What Causes an Air Conditioner Contactor to Burn Out?

We are in the middle of the summer, and air conditioners are the best way to keep cool and comfortable. An air conditioner is responsible for cooling the air in a room or house and circulating the cooled air uniformly. Lesser do we know; an air conditioner comprises several internal elements that function independently to create one working system. And, an air conditioner contractor is one of them.

A contactor is an important component of your AC, and any malfunction in it can require you to call an AC repair in Corpus Christi, TX, right away. So, let’s briefly try to understand what an air conditioner contractor is and what can cause it to burn out.

Air Conditioner Contactor – What Is It?

It is an important part of the unit responsible for controlling the electricity flow into your air conditioner system. In other words, an AC contactor can be described as a bridge that joins the AC unit to the electrical circuit. It needs to be lower down for electricity to flow up to the AC unit like a bridge. Similarly, it needs to turn up to halt the electricity from passing through it. So, a contactor allows or blocks the movement of electricity into your AC unit and its internal components.

Once you turn off your AC, the contactors stop any electricity from entering your air conditioning system. Now, as the thermostat is ready for a cooling cycle, it sends a small voltage to the contactors that lower them and lets the electricity flow to the rest of your AC’s components. Once the thermostat detects the proper functioning of contactors, it sends another voltage to signal them to turn up again and disconnect the flow of electricity.

However, any malfunction of these contactors is a major sign you need to call a professional air conditioning repair in Corpus Christ.

3 Ways Your Contactor Can Malfunction


Burning Out

Like most electrical components, contactors can burn out over time due to wear and tear or overheating. Thus, when a contactor burns out, it won’t supply any electricity to the components of AC. It’s better to shut down the AC and leave it to technicians for AC repair in Corpus Christi, TX.

Got Stuck Down

There can be various reasons behind a contractor getting stuck while it’s down. It can lead to a constant flow of electricity throughout the contactor and components of your air conditioner. Eventually, some parts might continuously operate even if the rest of the system is shut down.

Got Stuck Up

A contractor can get stuck even when it’s up. In such cases, the components connected to the contactor will not get the required electricity and will not turn on.

An air conditioner contractor is crucial for the proper functioning of your AC and its internal components. If you notice any of the above signs of malfunctioning in the contactors, we can fix it. We provide the best air conditioning repair in Corpus Christ at the most reasonable prices. Call us at (361)-287-7032.