant lines become blocked or damaged, the first thing you’ll notice is that the unit is not cooling as effectively. If the problem is not fixed, once again the increased pressure and temperature cause overheating and AC compressor failure.If your system’s refrigerant lines develop holes or cracks, the air conditioner leaks refrigerant. After a while, the level becomes so low that the compressor has to work harder to pump enough refrigerant through the system to cool your space.

The strain can eventually cause the compressor to break down.If your refrigerant line develops leaks and needs to be replaced, make sure you get an experienced AC technician to do the job. A line that’s too large or too small for your system can cause premature AC compressor failure.If a less-than-qualified person works on your air conditioner and inadvertently adds too much refrigerant, or even the wrong type of refrigerant, it can be a deadly mistake for the compressor.An electrical failure can result in a buildup of acids that cause a great deal of damage to other parts in addition to the compressor. If you have a failed compressor, make sure the technician tests for the presence of these acids. If he finds them, an electrical burnout has caused damage throughout the system that is probably not worth fixing.But electrical problems are often easily preventable when an experienced tech inspects your system: he can spot and repair damaged wiring, fuses and contractors before they take down your system and cause AC compressor failure.

Related Article: A Guide to the Top 3 Power Related Air Conditioner Problems.The high heat and pressure in an air conditioning system, not to mention the locations where they are typically housed in New York City (outdoors, on rooftops, in crawl spaces) can introduce any number of contaminants that can cause damage. These include air, moisture, dirt, debris, leaves, soot, acids, and even bird and pest droppings.Related Article: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You: How To Keep Your HVAC System Contaminant Free.To take the heart comparison a step further, think of your air conditioner’s oil lubricant like the blood in your body. If there’s not enough, the system can’t work properly and all kinds of problems can result, including AC compressor failure. When your system is regularly maintained by a trained AC professional, he will check the lubricant levels and the condition of the oil pump to prevent this problem.When you take good care of your compressor, it will take good care of the air in your space with consistent, reliable cooling.