Have you ever noticed your AC unit running but there's no cold air blowing out? This is usually an indication that the outdoor unit is not running. The outdoor unit, also known as the condenser, it's the part of the unit that allows your home to cool down as it removes heat and pumps the "cool" into your home.
Some things that could prevent your outdoor unit from coming on to cool is a bad capacitor. A capacitor is like a battery that gives that jumpstart for the unit to function, and it's common for capacitors to go bad after some time. It's recommended that you have a trained professional change out a bad capacitor.
Another common problem with a condenser no coming on to perform could be a overheated compressor. This problem is common in areas that have hot temperatures. On a hot day, your outdoor unit can struggle to remove heat and cool down your home and in doing so, cause your compressor to overheat. What creates this problem is a dirty condenser coil. Being a unit outside, there are conditions where the unit can easily become obstructed with debris and dirt. All this dirt will cover the coils that surround the unit and prevent the condenser from doing its job efficiently with removing heat and cooling. It's recommended to contact a trained professional to perform a coil clean. The cleaning will use a special solution to effectively remove the debris and dirt from the coils.
When a condenser is not running it could be a simple issue of no power to the unit. The unit could have a potential bad fuse, or a tripped breaker that prevented the unit from powering on. It's common for a breaker or fuse to act up during an electrical surge or a bad thunderstorm. It's recommended that you contact a trained professional to diagnose the issue.
