ARISE-AIRCON

How Long Do AC Compressors Last? [2021]

The short answer is that your AC Compressor should last 10 years. This includes the refrigerant. Your AC is only as good as its components. Learning what crucial parts it contains can keep your AC running efficiently for many years to come, and knowing how to maintain these parts will help you do so even more effectively.

Your Air Conditioning Compressor

When imagining an AC compressor's job in an HVAC system, it is useful to use the human body as an analogy. In simple terms, the compressor in an AC unit is what the heart is to our bodies. Without it, the whole system will cease to function immediately.

Just like a human heart, you will need to ensure that the compressor is in good working order if you want the system to continue to function in the long term. If your compressor is overworked, you will find that it will break down and needs replacing often.

However, if you regularly maintain and service your unit, you can significantly extend its life expectancy and ensure that it remains functional well into its later years.

The cost of replacing your compressor is equivalent to more than a third of your system's overall replacement cost. So it's important to take care of it.

What Does a Compressor Do?

The compressor in an AC is the part of the system that increases the pressure and temperature of the vapor refrigerant in the system. The compressor increases the pressure of the refrigerant gas in order to make the pressure difference that causes the refrigerant to flow around the system.

An adequate supply of pressurized refrigerant (sometimes known as cooling gas) is necessary for the heat exchange that takes place in the coils of the indoor and outdoor units. Without this pressurized refrigerant gas, an AC system will be incapable of producing cold air.