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In this episode, I'm outlining five things refrigeration techs need to check before replacing a compressor to avoid an unnecessessary change out. Between 30-40% of swapped compressors are found to have no real issue, and these checks will help technicians uncover root-cause issues and potentially avoid costly and time-consuming work that might not be needed. This episode details the five checks: oil level and oil management, compressor superheat, electrical health, operating conditions, and controller/sensor accuracy. We also cover key readings and how to better understand failure modes and prevent repeat failures.

In this episode, we discuss:

(00:48) How to Avoid Replacing Good Compressors

(03:16) Check 1: Oil Management

(04:27) Check 2: Compressor Superheat

(06:13) Check 3: Electrical Health

(07:14) Check 4: Operating Conditions

(08:19) Check 5: Controllers and Sensors

(09:56) Inspecting a Failed Compressor

(12:14) Documentation and Preventing Repeated Failures

Helpful Links & Resources:

FREE GUIDE: System and Compressor Troubleshooting Guide

Episode 115: Understanding Compressors: What You Need To Know

Episode 329. The Ins & Outs of Compressors

Episode 388. Step-By-Step Compressor Change Out (Service Call Recap) with Andrew Freeburg