my home air conditioner works, but it never seems to get cool, any suggestions?

Question

townhome built in 1985, i have changed main filter, but upstairs is always hot, and downstairs usually cools off at night. If I set the thermostat to 74, it reads 80 as the temp for house even though it is set for 74. Can you get house with new insulation?

Answer 1

You might need to refill it with some Freon.

Answer 2

there are several things that you can check.The first thing would be the condenser unit.This is the outside unit.Make sure the fan is blowing at full speed and notice when it starts if there is a slight humming noise or if it has any excessive vibration,If so ,you may want to replace the fan motor which will cost around $125 american dollars.If the fan seems okay, you now need to shut off the power and then take a garden hose to the unit and hose it down over the fins.These fins will clog up with dirt and debris which keeps the air from circulating to its full potential.Once the water runs clearly from the unit then they should be clean.Try not to bend the fins and if they are very dirty,You can purchase a cleaner to spray on them from a stor such as Lowes or home depot.Usually the water will clean them alone.

Now turn the power back on and see if this made a difference.If there is no change,now it is time to move to the inside unit.Locate the blower and with the power shut off,feel of the fan which is usually a round squirell cage blower,Make sure the blade or fins on it are not clogged up with dirt and grime.If they are then you need to unscrew the fan assembly and pull it out and tlean each blade with rag and a medium bristle brush such as a soft wire brush.If this does not solve the problem,then you can purchase 2 cans of indoor coil cleaner and spray the coils.You also want to feel of the refrigerant lines going to the coils with the system running.One of these lines will be ice cold and the other will be pretty warm.If one is freezing up then you may need to have the system leak tested and checked for the correct ammount of refrigerant.

If this does not help,you can inspect the duct work for any breaks in the duct.This is usually located in the attic.Keep in mind that a break close to the beginning of the system will cause a drastic change in what comes out of the ducts after the break and you could notice this by sudden cool spots in the attic.

If none of these things help,then you should contact an a/c specialist.

Yes you can add mor insulation to the attic,as far as the walls,this is a little harder to do and alot more costly.


good luck

Answer 3

Get a thermometer and check 2 temperatures. If the temperature difference between the air at the return (where the filter goes) and the nearest outlet to the furnace is about 20 degrees, it is working as well as can be expected. If it is closer to 10 or less degrees, you may need a service call to check your refrigerant charge or may simply need to replace the a/c. Sometimes the evaporator coil inside the furnace plenum gets clogged up and needs cleaned. There may be ice on the big line coming from the furnace to the condenser to indicate this or a low charge.
If you have about a 20 degree drop, try this. There are (should be)dampers where the round duct pipes hook to the square duct. (little handles with wing nuts) The damper inside the pipe they are attached to points with the hande. Figure out which ones feed the downstairs and close them some, this will force more air upstairs. You might want to readjust them for winter depending on your comfort levels so mark the pipes as you go.
Back to the thermostat, It may be off a few degrees. Get that thermometer out again and check this. It's an easily replaced item and may just be out of level having been taken off the wall to repaint or something and just not replaced properly. There are marks inside where you would put a level and then re tighten the screws to hold it to the wall.

Answer 4

You might need to have someone come in and install insulation in the attic (if you have one). If not, consider a drop ceiling upstairs to install insulation. Also double-paned glass for the upstairs windows would really help with keeping the indoor temperature cool in the summer and warm in the winter without extra expense on your electric bill.

Have an air condition repairman come out for a "free inspection" of your air conditioning system. It could be freon, mercury, or even the compressor if the temperature isn't changing ANYWHERE in the house properly.

Good luck!

Answer 5

We installed ProTint on all our windows (which is like a filter to keep the sun from broiling us and the furniture). Our electricity bill has gone down dramatically and the house stays much cooler. It cost a few hundred dollars but we got it back in less than six months.

Install extra installation in the attic.
Key the electric lights that are on during the day to a minimum - they add heat to the house.
If you have one particularly hot window, consider putting up a thermal blanket to block the heat in that window during the hottest months.
Make sure all windows are well sealed when air is on to maximize efficiency - and use fans at night to bring cool air into the house.

Ask your energy company to come do an audit (for free) which will show you where there are some leaks or opportunities for improvement.

Answer 6

Try closing the downstairs vents and blowing the air only into the upstairs when the a/c is running. Do the opposite for the furnace. Heat rises. You may be cooling the downstairs enough that the a/c shuts off and all the heat rises to the upstairs. I do this all the time in my split level home. It helps.

Answer 7

Other than changing filters, and cleaning outside unit from debris, there is nothing really you can do without professional help.

One thing you can do is check to see if your A/C is working correctly is to check for delta-T. Delta-T is a temperature difference between air intake and output. You can take a digital thermometer and check the air temperature that is coming in to the intake closest to the air-handler. (inside unit) Then do the same with the cold air vent closest to the air-handler. The temperature difference must be close to 20 degrees F. If it is higher than 20 degrees, you have air flow restrictions somewhere. If it is lower than 20 degrees, your a/c is not cooling well enough.

It is 20 degrees because that is the temperature difference most a/c is designed with. My guess would be you had some loss of freon. You'll have to have this checked professionally.

Answer 8

Go outside while the unit is running....look for a large ( 3/4 inch round ) copper pipe coming from the unit...is it frozen?? Bad Charge. Is it warm to the touch? Low Charge. Does it feel like a cold beer. Charge is good. If frozen or warm, get it charged. Also, close downstairs vents half way to force air upstairs,...it may help. Also, a good hosing of the outside unit could help...may be a bit dirty..just aim the hose at the fins.

Answer 9

i had the same problem in my house i called a repair man to come take a look at it and what he did was change the thermostat. (which i thought was pretty weird) But it completely changed the way my house felt and you said you temp would read 80 mine would read 95 and i live in an area where this time of the year its never lower then 105. my suggestion is contact someone and tell them if its not the thermostat. :) hope it helps!!:)

Answer 10

This is a comfort product and you surely want to be comfortable. The most expected from but the least taken care of system that you deal with.

Having read your question it is obvious to me that you should pay the $200 to have a professional a/c company come and do a survey of your problem.

You can always get a second opinion and often most companies won't charge you to have a look if you are considering replacing your system.

Answer 11

Try to make shade over your air conditioner outside. We have the same problem at our home. You also might want to install a whole house attic fan. It cools off the upstairs and only cost about $150.00 here in Calif.