joee5
Elite Member
This central AC units been running all day long and it just cannot handle or keep up with the heat today. 
Today was the worst
- Thread starter joee5
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scout23
Elite Member
This summer sucks, high heat and no rain At least we got about an inch today, but don't know if it is too little too late. It may be coming your way along with cooler temps.
At least we got about an inch today, but don't know if it is too little too late. It may be coming your way along with cooler temps.What's worse is temperatures riding triple digits, and the condenser units run capacitor blows. Took 5 days to get a replacement, guess it's a common problem when it gets hot down here. Bought a spare, only a $10 part, but don't want to go through that again. Dog slept in the bath tub most of the time, had to bribe him to get out, so I could use it.
joee5
Elite Member
Happened to me last summer. A 5 dollar part but man it was a miserable 3 days without it
I do most of my own repairs, on everything, but sometimes wonder about what people think, who call a repair service. Have heard it's $70 or more, just to get someone to come out and look at it, then see the bill for a $10 part. It was too easy to spot, the can was swollen at the top, uneven. None of the local walk-in places I tried had them. Called two service companies, who wanted to send someone out, but didn't sell parts. Kind of got the feeling the friendly tone was kind of strained, guess they didn't appreciate me doing it cheap. I get that there may have been some problem, which caused the part to fail, but pretty sure it was the heat, and the continuous use, and willing to try swapping that one part first. It's over twenty years old, and certain they'd want to sell me a newer unit, other services. I'll get a new one, when I can no longer fix it, or find parts.
You know it's hot when that's happening. It has been miserable here in central MO as well, only we are getting tons of rain this year, driving the humidity through the roof. You walk outside at 5 am and it slaps you in the face like a hot wash cloth.
joee5
Elite Member
It has been miserable here in central MO as well, only we are getting tons of rain this year, driving the humidity through the roof. You walk outside at 5 am and it slaps you in the face like a hot wash cloth.
The 90 plus days I can handle, as I love the heat. It's the humidity that's been knocking me down
JTW
Senior Member
Been tuff around here too. Only bareable in the early morning.
Would be great to detect early weather ...but..would you believe I broke my little toe..AGAIN!!!?
Nothing to do cept tape it and hope it heals straight again. It's amazing to me how such a little toe can cause so much grief
Would be great to detect early weather ...but..would you believe I broke my little toe..AGAIN!!!?
Nothing to do cept tape it and hope it heals straight again. It's amazing to me how such a little toe can cause so much grief
Troller
Senior Member
I know what you mean Joe. I'm right across the river in Pa. and it's been brutal. The humidity is keeping me inside too. In fact I've only been out twice in the last 3 months. I'm dying to get out but at this point I may just wait 3 weeks till the kiddies are back in school. Hopefully the kids don't mind the heat and are out there making lots of "deposits" for me. 
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GKL
Forum Supporter
Yep, humidity been the problem here too, it can sap the energy right out of you. 
We have central air, but haven't used it for years when we found out using a few window air conditioning units work pretty much as well and with less electricity cost !
We have central air, but haven't used it for years when we found out using a few window air conditioning units work pretty much as well and with less electricity cost !
amc rulz
Forum Supporter
Came home from work the other evening and the temp inside the house was 99 degrees. Furnace fan was running (cold cycle) but just circulating the hot air. Wife and kids aren't pleased.
$400 and two visits later, the repairman cleaned the coils and replaced the electronic filter with a $40 paper element. He's checked the water input and output pressures and temps, but still can't figure out what's wrong. He says the compressor is shutting down because the coils heat up too fast. Coils may have a mineral-type coating preventing cooling.
Long story short, of course he wants to sell me a new 3-ton unit which runs about $11,000 YIKES!(not including 30% gov. rebate). I'm thinking about going with a window unit for awhile.
$400 and two visits later, the repairman cleaned the coils and replaced the electronic filter with a $40 paper element. He's checked the water input and output pressures and temps, but still can't figure out what's wrong. He says the compressor is shutting down because the coils heat up too fast. Coils may have a mineral-type coating preventing cooling.
Long story short, of course he wants to sell me a new 3-ton unit which runs about $11,000 YIKES!(not including 30% gov. rebate). I'm thinking about going with a window unit for awhile.
MrNovice
Forum Supporter
My ac is only 10 years old but once it gets over 103-104 outside, it starts losing traction a few degress. It doesn't help having 85 degree nights. We keep the ceiling fans spinning low constantly which has seemed to help.
joee5
Elite Member
joee5
Elite Member
GKL
Forum Supporter
A long time ago when I was single and living in a small apartment I actually opened the freezer and set a fan in front of it, don't remember how well THAT worked, but maybe it at least made me seem to feel cooler.
This is why I do my own work. I get a 3-pack of filters at Home Depot for under $16, change them monthly (more or less). Mostly, I do electronics, but the same troubleshooting skills apply to most anything. The internet is really useful, in that you can look up what you hope to fix, parts, and so on.
Mine doesn't use water, never ran across one that does. If your local water is like ours, probably some mineral deposits. Wonder if you have a similar problem as mine, the run capacitor gone bad. Top of the can should be flat, rounded/swollen when bad. Simple fix, some people miss the most obvious. Compressor won't run without it.
I just figure that if other people can learn something, I should be able to learn it too. I'd definitely shop around, for the repair, and possibility of replacement. That guy's prices seem very high. Could be summer demand, and a lot of people rely on the comfort, it's also a medical need for some. Pretty sure they take advantage occasionally. I can see how it might be a better option in the long run to replace, maybe cheaper too, since there doesn't seem to be a lot of standard parts, they'd have to do some searching to find major components, that will work with the rest of the system, and fit. I know I'm looking at a full replacement, if something major goes bad, twenty year or so old. Had fun finding a replacement motor for the condenser fan. Found one online, at a surplus site I use for electronics parts, shear luck.
Hope you get it fixed soon, and not pay a lot. I only went 5 days, wasn't fun, more like survival. Came home wondering if I'd have to dig a hole for the dog, if he didn't make it.
Mud-puppy
Forum Supporter
Amazingly, my 20+yr old central unit blew the breaker on Sat afternoon...So out there I go and got it opened up...told the wife to throw the breaker...Bang! huge sparks at the contactor so I knew I had a short someplace...Mice had a big nest in here this Spring and nibbled a lot of the wires..heres the pics of that...
OK...visual inspection for more nibbled wires, any obvious component failure at the Cap or the contactor....Hmm...went and got the meter...tested the compressor, (OK) tested the fan (OK)...tested the Cap..OK...the contactor probably...took it out of the unit to clean it and check..Hmmm..Its OK too? While I was wondering what was going on, I could feel something wasnt right with one of the incoming supply wires...it just felt sort of slackish...I pulled on it and sure enough, it had shorted out INSIDE the conduit!
So zip zap zoom, ran a new wire and all is good...whew, that was a close one! I could see money shooting out of my wazoo if it had been the compressor.....
Anyway, yeah...Its good to be able to fix things yourself, especially on a hot weekend when a service charge would have really set me back, plus, on a unit this old, there were no local parts available on a weekend....If it HAD been the contactor, I would have jumpered it to get through the weekend running it off the breaker.... A guy might even make a dime someday fixing things?
Mud.
OK...visual inspection for more nibbled wires, any obvious component failure at the Cap or the contactor....Hmm...went and got the meter...tested the compressor, (OK) tested the fan (OK)...tested the Cap..OK...the contactor probably...took it out of the unit to clean it and check..Hmmm..Its OK too? While I was wondering what was going on, I could feel something wasnt right with one of the incoming supply wires...it just felt sort of slackish...I pulled on it and sure enough, it had shorted out INSIDE the conduit!
So zip zap zoom, ran a new wire and all is good...whew, that was a close one! I could see money shooting out of my wazoo if it had been the compressor.....
Anyway, yeah...Its good to be able to fix things yourself, especially on a hot weekend when a service charge would have really set me back, plus, on a unit this old, there were no local parts available on a weekend....If it HAD been the contactor, I would have jumpered it to get through the weekend running it off the breaker.... A guy might even make a dime someday fixing things?
Mud.
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Mud-puppy
Forum Supporter
You might want to take some spray cleaner stuff like Fantastic and a hose and clean the dirt out of the coils even though he said he did it...They get really clogged up and dirty...spray it down and hose it out...20 min tops....Take the top off and spray from the inside if you can...disconnect power first though...Especially if he didnt find anything obvious...You cant hurt anything by trying...
Mud
