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Condensers & Compressors
The Part of Your AC That Lives in the Sun
The condenser is the unit outside: a coil, a fan, a compressor and the electrical parts that run them. Its whole job is to dump the heat your system pulled out of the house, and it does that job in a spot that is 100 degrees in the shade and hotter on the west side of a brick wall. Every summer in Central Texas, the outdoor unit is where most failures begin. Capacitors lose their charge in the heat. Contactors pit and weld. Fan motors seize. The coil packs with cedar pollen and grass clippings until it cannot breathe, and the compressor, the one part that costs real money, pays the price for all of it.
Radiant diagnoses the outdoor unit component by component. A humming condenser with a still fan is usually a capacitor, not a compressor, and the difference in price is enormous. We test before we name the fault, put the repair in writing, and tell you plainly when a compressor replacement on an old unit is money better spent on a new system. Either way, you approve the price first and the work is backed by the Home Comfort Guarantee.
- Tested, then quoted Capacitor values, amp draws and winding tests before anyone says the word compressor.
- Honest on replacement A compressor on a 14-year-old unit is a hard sell for a reason. We show you both numbers.
- Licensed in both cities TACLB138285E in Austin, TACLB138286E in San Antonio. Trained, bonded and background-checked.
What to Watch For
Signs of a Condenser or Compressor Problem
Walk outside and look at the unit while the thermostat is calling for cooling. It tells you a lot.
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Humming, but the fan is not turning
Classic failed capacitor or a seized fan motor. Shut the system off; running it this way overheats the compressor.
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Fan spins, but the air off the top is not hot
The compressor is not running or not pumping. Could be a capacitor, a contactor, an overload trip or the compressor itself.
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The outdoor breaker trips
A compressor drawing locked-rotor amps, a shorted winding or a grounded fan motor. Stop resetting it and call.
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The coil is matted with pollen or fuzz
Cedar pollen, cottonwood and grass clippings block airflow through the fins. Head pressure climbs and the compressor runs hot.
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Starts, stops, starts again
A compressor cutting out on its thermal overload. Often a dirty coil or a weak capacitor rather than a dying compressor, but it needs checking now.
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Oil stains on the refrigerant lines or fittings
Refrigerant carries oil. An oily spot on a line or the coil is a leak, and low charge is what kills compressors.
What We Repair
Everything Inside the Outdoor Cabinet
From the cheapest part in the unit to the most expensive, tested in that order.
- Run capacitors and contactors The parts our summers kill first. Measured against rated value and replaced with the correct rating, not whatever is close.
- Condenser fan motors Seized bearings, burned windings and bent blades. A fan that stops takes the compressor down with it.
- Compressor diagnosis and replacement Winding tests, hard-start kits where they genuinely help, and a straight answer when replacing the compressor no longer makes sense.
- Coil cleaning and fin repair Chemical coil cleaning from the inside out, straightened fins and clearance from the shrubs that grew into the unit.
- Refrigerant leaks Leak search on the coil, the service valves and the line set, then a proper repair and a charge set by measurement.
- Condenser replacement A new outdoor unit matched to the indoor coil and refrigerant, on a level pad, with the line set flushed or replaced.
How It Works
How We Diagnose an Outdoor Unit
Cheap parts first, expensive parts last, and nothing replaced on a hunch.
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Look and listen
Is the fan turning, is the compressor running, is the coil blocked, is there oil on the lines. Half the diagnosis is in the first minute.
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Meter everything
Capacitor value, contactor condition, fan and compressor amps, compressor windings, then refrigerant pressures if the electrical checks out.
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Price in writing
What failed, what caused it and what it costs to fix. If it is the compressor on an old unit, the replacement number is on the same page.
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Repair and confirm
Part replaced from the truck in most cases, then amps and pressures rechecked so we know the fix held and the cause is gone.
Current Specials
Save on the work your home needs most.
Outdoor Unit Humming, Buzzing or Silent?
Turn the system off and call. A capacitor today is cheaper than a compressor next week.
What Our Customers Say
Don't just take our word for it — hear from our satisfied customers
★★★★★
Alex performed the winter service on my unit. This business along with Alex, are very professional and upfront about everything. To be transparent, this is the maintenance included with the purchase of a unit from them. I was informed about everything to include pictures as proof. I was told that my unit is 100% and very clean and again pictures to prove it. I was reccomended this business by a friend and glad he did. The initial purchase experience was also amazing. I had contacted 5 other businesses to get quotes about a new unit as my upstairs unit failed. 2 were outrageous quotes and I am technically still waiting on the other 3. On every instance of getting a quote, I waited about 1 week. Luckily my house has two units but still, un acceptable especially during the summer. I guess they all had so much business they did not care for mine. When I called this business not only did they come out the same day, I had the new unit installed with in 48 hrs. Oh and let's not forget the quote they gave me was the lowest of all. I can say enough good things about this business. Keep up the great work.
★★★★★
We needed a new air conditioning system because ours was over 15 years old. I decided to get several estimates from different companies here in San Antonio. Each company seemed to have outrageous prices and wanted to put me into something that was above what I needed. I decided to try one more company, Schmidt Mechanical. I went on their website early in the morning and filled out my information asking for someone to contact me. By the end of the same day, Jared was sitting at our table. I told him specifically what I wanted and what I did not want, since I had gained quite a bit of information from my interaction with other companies. We had a lot of fun sitting at the table and talking about many things, but when he put pen to paper, and gave us three choices of product, service, warranties, etc., we knew right away that Schmidt Mechanical was far superior to other companies in town. We sealed the deal and decided that the following Monday would be installation day. Keeping in mind, that would be one week from the day that we sat down and closed. The very next night, our old unit decided to call it quits and we still had six more nights to go until we get the new system. I called the after hours service line and they sent someone out by 10 o’clock that night, but unfortunately the unit couldn’t even carry electricity to be repaired. They didn’t even charge me for that service call. The next morning I called the company to ask if they had any suggestions on what we could do in the meantime. They put their heads together to come up with a solution. We were very thankful to Keith when he called to tell us they were able to rearrange schedules and carve out time in order to have our new AC unit installed two days later. Schmidt Mechanical - professional, honest, dependable, excellent customer service -- a company you will not regret doing business with. Thank you Team Schmidt!
★★★★★
I would highly recommend Radiant Plumbing. After our 17 year old system broke we bought a new AC unit from Radiant. All the people I dealt with were highly professional, explained everything well and were thorough in their inspection. They were very easy to contact, including a number customers can text with concerns or questions. They kept me well informed through the whole process. They even installed at no cost a portable AC to keep us cool before the installation. The installers, Arturo and Rene, were prompt; they arrived at the exact time we were told, and were very respectful of our home.
Radiant helped us quickly; the AC broke Thursday evening, we scheduled the repairman to come Friday, and Saturday they installed the new unit. I know it isn't always able to happen that fast but it was an extra bonus and relief to finally find an AC company that is actually available and answers the phone, unlike A US Air Conditioning, and is efficient and thorough with no high pressure salesmen, unlike ARS.
Thank you Radiant!
11/4/2020 - update
Had CJ out for the system check and he was very professional, informative, and respectful. He had some recommendations and was able to get us a replacement part for free even though we were just outside the 2yr warranty. It was a very unexpected blessing and I greatly appreciate him and the whole Radiant team.
Radiant helped us quickly; the AC broke Thursday evening, we scheduled the repairman to come Friday, and Saturday they installed the new unit. I know it isn't always able to happen that fast but it was an extra bonus and relief to finally find an AC company that is actually available and answers the phone, unlike A US Air Conditioning, and is efficient and thorough with no high pressure salesmen, unlike ARS.
Thank you Radiant!
11/4/2020 - update
Had CJ out for the system check and he was very professional, informative, and respectful. He had some recommendations and was able to get us a replacement part for free even though we were just outside the 2yr warranty. It was a very unexpected blessing and I greatly appreciate him and the whole Radiant team.
Maintenance Membership
Join the Care Club
Home maintenance for $9.99 a month.
Care Club members get two HVAC tune-ups and a plumbing safety inspection every year, priority scheduling, no dispatch fees — ever — and 5% off every repair.
- Priority scheduling
- Seasonal HVAC tune-ups
- Annual safety inspection
- Exclusive member discounts
- Free dispatch on repairs
- No long-term contracts
Condenser and Compressor Questions
What is the difference between the condenser and the compressor?
The condenser is the whole outdoor unit: the metal cabinet with the fan on top and the coil around the sides. Its job is to release the heat that the system collected inside your house. The compressor is one component inside that cabinet, the pump that pushes refrigerant through the entire system. Homeowners often hear “you need a new condenser” and “you need a new compressor” as the same thing, but they are not. A compressor can be replaced inside an existing condenser, and many condenser problems, like a failed fan motor or capacitor, have nothing to do with the compressor at all. That distinction is why we test the individual parts before quoting.
Why is my outdoor unit making a loud humming or buzzing noise?
A loud hum from the outdoor unit with the fan not turning almost always means a failed run capacitor: the motor is getting power but cannot start. A buzz can also be a contactor whose contacts are pitted or a compressor trying and failing to start. Either way, turn the system off at the thermostat. A compressor that keeps trying to start against a dead capacitor overheats and can fail for good. This is one of the fastest, least expensive repairs we do when it is caught early, and one of the most expensive when it is ignored through a heat wave.
Can I replace just the outdoor unit and keep my indoor coil?
Sometimes, but it is often a false economy. The outdoor condenser and indoor evaporator coil are designed as a matched pair, and a new outdoor unit on an old coil typically will not reach its rated efficiency. Many manufacturers also limit warranty coverage on mismatched systems. Refrigerant is the other issue: new equipment uses a newer generation of refrigerant than older systems, and an older coil may simply not be compatible. If the indoor coil is only a few years old and a match is available, replacing the condenser alone can make sense. We will tell you which case you are in and price both options.
Can I hose off my own condenser coil?
Yes, gently, and it helps. Shut the power off at the disconnect by the unit, clear leaves, grass and anything growing within a couple of feet, and rinse the coil with a garden hose at low pressure, ideally from the inside out. Do not use a pressure washer; it folds the aluminum fins flat and does more harm than the dirt did. What a hose cannot do is remove the layer of cedar pollen and grime that bonds to the fins over a summer, which takes a coil cleaner, or straighten fins that are already bent. That is part of a tune-up, along with the electrical tests that a rinse does not cover.
*Offers cannot be combined with other promotions or applied to dispatch fees. No cash value. Must present offer at time of service. Call for details.
