The condenser is the most underrated component in an air conditioning or refrigeration system. Besides being a simple heat exchanger, the condenser has to desuperheat, condense, and subcool refrigerant from the system’s compressor. In fact, all the heat absorbed in the evaporator and the suction line is rejected in the condenser.
The compressor’s motor heat and the heat generated in the compression stroke, often referred to as heat of compression, also has to be rejected in the condenser. That is why service technicians should never ignore troubleshooting this component in the high side of the refrigeration system. The high side of the refrigeration system will often give valuable information to even the most experienced service technician. Because of this, the condenser must be serviced, cleaned, and maintained to provide good HVACR system health.