Off topic - air conditioner problem

[blakjack23]

Alright, I know it doesn't have to do with fishing but I've seen other people get some good answers on non-fishing related topics.

Anyway, my central air unit has been running strong for the last 3-4 weeks straight. Yesterday I decide to turn it off and open the windows for awhile to get the place aired out. About 6 hours after turning it off I close the windows back up and start the air conditioner. It seems to be blowing a little cold air out of the vents but 16 hours after turning it on it has managed to cool the house from 85 to only 81 even though I have it set to cool down to 70. Does anyone have any advice I could try to get working again myself? Or is there anyone who does this for a living that would stop over for a few extra bucks on the side?

Thanks in advance.

[rundrave]

dont take this as an insult, and I'll assume you already tried this I hope, but have you changed the filter recently?

[blakjack23]

No insult at all. I consider myself pretty handy but when it comes to home heating/air conditioning I'm like Daunte Culpepper trying to hold onto a football.

If you are talking about the air filter on the furnace, then yes, I checked that and it looked really clean. I just replaced that about 2 months ago. If there is some other filter on the exterior air unit then that is something I don't know about ???

I just bought the house last year, which is ten years old, so I assume the air unit is the same age. Are home units like cars where after so long the refrigerant runs out and they need to be recharged?

[Black Bear]

My 1999 Trane went down the Friday before the "big heat" of July 15-16. The culprit was the heater element underneath the compressor on the outside unit. The wire to the heater became brittle and caused a short which blew the outside fuses. Your syptoms are exactly what mine were after that happened. The A/C tec just stripped away the heater wires and twist capped them off and tossed the compressor blanket away. The heater element in the air conditioner is used in case you cool your house/business in cool weather? Like if you had a room full of computers.

[Swimmer]

Check the last few pages of this thread. I remember previous posts with good info. Check the condenser for debris clogging...ect. My unit seems a little weak this year, so after checking all the "easy stuff", we are having a pro come out to check the refrigerant charge, clean all the parts, and clean the ducts for $150. I doubt if you will find a guy to do that kind of a job for a case of beer! But if you do...let me know.

[bgmny]

Blackjack, are you sure your air is even running? Maybe you switched just the fan back on instead of switching back to cooling, check your thermostat. I would probably rule out anything major, but it is possible. If it isn't the thermostat, check to see if the condenser (outside unit) is even running. If it is running then feel the bigger copper line to see if it is cool. If it is cool then it is working okay enough to cool your house down below 81. Also check to make sure your thermostat is set to 70 again. I'd check the thermostat again though.

[1DIRTBALL]

Did you open the plenum and check the A-coil? If it's all frosted up, it will need cleaning. I cleaned mine by first blowing any loose debris out with my leaf blower and then followed with the vacuum cleaner. Leave the plenum open with a fan blowing on it until it's all thawed out befor you try turning it on again. If that doesn't help, then I'd call a pro. Good luck! 1DIRTBALL

[Jeremy airjer W]

Hey Blackjack, Although I can't help you out with your central air I can tell you this forum is open to anything (within tasteful reason of course). If you have any questions about anything there will more than likely be somebody who knows a great deal about what you are talking about!

Stay cool!!

[IFallsRon]

You may be trying to cool down in too big a chunk. Try going in 5 degree increments. If you're unit is running full force, it doesn't have a chance for the a-coil to thaw and drain which could cause a front-end blockage of air.

[pikechaser]

make sure everything is running...make sure outside unit is clean...if you got a green rheem/ruud unit you will have to get on yours hands n knees to see if the condenser is clean..if everything is running & clean gonna need service

[blakjack23]

Thanks for the info everyone.

BGMNY, I checked last night to make sure the switches were set right. I have one switch set to cool and the fan switch is set to on.

I also checked the condenser last night and the fan outside was blowing and the copper pipes were pretty cold.

Dirtball, I actually called my Dad last night and he told me the same thing you mentioned. So last night I took off the panel and made sure the a-coils weren't frozen. They didn't look frozen but I kept the panel off all night and let the fan run just to make sure something wasn't frozen inside. I'm going to throw the panel back on when I get home and see what happens.

When I turn it on again I'll try to do what IfallsRon mentioned and just try to cool it down 5 degrees at a time.

Thanks again everyone.

[marine_man]

Something similar happened to my dad's A/C over memorial day weekend... ended up that his compressor wires got chewed off by a chipmunk... perhaps you have compressor problems?

marine_man