Question:
My grandma has an AC in Palm Desert, CA where it gets ridiculously hot during the summer.
She went out there and it wasn’t working so she called someone and they put some freon (I’m not sure how to spell it) and then it worked. The guy told her she would need to replace it. I want to go out there but its too hot to stay without an AC. What are the chances of the AC working.

Reply:
Without reading the report the repair A/C technician supplied it would be difficult to ascertain whether it would have a chance of working, albeit temporarily. Sometimes the gas leaks are minor and repairable but over the years the A/C unit can become more unreliable and it is advisable to replace machines that are starting to show signs of wear and tear.
There are some great bargains out there for new A/C units, A/C has changed from a luxury to a necessity these days, especially in places like Palm Desert

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Question
The seller of the house had the deck builder encase the unit in a crate-like box to match the deck and hide the unit. The unit has about 6-8 inches of clearance but I am worried there may be some air restriction. Should I ditch this covering? A/C works fine but I did have to recently replace a couple of burnt out wires. Could this crate thing be the cause?

Reply:
You are correct in suspecting the operation of your air conditioner is being hindered by the restriction imposed by the covering. No air conditioner should be covered in such a way as to restrict the airflow.
You will find that by removing the cover that your unit will operate more efficiently during higher ambient temperatures, which is when you want it to.
Aesthetics is the only reason someone would do this to an air conditioner with little or no thought to the machines ability to perform it’s function.
As for the burnt wiring, The sheathing on the wire can sustain much higher temperatures than that caused by the enclosed A/C unit. It is unlikely that the box covering has caused the problem. Burnt wiring is usually the result of a ‘hot’ connection where the connection point of the wire is loose.

Question:
How do you know if a heat pump is single stage or multistage?

Reply:
Heat pump refers to the reverse cycle capability of the machine to heat the occupied space.
In the air conditioning industry ‘multi stage’ normally refers to the number of compressors or stages of capacity the unit can deliver in a sequential order i.e. 3 steps at 33% each to reach the full cooling/heating capacity of 100%. A single stage unit has 1 compressor and therefore when it runs the machine delivers 100% capacity without loading capability (this does not take into account inverter machines which vary the compressor speed).
The benefits of multi stage or inverter units are that you are able to spread your energy consumption thus giving you lower operating costs and secondly having a more accurate control of temperature fluctuations inside the conditioned space.
For the lay person the only sure way of finding out is to make note of the brand and model number of the outdoor unit and calling the manufacturer.

Question:
My compressor went out on my existing ac with heat pump. I have the opportunity to by a 5 ton ac condensing unit for $200 that is new from a buddy. Is it a straight switch? What are the complications?

Reply:
It’s not as easy as it first sounds.
The replacement condensing unit has to be the same brand and capacity to even contemplate it.
Secondly, when the original condensing unit “went out” as you say, did it burn out the compressor? If so, then the entire system needs specialist treatment with suction line burnout driers or a thorough decontamination clean out (depends on the type of machine).
In conclusion, it really is not a straight switch even due to the electrical considerations.

Question:
I have already installed Central Air into my home, but the job wasn’t finished. I need to know how to crack the lines to let the freon into the house or whatever else I might need. Any help?

Reply:
If you try to do the job yourself you will eventually have to get someone who knows what they are doing to finish off anyway.
It is usual for an installation to stop before completion, if you ran out of money and that is why you are considering doing it yourself you had better wait until the funds are available.
As previously mentioned, if you attempt to do it yourself there is a high likelihood you will either do some damage to the system or it will not work anywhere near it’s capability.
Finally, if you do not install it correctly you will invalidate any manufacturers warranty for the machine. It has to be installed by a qualified and licensed installer.

Question:
My AC unit is blowing cool air, but my room temperature is not getting cooler… The blower seems to be working fine, however there is some condensation on the cooper line inside the house.

Reply:
Your thermostat is working properly if it cycles the machine off and on around 1-2 degrees of the set point.
As stated earlier, measure the temperature at the thermostat with another thermometer, if the set point and the thermometer match to within approx 2 degrees your thermostat is working fine. If not then further investigation is necessary.
It could be that the machine cannot handle the heat load and the thermostat never gets a chance to cycle the machine off, keep this in mind before condemning the t/stat.
After all I’ve said so far it is probably likely that the A/C unit is struggling with the heat load but the only way to find out is to call a reputable and experienced /qualified technician and get them to check it out. At least then you will know one way or another.

Our thermostat went blank after a blackout, we called the heating company to come out and take a look?

Question:
They charged us for the service call as well as the installation of a new thermostat..we paid a total of 300 bucks. we had ice cold air for 1 whole day before the new one went blank…what gives? we are having the heating and air company come out again which is 3days later..is it fair for us to have to pay another service fee. Just our luck..homeowners warranty for appliances is lapsed.

Reply:
You will be required to pay for any parts that eventually fix this problem, but, you should not be charged for any new parts they install that were not the cause.
Some leeway here, troubleshooting a modern A/C colling/heating system is not always easy as there literally are hundreds of things that can go wrong and the causes are not easy to track down sometimes.
Having said that, keep an eye on the situation and do not allow yourself to be charged for a part that was not the cause of the breakdown. Keep in mind that there are more than one part that can go down at the same time.
The service company should not be charging you for a return visit if they claimed to have fixed it the first time.

Question:
I live in Phoenix, AZ. My outside unit (compressor) does not start when it is hot outside (from around 1:00pm to 8:00pm); and if it does then it shuts down soon after. It works normal during all other times. The run and kickstart caps seem to be fine. The outside fan always blowing. So what is causing it not to work properly during the peak of the heat? The unit is 5 years old and always worked fine. No freezing either during that period of time. Could it be that the “radiator like” or coil section of the compressor needs cleaning? although it did not look anymore dusty then last 5 years.? or could it be that the compressor is going out and it’s first symptom is not to work properly when it is too hot? Please help. Thanks

Reply:
Sounds like your machine is tripping a safety device called a refrigeration high pressure safety switch. If it is the culprit then the cause is varied.
Most common is that there isn’t enough air blowing freely over the condenser coil.
There are contaminants in the system such as air, this is not likely unless the machine has been repaired fairly recently.
The compressor is shutting down due to an internal safety such as high temperature or high amperage drawing.
After all is said and done you need professional assistance from a qualified and experienced A/C technician, it is highly unlikely you would be able fix this one yourself.

Question:
Lately my central air hasn’t been working very well. It is constantly running and we have to keep the thermostat turned down to 55 or below to ensure the house stays cool. (My parents live near me and they keep their thermostat around 65). Needless to say, it is always running. Well, today it stopped altogether. When I turn the air on, I can hear the outside unit kick on, but absolutely no air comes through the vents. Any ideas on what it might be and if it is something I can fix myself. My dad said it sounds like the duct is disconnected or something. Any help is appreciated, as I really want to resolve this issue, possibly without the help of expensive contractors. I also really hate to sweat. Thanks.

Reply:
Either your indoor fan motor has burnt out or the relay serving the fan motor is faulty. Either of these requires an A/C technician.
If your ductwork has blown off the indoor unit ( which can happen ) then you need to check in your ceiling space fro this possibility. If you have a zoned system, one of the damper motors could be stuck in the closed position.
My guess is that the fan motor has burnt out as this is usually the problem from what you describe here.
Good luck finding a competent A/C mechanic this time of year ( mid summer ).
Note: if you are having to set your t/stat at 55 and 65 respectively you have machines that are either too small (capacity wise) for your home or there could be a refrigerant leak which causes the machine to be ineffective. They are probably running flat out trying to reach set point, causing your electricity bill to be needlessly high….just a thought.