A/C

[DTro]

Noticed the air isn't quite as cool as it should be and a hard time keeping up when it's 90 out.

Do home units get a recharge? Is this something I can do myself?

I really don’t want to blindly call up XYZ HVAC until I can do a little more research, and or find one I can trust.

[BobT]

Yes they can be recharged and may require it from time to time. I don't know if you can do it yourself though with all the regulations surrounding refrigerant disposal and such.

[Scott K]

I used to have mine recharged every other year, it wasnt really that expensive, I think less then $200. After I put a new furnace in, they replaced the evaporator and it doesnt leak anymore.

[jeffreyd]

I have mine done each year, granted my a/c will run 100 times more than yours probably but we have a guy that comes in and cleans the coil and tops off the freon. My a/c has been on since first part of Feb and wont be shut down until mid Nov usually. worth the 200 bucks or whatever and go with a rep for a mfg and you will be ok. good luck

[Macgyver55]

Make sure to remove the cover and vacuum out or spray the condenser outside the house to clean it. (turn it off first) Mine was having a tough time too and when I looked at it the fins, they were plugged solid with cottonwood and other debris even though I normally clean it every year. Worked much better after cleaning it.

My daughter called with the same problem, and the a/c never shut off. She has only been there a little over a year and it was plugged solid. Not sure when it was done last. After I cleaned it, she said the house got cooler than it ever had and it cycled normally.

[DTro]

I've cleaned it in the past, but yeah, I'll be sure to take a look at it, thanks.

It's about 10yrs old, so it might need some additional help...

[cjac]

Well, I just called blindly this morning as I had no cold air at all and a crabby house. $150 is the bill for the recharging itself, so all said and done with coil cleaning, compression check, and service call charge, all in only 2 hours from my calling to being done was $230.

[jeffreyd]

not bad at all honestly. if you do some preventive stuff after the guy comes it can save some bucks later on. watch what he does to clean the coils. my guy usually charges 120 to clean them, i do them in the fall and spring myself. takes about an hour. and i understand about the crabby house. mine quit 3 yrs ago in jan which to you all might not be too bad as far as heat goes but it hit 23 degrees here, popped the outside spigot off the house and we did not have heat for 2 days. 23 to people in mn is like skinny dippin temps but to us in az that is the end of the world. good luck.

[nofishfisherman]

I couldn't get my house below 78 degree until after the sun went down yesterday. Also the AC keeps tripping the fuse, its happened 5-10 times in the last 2 days.

Any ideas of whats causing it to trip? It did it once at the begging of summer last year and then not at all the rest of the year.

My AC unit is pretty old, guessing at least 20 years old. I bought the house 3 years ago.

[BobT]

and i understand about the crabby house. mine quit 3 yrs ago in jan which to you all might not be too bad as far as heat goes but it hit 23 degrees here, popped the outside spigot off the house and we did not have heat for 2 days. 23 to people in mn is like skinny dippin temps but to us in az that is the end of the world. good luck.

Actually, I find that my AC works much more efficiently in January than it does in July. Conversely, my furnace is really efficient in July.

[sdpikehntr]

One other thing to check is the "A" coil in your furnace unit to make sure that it is not filled with dust. I did sheetrock work in my house and my "A" coil had filled with sheetrock dust and had to be vacumed out.

[jeffreyd]

a good cleaning overall, but the compressor might be going south too. that is what happened to my heat pump, the compressor crapped out there for the fan would blow but no heat. My ac works great in Jan and early Feb then the natural heater comes on outside. however some folks think the az heat is dry, it is dry like a torch until july when the monsoon hits and the humdity goes way up. my evap drain runs like a garden hose when the monsoon comes.

[311Hemi]

After reading this post I decided to check my a/c unit out. Tore it apart this morning and found 1/2" of dust/dirt/etc over the entire face of the coils. Got them all cleaned up now.....probably a good thing I read this since I have not touched it since I moved in 5-6 years ago. Hopefully it helps a bit with cooling/efficiency.

[danwilliams]

While you guys have the top off cleaning the condenser coils be sure and oil both ends of the condenser fan motor...they lead a rough life exposed to weather.. will save a semi costly repair.

Regarding breaker tripping or blown fuses...

the most common cause by far is an overcharge..lived 26 years in Tucson..for a 10 year period starting in 80s I worked as a civilian at the Air Force base..Davis Monthan. We had one guy that would always put too high a charge in in spring start up..first days over 100 they'd have too high side pressure and an over amped condition..blow a fuse every time.. of course other things can cause it too..

[danwilliams]

If the a/c was working fine and then started tripping breaker...I'd check condenser fan and then the condenser for dirty coils...

over charge will only happen after it's been serviced of course..again most commonly charged on a day in 60s or 70s..and then when you get a hot day..

thought i better add that... good luck.

[tomfromblaine]

Just a note, something I saw on this old house recently was to increase the insulation on the line going to the coil both outside the house and inside all the way to the coil it self. I'll be getting on that as soon as I have some time

[spearchucker]

If you have to keep getting the A/C recharged, you have a leak that should be fixed. You don't loose refrigerant without a leak.

[nofishfisherman]

I opened the unit up today and got it cleaned out. Had some cotton from a cottonwood that needed cleaning out plus other dust and dirt. It certainly was dirty.

I don't have the AC on now as its not that hot out but I'll see if it keeps tripping the breaker.

I was doing some research on the issue and read that it could also just be a weak breaker in the box. How hard is that to change out, is it a DIY job or should I call someone in? I'm reasonably handy but haven't done much electrical stuff.

[spearchucker]

You can change a breaker in 5 minutes for about $10. That may be worth a try but chances are that something else is wrong causing it to draw too much current. My guess is too high or too low refrigerant or the compressor is going out.

[nofishfisherman]

I was hoping to avoid having to call someone in as money is a little tight with me being out of work but I might have to break down and make the call. I can deal with the heat but my wife likes to stay cool and I can sure tell my dog doesn't like the warm house.

Can anyone suggest a good AC service that services St. Paul?

[Eric Wettschreck]

Dtro, when you clean your condenser coil make sure you clean it from the inside out. Hosing down the coil from time to time is a good PM type thing, but it should be cleaned from the inside. Many times hosing it off from the outside just packs cottonwood fluff and grass clippings into the coil.

Check your "A" coil for dust, also.

I'm really really really really really wanting to get up your way soon for some fishing. I can bring a set of gauges with me and check your charge for ya. If it needs a shot of gas we can do that, also. But, if it needs a shot of gas, you have a leak somewhere in the system. If that's the case, we can track that down, also.

As far as tripping breakers, has your system been serviced lately? I'm asking cuz if there is an overcharge it can strain the compressor and over amp. I've seen a whole lot of things that will trip a breaker that can be seen just by looking. Look for bare wires leading to the fan. They will cause a short and trip your breaker. Easy fix there. Also, look for poor or loose connections everywhere. If (Just an if) the compressor is going south it can be replaced but if it's an old unit you may be money ahead replacing the entire condensing unit.

[youngie22]

a little off the subject but for cleaning your outdoor units, especially cottonwood and fuzz every where. Try a propane torch to burn it a little and then spray it with you hose from the inside to the outside is best.

[jeffreyd]

we use to have to use oven cleaner on the raditors on the fire trucks to get them clean, it works great but man you want to be downwind of it when spraying. not sure i would want to use it around an area where my dogs are either but it does work

[delcecchi]

we use to have to use oven cleaner on the radiators on the fire trucks to get them clean, it works great but man you want to be downwind of it when spraying. not sure i would want to use it around an area where my dogs are either but it does work

And in those days the radiators were copper. Nowdays aren't many radiators and condensors made of aluminum? Oven cleaner will eat aluminum right up, since it is a strong base, like lye.

Don't use oven cleaner unless you are totally positive sure you know what you are doing.

[jeffreyd]

I agree, it is amazing how things have changed so much. Simple green or something to cut the dirt is what was meant. OC worked good on hair and leaves etc.