A component that will extend the life of your HVAC system

In the second part of the summer series of common parts of an air conditioning system, I bring up a part that may not already be installed in your unit or something that came with your outdoor unit when it was installed. A compressor start kit or hard start kit is a component that you can add on to your system that will help extend the life of your compressor, the heart of your air conditioner that pumps the refrigerant.

A compressor start kit significantly reduces the amount of time it takes to get your compressor up to full run speed. For about 7 or 8 seconds while the compressor starts up, the motor windings undergo a tremendous amount of damaging heat and energy, about 10 times more actually. The start assist can reduce the amount of time it takes to start up by nearly half.

Imagine your car broken down in the middle of the intersection. You could probably push that car out of the intersection by yourself, right? Well if I came up and helped you push that car out of the intersection, three things would be better for you. You’d be less tired once we got out of the intersection. You would get there faster, and you could probably actually do it again. Now, those of you who have ever pushed that kind of dead weight more than twenty feet know what I’m talking about.

This is how we know we can extend the life of your compressor. This is an add-on to the system. A lot of manufacturers don’t put one on your system because it is not in their best interest to do so. Why? Because they extend the life of your $2000 compressor! Once installed, a start kit is designed to last 5 to 10 years, but can last the lifetime of the system.

Fox Family Heating & Air serves Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, and all of Northern California. If you’re looking to schedule HVAC service in these areas, give us a call!