Air Conditioner Compressor vs Condenser – What’s the Difference?

The compressor receives the refrigerant after it has absorbed the heat from the home’s air. At this point, the refrigerant is a warm, low-pressure vapor. The refrigerant will eventually circulate back inside the house to repeat the heat-removal cycle, but first, the refrigerant must be returned to a cold, liquid state. The compressor performs the initial step in the cooling process applying energy until the refrigerant becomes a hot, high-pressure vapor. Using heat and pressure on the refrigerant serves two purposes. One, the refrigerant must be heated to a temperature higher than the outside air to release its heat as it travels through the condenser’s coils. Two, the pressurization allows the refrigerant to flow smoothly through the coils. After the compressor heats and pressurizes the refrigerant, it flows to the condenser, and the heat is removed.