The compressor is a lot like the heart of an air conditioner. It pumps refrigerant through the system while at the same time warming the refrigerant (the heat of compression). The compressor is large, heavy and pulls a lot of electricity through itself to run.
How a reciprocating compressor works.
Inside the compressor are pistons. They are constantly pulling refrigerant in through the suction line, compressing it and pushing it out through the discharge line. When the refrigerant is pulled in, it is a low-pressure vapor at approximately 40 degrees. After compression, the leaving refrigerant is a high-pressure vapor at approximately 125 degrees. This extra heat is the heat of compression; we have essentially heated the refrigerant without adding new heat, except for a small amount from the compressor motor. We do this to get the refrigerant up to a temperature that is 30 degrees warmer than the outside air. That way when we pump this refrigerant through the outside condenser coil and pull hot outside air across it. The heat inside the refrigerant will pass into the air and be rejected out of the unit. This was the heat from your home that it absorbed in the evaporator coil. However, this is a topic for another subject.
For more information on this subject or to find out what refrigerant does through the entire air-conditioning system visit our how air conditioning works page.