It’s no fun being stuck without air conditioning on a hot summer day, especially in a hot car where temperatures can quickly reach 65 degrees or more. But A/C is more than just comfort; it’s a safety issue too. In fact, one of the most dangerous places for someone to be during a heat wave is inside of their car without A/C since temperatures can spike to dangerous levels. The condenser of your vehicle’s air conditioning unit is supposed to re-cool hot refrigerant once it has been compressed. This is done using the airflow that comes through the front of your car as you drive. If the condenser is blocked by some type of debris from the road, then it will be unable to properly cool the refrigerant and your car’s system will continue to operate with overheated refrigerant. This will quickly cause the A/C unit to only expel hot air. 

WHAT IS A/C CONDENSER REPLACEMENT?

An A/C unit has several main components, including a condenser, a compressor, an evaporator and an expansion valve. The condenser is where heat dissipation happens. The condenser resembles in a lot of models of cars, the radiator. They have about the same function to dissipate heat, one from the engine, the other as part of the AC system. In some models the condenser sits in front of the radiator, but not always. It’s important for the condenser to always have sufficient air flow either by air moving through the engine bay or with electric fans. The job of the condenser is to take the hot refrigerant gas from the compressor and cool them off. As the refrigerant gases cool it condenses back into a high pressure liquid and exists the bottom of the condenser.

HOW IS A/C CONDENSER REPLACEMENT DONE?

Our experienced mechanics inspect the condenser and find if condenser is in bad condition. They will remove all of the refrigerant and remove and replace condenser.  Next they recharge the A/C system and make sure it doesn’t leak, mechanic will check for proper operation of the A/C system.

RECOMMENDATIONS

When you’re determining whether to repair or replace your condenser, consider your A/C unit’s age. Technological advances for A/C units roll out every few years, so you might benefit from simply replacing the condenser or the entire unit if it’s more than 10 years old. Even if a repair would fix the problem, installing a newer and more efficient unit could save you money in the long run.

SYMPTOMS THAT INDICATE YOU NEED A A/C CONDENSER REPLACEMENT

There are likely two scenarios which would cause a condenser to malfunction. The first scenario that could cause a malfunctioning A/C condenser is if there is metallic debris blockage that is preventing the refrigerant from circulating by the condenser. This metallic debris usually shows up when the A/C compressor becomes defective, causing its internal parts to break apart and fall into the system. In this scenario, you would need a new compressor and a new condenser. Second, the condenser has lots of seals and tubes, and any one of them could start leaking after using them for a while. If this starts happening, then you’ll need to replace the entire condenser because it is impossible to just replace the seals and tubes of the condenser without replacing the whole thing.

The best way to preserve the lifespan of your condenser is to clean it periodically. Even if you have to pay a maintenance man to do the cleaning, it is still cheaper than having to purchase an entirely new condenser. If you want to do the cleaning but are not sure how to do it, contact DiscountMechanic.