Short answer
A failed AC compressor in New Orleans usually shows as an outdoor unit that hums but will not start, trips its breaker, or runs its fan while the air stays warm. Before condemning it, a technician tests the capacitor, contactor, wiring and the compressor's windings. A new compressor costs a large share of a new unit, so on older or R-22 systems a full replacement is often the better value.
Is it really the compressor?
Many compressors are condemned too soon. A weak run capacitor, burnt contactor points, a loose wire or a tripped internal overload can all make a healthy compressor look dead. We check each, measure the compressor's windings, test its insulation to ground, and let an overheated compressor cool before judging it.
When the compressor has truly failed, the next question is what failed it: overheating from a dirty coil, a low charge from a leak, acid from moisture, or age. Replacing it without fixing the cause repeats the failure. We work on Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Goodman and Rheem units and price an AC replacement alongside.
New compressor or new system
| Replace the compressor | Replace the outdoor unit and coil | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Lower | Higher |
| Warranty | The part only | A new system warranty |
| Efficiency | Unchanged | New rated efficiency |
| Makes sense when | The system is newer and otherwise sound | The system is older or uses R-22 |
What a compressor replacement costs
- Compressor size and type. Larger and two-stage compressors cost more.
- Warranty coverage. A part under warranty leaves labor and refrigerant.
- Refrigerant type. R-22 systems cost far more to recharge.
- Drier and vacuum. A new filter drier and deep vacuum are part of every job.
- Access. Tight side yards and rooftop units take longer.
Planning range: about $800 to $2,800 for an AC compressor replacement (source: homeadvisor.com). It is a market range, not our price; we quote after we see the system.
A compressor that will not start
A compressor that hums and trips its overload, or clicks and stays silent, is often fighting a weak capacitor or a contactor that is not passing full voltage. We test those first. If they check out, we measure the compressor's winding resistances, check for a short to ground, and look at its starting current. A compressor with an open or shorted winding has failed. One that is mechanically tight but electrically sound may start with a hard-start kit, which we explain as a stopgap rather than a cure.
Hard-start kits
A hard-start kit adds a start capacitor and relay that give the compressor a stronger kick at start-up. On an aging compressor that struggles to start, especially after power interruptions or on circuits with low voltage, it can stop nuisance trips and buy useful time. It does not fix a compressor with failing windings or a refrigerant problem, and it is no substitute for a correct charge and a clean coil. We fit kits matched to the compressor and tell you plainly what they can and cannot do.
Replacing the compressor or the whole system
A new compressor is a big repair: recovering the refrigerant, brazing out the old compressor and in the new one, replacing the filter drier, pulling a deep vacuum and recharging. On a newer system still under its parts warranty, that can make good sense. On a system past mid-life, or one running on R-22, the same money goes a long way toward a new matched system with a new warranty and better efficiency. We price both and show the numbers side by side.
Older outdoor units in Metairie and Kenner
In Metairie, where the largest share of homes dates from the 1970s, and in Kenner, where most went up in the 1970s and 1980s, a failed compressor often turns up on an older outdoor unit, sometimes one still running on R-22. On those systems we always price both the compressor and a full replacement, because on an aging unit a new compressor can buy less time than the same money spent on a new matched system.
How a compressor job runs
- Rule out the simple partsCapacitor, contactor, wiring and overload.
- Test the compressorWindings, insulation and starting current.
- Find the causeCoil, charge, moisture or age.
- Price both optionsCompressor and full replacement side by side.
- Replace and commissionBraze, drier, vacuum, charge and test.
How long the system is down
A compressor replacement keeps the system off until the part is on hand and the work is done, since the refrigerant has to be recovered and the new compressor brazed in, evacuated and charged. We give you the expected timeline when we quote, and if a full replacement would be quicker to arrange, we say so.