What is a compressor and how does it work?
The Auto A/C Compressor is often considered the “heart” of a vehicle’s air conditioning system. It’s the greatest vital component in the system. The compressor pulls the refrigerant out of the evaporator and pushes it into a condenser, and then back into the evaporator to complete the cycle. A compressor is an electro-mechanical pump, driven by a belt that’s attached to the engine’s crankshaft; however, some newer versions can be driven by electricity with no belt. This pump moves the refrigerant through the continuous loop that is the air conditioning system. The refrigerant is carried by rubber hoses and aluminium pipes from one component to another. There are various types of compressors (piston, wobble plate, scroll, etc.) used in automotive air conditioning systems, but they all work to accomplish the same objective – transforming refrigerant from a low pressure vapor to a high pressure, high temperature vapor and circulating it through the A/C system. Compressors can fai...