The contactor in the outdoor condensing unit is a switch that brings on your outdoor condensing unit and is controlled by the thermostat. When you call for cooling a 24 volt signal is sent to the contactor and a small magnetic coil closes a set of contacts/points to which the high voltage, 240 volts, can travel across and energize the unit.
It is normal for these contacts to wear out over time and it will be necessary to replace the contactor. However, you can get insects, usually ants, in between these contacts. If the ant is in there when the unit comes on, it is instantly smashed and cooked at the same time leaving a crust on the contact points that electricty can no longer flow across.
It is very important to make sure that the bugs do not get back in there (because it it more money out of your pocket) and burn the contactor up again. You can use an insecticide on the ground that leaves a barrier to keep this from happening again.
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