Why doesn't my AC blow cold air?

Question

Hi,

I moved back into my house which I haven't lived in for 1 1/2 YRS. Yesterday I turned on the AC as it was 107.

But I discovered that the AC was only blowing a warm air. Mind you the unit was probably turned on 5 times in the past 1 1/2 years.

At times (for around 5 minutes) it does let out ice cold air. I checked the fuse at the thermostat and it seems to be ok.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!!!!

Answer 1

You are getting intermittent cooling, so the system functions properly on occasion. You probably have the correct amount of refrigerant, as it does remove the heat from the air for that five minutes. There may be something wrong with the lines, however.

You need a trained service tech to examine the unit.

Prior to them coming, replace the filter, wash the indoor coil if you can, and wash the outdoor coils.

Verify that the thermostat is functioning properly, if possible.

Observe the outdoor unit when the machine is running and verify if the compressor is running, and that the outdoor fan is running. If either of these components are not running, shut the power to your outdoor unit at the disconnect near your outdoor unit, or the circuit breaker. You can run the indoor fan to circulate the air in the home, but running the A/C without the outdoor fan will kill the compressor, and if the compressor is not running, it is out on a safety.

When the technician arrives, explain what the unit was doing, and what you observed, and what you cleaned. Then go inside and have a glass of iced tea. You don't like people looking over your shoulder when you work, do you? Asking "What's wrong" after 30 seconds adds $20 to your final bill.

When the technician has tested the unit, have him/her explain what they found, what they believe is wrong, how they determined the cause, and what can be done to repair.

Keep Kool

Answer 2

1st check to see if the unit outside, (condenser), is running. The blower inside the furnace or air handler is responsible for circulating the air inside the house. The condenser is what makes it possible to cool the home. The condenser has two major components. The fan, which is responsible for removing the heat from the refrigerant that causes it to condense back into a liquid. and the compressor which is what pushes the refrigerant through the system. If the condenser turns on and you hear the fan, feel the air above the fan. This should be warmer than the surrounding air. If it is not, the compressor is not working. There are safety features built into the system that will shut off compressor before it gets damaged. There is a hi limit temperature switch and there also might be a low pressure switch. (this is on the newer units) If it is the hi limit temp switch, check the filter and make sure condenser coil or fins are clean. The lo press. switch on the newer units can only be checked by a certified service tech. Then try unit again. This is the only thing you can really check without calling a technician. If condenser does not turn on @ all, check the circuit breaker or fuse in the electrical panel, or check the box behind the condenser that feeds the unit electrically. There might be fuses in there that have blown. replace the fuses. Also I have run into the lo voltage wires were cut going to the condenser. The unit will never turn on if these wires are cut. They are very thin and can be cut by a rodent or a weed whacker. Good luck.

Answer 3

It sounds like your system may be short cycling, intermittently tripping on hi or lo pressure switches, a hi pressure switch will trip if the outdoor motor is failing(running slow) or seizing, or if the outdoor coil is dirty, if the outdoor motor is running ok be sure to wash the condensor coil with a water hose, this should be washed at least every couple months of use.

if it is tripping on low pressure switch, a cause could be low on refrigerant which means it has leaked out, it didnt get old or go bad, you will need a tech to locate leak and repair. It can however trip if you have no heat load over your evaporator which is caused usually by a dirty air filter(change bimonthly) or a dirty evaporator coil, check these too. Beyond that you should have a tech. come troubleshoot it for you, good luck!

Answer 4

i had a similar problem with mine but the house was a rental and the system is approximatly 12 years old. after wasting time and money i just called a maintance service vendor. it ended up only needing new freon. dont waste time or money trying to do it yourself, and besides the freon can only be inserted by a certifed repairman. to check a licence contractor check out the ag.ca.gov. hope this helps.

Answer 5

you probably need someone to clean it and check the components, and add freon,if it has not been used you could have a stuck compressor.

Answer 6

Could be many things but refrigerant charge would be the first thing to check, you need a pro.

Answer 7

need refrigerant or freon .... ours done that and one of the pipes were busted u might wanna look at it

Answer 8

does it use freon? if it does it might need recharged. Or you might have a bad cooling coil?