The condenser, or condenser unit, is one of the vital parts of a home’s air conditioning system. When HVAC technicians refer to the condenser, they’re talking about the entire outdoor unit of a split system air conditioner, the type most people use for home comfort. The condenser houses the compressor, which places the refrigerant under pressure so it will circulate through the system, condenser coils where heat is released to the outdoors to cool down the refrigerant, and a blower fan to draw air across the condenser coils and then exhaust the heat out of the unit.
The condenser is therefore responsible for two crucial functions in the AC: to move refrigerant and to exhaust heat.