I just moved into an apartment that is approx 900sq ft. The wall air-cond. is in the living room, which is approx. 400 sq ft. The air conditioner is old as the hills. Here's the prob: my air conditioner has not been cooling the room enough. The air that comes out is hardly cold, even at the highest setting.Just today it started blowing out a 'fog' or condensation that had an odd smell. I was worried about freeon leaking and turned it off because I have a dog. I have had the coils cleaned and typically run it at 4, which is just below the halfway point. There has been condensation where the coils are on the inside of the air cond.
My questions are this: could the air cond. be broken, why was an odd-smelling white puff cloud of air coming out of it (could it be leaking freeon) and what can I do to fix it??
Thanks for any help with this!!
2007-07-17 12:37:47 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Most likley it was not refrigerant. Refrigerant or Freon as some call it is a colorless orderless gas. You can't see it or smell it. And don't worry about you or your dog theres not enouph of it in a small a/c unit to kill you. You would have to breath in large amounts within a small area. Window or wall units only have a few ounces. If it leaks into the room or home your in it won't effect you much if any its very little.
As for the condensation on the indoor coils, that is very normal. The evaporator coil is doing its job by removing humidity [Moisture] from the air. You will really see this on a humid day. The moisture hits the cool coil and condenses into a liquid and drips off the coil and drains outside. Thats how your humidity is removed.
If you do have a leak at your evaporator coil wich is a possibility the smell that you smell could be oil or just nastness from the bottom of the condensate pan were all kinds of nasty things collect due to moisure there all the time.
Issues you might have:
Compressor old not pumping anymore
Leak loss of refrigerant
Thermostat issue
Condensor and evaporator coils dirty
Coils blocked poor airflow
My advice to is to turn up the thermostat and see if that helps and take all of the advice I just gave you. It seems to me that its time to invest in a newone.
2007-07-17 17:41:16 · answer #1 · answered by Richard G 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Usually Conditioning has a fan and condensing unit the fan run on 3 speeds and when you set your thermostat it make the condensing unit work (cooling) run the system on fan only and see if the fan only work and in all speeds, if it work then it may be your condensing unit. if it is the fan and does not work you need to replace the motor and that can be done easily if you know what you doing. The motor usually less than $500.000. The price according to the size 1/3Hp, 1/4. 1/2, etc. if you really know what you doing you can change the bearing on the motor and that is usually the problem with these units.
2016-05-20 22:42:26 · answer #2 · answered by yolanda 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since you are in an apartment tell your landlord. It is their responsibility to get it fixed or replaced.
If it is not cooling at all after the fog you saw then it is probably the refrigerant escaped. It would have to have been a big failure for it to all come out at once. Either way it is not your problem. That is the nice thing about renting.
2007-07-17 13:11:05 · answer #3 · answered by mike b 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Could have lost free-on. Feel around it, free-on is very oily, slippery. If this is the case and a hose or fitting blew, you're probably better off getting a new one. Otherwise the "smoke" could be melted insulation of the wires. In either case, its probably toast.
Check the filter behind the large panel under where air blows out though, and clean it. It can't cool air if it can't "breathe" ant in.
2007-07-17 12:53:44 · answer #4 · answered by jason m 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I could be wrong, but I think you have a chilled water unit. Check the filter and see if it's dirty. If it is a chilled water unit, you have to vent the coil. That smell and puff of smoke could have been the blower motor burning up, or debris and dust from the filter. Either way...tell the landlord to fix it pronto!!
2007-07-17 14:17:12 · answer #5 · answered by konfadence21 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the unit is not cooling your room, it is shot. If air conditioning is part of your lease, contact the landlord or maintenance department and have them replace the unit. If it is not part of your lease, you'll have to replace the unit yourself. Check the voltage available (what size plug) and the size of the current unit, then go to the appliance store and tell the sales person.
2007-07-17 13:53:06 · answer #6 · answered by OrakTheBold 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if the a/c unit is part of the apartment the manager should have it repaired.If it belongs to you do not try to repair it yourself,there is more involed in this repair then you should try to fix,unless you are a experienced a/c technician.
2007-07-17 14:04:38 · answer #7 · answered by sparky 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes that was freon,and u will find that replacing will be cheaper. make sure u get one that cools 900 sq. ft
2007-07-17 12:56:16 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋