A/C compressor - Always on

[barryware]

Hi.. I searched the forums and found that there is a switch on the back of the air selector dial.. Floor , floor defrost, full defrost, etc... that allows the compressor to run when in defrost mode even though the AC button is not pressed or illuminated

My AC compressor seems to be running even though the AC switch is not on. I had a similar problem when my water pump was failing.. When I went to change the pump, I found some pink crusty stuff had fallen into the compressor clutch and kept it engaged even though electrically, it was not supposed to be. A squirt with the garden hose cleared out the crud and at the time, the compressor & clutch worked as expected.

Does the compressor run when in floor / defrost mode or just full defrost?

I typically keep my selector in floor / defrost mode. I know the compressor is cycling cuz when I checked this, the pipes change temperature and I can see a few bubbles in the sight glass as the compressor turns off. My compressor must be a real quiet one because I can not hear it clicking on and off.

If the compressor is allowed to run when in floor / defrost mode, I don't have anything to worry about. If it is only supposed to run when in full defrost, I have a problem. As I am sure most know, there is no relay for the compressor.. Everything goes through the AC amplifier.

EDIT: 2007 US hatchback