Central Air

Post #284,385 by jbrabeck 5/10/07 10:47:03 AM Reply	Central Air My new house has central air. First time I've ever had central air. But how do you turn it on? Thermostat is set to cool. Temp is set WAY (for testing) below actual temp (65 vs 80). Blower kicks in, but compressor outside doesn't come on. Circuit breaker to the compressor is ON. Can't find any other switches on the compressor, nor in the house that would control the compressor. With the temp in the 80s for the past couple of days, my wife is getting a little hot under the collar. Any suggestions before I make a service call? I'd hate to pay for someone to come out and do something obvious. fwiw, I DID rtfm to no avail. A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. (Herm Albright)
Post #284,386 by Another Scott 5/10/07 10:54:33 AM Reply	It should work. If the compressor isn't coming on, it could be a broken wire to/from the thermostat, a blown capacitor that keeps the compressor from starting, or it could be the system is low on freon due to a leak. My guess it's something like the latter. :-( You'll probably have to have someone come out and look at it. Get a second opinion (at least) if they say the system is "shot" or something. I think you've checked all the obvious things. HTH a bit. Good luck! Cheers, Scott.
Post #284,392 by jbrabeck 5/10/07 12:14:17 PM Reply	Figures The house was built early 2004. Things shouldn't be breaking down. But it doesn's surprise me. The previous owners don't seem to have been too handy. Lots of little things, unnoticeable until you've lived there, are popping up. Doors not closing correctly, drawer slides broken, etc. thanks for suggestions. A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. (Herm Albright)
Post #284,396 by folkert 5/10/07 12:55:07 PM Reply	Many thermostats have... a "heating set" and a "cooling set". Many I've seen require a small toggle switch tween the two. My automagic one does only one or the other or "off" Cheers. -- [link\|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net\|greg], [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ *i_wethey* `PGP key: 1024D/B524687C 2003-08-05 Fingerprint: E1D3 E3D7 5850 957E FED0 2B3A ED66 6971 B524 687C Alternate Fingerprint: 09F9 1102 9D74 E35B D841 56C5 6356 88C0`
Post #284,403 by boxley 5/10/07 1:29:00 PM Reply	find the electrical line to the compressor switch at the compressor switch itself you should have 24 volts. If not its an electrical issue. If you have 24 volts when you turn it on and it doesnt kick, its a service call. thanx, bill Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 51 years. meep reach me at [link\|mailto:bill.oxley@cox.net\|mailto:bill.oxley@cox.net]
Post #284,418 by jbrabeck 5/10/07 5:48:38 PM Reply	Service call Have 24v at the relay. 249v (little high) coming in. Check both sides of relay. Relay is working. Damn... A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. (Herm Albright)
Post #284,432 by Ashton 5/10/07 10:19:17 PM Reply	Since you know about lectricity - You might.. be able to sleuth out locale of a pressure switch mounted on the freon line, at some place near heat exchanger (the warmer input side, where the line will have vapor, not icy liquid.) If in luck - the circuit diagram should be under a cover somewhere? You could then, when confident that IS what you found: pull its connector and make the obvious deductions: need to see it it's a NO (Normally Open) or NC (-closed) and decide if you want to temporarily bugger it: if compressor then starts - it's all likely about just low freon. (While the lube oil should not be missing necessarily, via the leak - it might be, so you want motor OFF real soon, next.) So then - you'd need a leak test, presumably a careful vac. test after that's supposedly fixed: before wasting a new charge that might disappear in some days. You might be able to bargain better, if you get this far, eh (?) Luck (I don't Evah want to see the inside near my car's heat exchanger! the Entire Dash would have to come out. Houses.. so much simpler.)
Post #284,444 by jbrabeck 5/11/07 10:16:57 AM Reply	Fan motor was siezed Bearings shot. Repairman off to shop to pick up a new one. A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. (Herm Albright)
Post #284,459 by folkert 5/11/07 2:52:22 PM Reply	well at least it wasn't... The condenser itself, just the compressor. Or was it the fan to circulate the air through the condenser? -- [link\|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net\|greg], [link\|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry\|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ *i_wethey* `PGP key: 1024D/B524687C 2003-08-05 Fingerprint: E1D3 E3D7 5850 957E FED0 2B3A ED66 6971 B524 687C Alternate Fingerprint: 09F9 1102 9D74 E35B D841 56C5 6356 88C0`
Post #284,476 by jbrabeck 5/12/07 7:00:17 AM Reply	Which fan? It was the big fan on top that sucks the air through the unit. A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. (Herm Albright)
Post #284,480 by bepatient 5/12/07 10:20:48 AM Reply	I had that happen... but got that fixed and had a more spectacular failure in the condenser unit when one of the fan mounts broke and the fan obliterated the internals of the outside unit. The joys of home ownership :-) Now I have to go mow the lawn... Too much of today's music is fashionable crap dressed as artistry._{Adrian Belew}

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