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Air Conditioning Repair - Air Conditioning Questions
1.70How often do air conditioning units need to be charged with freon?
Q.We have been having terrible problems with our central air conditioning unit. Our house is about 8 years old and we have a zone system (separate heating and cooling thermostats for upstairs and downstairs). For the past 2 years the unit is not cooling the house properly (heating works fine). We had the dampers replaced 2 years ago and I know the dampers are fine. We have had several repair technicians look at the unit. They always recharge the unit with more Freon (3 times in 1 summer) after claiming to fix a leak. This past weekend again a repair person claimed that we had an internal leak in the unit. He said that he had plugged the leak and then he charged the unit with Freon. Not only did this not work (our house continued to get hotter from 73F to 85F while AC was running all day) the pipe coming from the unit outside our house was all frozen over with ice (all the way to where the insulation started).
Any suggestions or help will be appreciated. Thank you.
A.A system only needs to be charged once, when it is installed. If it gets a leak, the leak must be repaired, and verified that it is repaired with a vacuum test. It is a laborious process, and some homeowners would rather just juice up the machine each year than spend the funds to get it repaired.
Some units have leaks that can never be identified. There are lots of fittings, small bends in the coils, and hundreds of feet of tubing that need to be traced with an accurate tool. Many Tech's don't have access to this tool, and rely on soap bubbles to identify leaks.
Contact the manufacturer of your unit, and have them recommend a competent company in your area. If it is the company that you've been using, explain that they have not fixed the unit. For very hard to find leaks, there is a product available that can be added to the refrigerant similar to "Stop Leak" for your auto radiator. This product is rather spendy, about the same price as five pounds of refrigerant, but if you are charging your unit each season, it would be worth the investment.
Contact the company that "repaired" the leak last time, and ask how the technician verified that the leak was repaired, and how he verified that the charge was correct.
1.30Is it possible for a home air conditioning unit to be the cause of its coils going bad?
Q.My Mom owns a Trane air conditioning unit and has had nothing but problems with it. She had the coil replaced on it a couple of years ago. Now a technician is telling her that the coils are bad again. They are telling her that there is something in the environment, her sprinkler system (sulfur), which is causing it to go bad. Does this explanation sound feasible? She uses well water for her sprinkler system but has had this sprinkler system for nearly 20 years. Before she had to get a new unit about 3 years ago she never had problems with the coil. Is it possible that the air conditioning unit itself could be causing the coils to go bad? i.e, a Freon leak or something.
A.Absolutely NO. I am sorry to say that many people like to lie about stuff that you dont know about and EXTORT money from you.The refrigerant contains oil which moves through the system with the refrigerant and a leak in the coil is very rare unless hit with a lawnmower or such. Also a leak can be repaired but ther is no profit in it and it takes time.I am an HVACRR Tech, 15 years and have heqard it all. You are welcome to contact me and I would love to have the Tech. (supposed) explain it to me!!! I will give you my phone number to have him call.
1.20Who can tell me about air conditioning parts or lead me to a good diagram?
Q.We are trying to fix the air conditioning at work (the landlord won't do anything) and need to replace some parts. We have the ducts and I have found out that the ducts are connected to the collars (male/female). The collars are then attached to a big square piece which then has the grille attached where the air goes out. Does anyone know what the big metal square piece is called? I've been looking online but so far, no luck.
And if you know of any good diagrams illustrating this, that'd be great as well.
Thanks!
A.You are referring to a supply air plenum. And the grill piece is called a supply register.
1.10Installing a room air conditioner in an awkward window?
Q.I want to install an air conditioner in my "computer" room where there is alot of heat generated to due several computers and large LCDs running all day.
I have installed typical room air conditioners before but the problem I'm having is that the only window in the room shuts sideways instead of shutting down, it is also a fairly tall window, about 8 feet tall.
Will a typical home air conditioning company be able to solve this for me? I image they'd have to install something in the window to cover the extra space from top to bottom since the window closes sideways, probably would look ugly too.
Any advice?
For the record I do have home air conditioning but the computer room is on average 10-20 degrees hotter than the rest of the house. So if I want to set the computer room to 70-75 degrees, I actually have to set the house air conditioner to 60-65 degrees which makes the living areas too cold and is a waste of energy.
A.We had the same problem..... My husband put the server into the closet, with it's own separate air conditioning duct. We had outlets put in there too, so we can put a portable fan in there, if it still gets too hot....... And in his office, we have a big ceiling fan, in addition to the air conditioner
1.10What is the difference between air conditioning and air recirculation?
Q.Air conditioning costs more but what exactly is the difference between the two systems? Is air recirculation effective at cooling or heating the vehicle interior on hot or cold days?
A.Air Recirculation and/or the Max A/C button do the same thing. They close off the vents that let fresh air into the car from the base of the windshield.
Air Recirculation should be combined with A/C usage, which is why on some cars (older domestic US cars in particular) it's labled Max A/C. Air Recirc setting helps the air conditioner system by recirculating already cooler air through the system, rather then trying to take warmer outside air and cool it down.
You can use it with heat, but on some cars (older Japanese and German cars in the US) they aren't set-up to run the A/C compressor in defrost mode. Any moisture at all will cause your windows to fog, ALL OF THEM, unless you also turn on the A/C button too.
A/C doesn't really cost much more then 1 mpg on most cars. For me personally, I'll use A/C whenever I can. My comfort is worth more then 1 mpg.
1.00Anyone know of a good, yet reasonably priced air-conditioning repair service in Dallas?
Q.I think my AC unit is shot. I suspect the repair to be major, so cost is pretty important to me. Can anyone recommend a dependable repairman or repair service that won't gouge me? Thanks!!
A.Independent HVAC
steve baser
214-724-1862
1.00No website on Air Conditioner Servicing (& Maintenance) ?
Q.Does anyone know a good website that teach me step by step how to service ( and do commonly needed replacement) my single room (Window /wall mounted) Air Conditioner.
Googled website almost all only show companys that do air cond repair.
I want this as new hobby !
T H A N K S !!
A.Try starting here: http://www.hometips.com/cs-protected/guides/centairfix.html
Google diy air conditioner repair.
gl
1.00How much to have the ducts cleaned and mold removed?
Q.I just moved into a new home that had never had the ducts cleaned. The house is a ranch with gas forced air heat on one zone with about 9 vents. I found this company on a coupon for $45 which included unlimited vents and a couple access holes. When the company began their work they found mold and the price skyrocketed from $45 to $1400. Does this sound like a screw job or is that price accurate for mold removal and duct cleaning?
A.Mold removal/remediation is entirely different from air duct cleaning. However, it is not uncommon to find mold in your air ducts. That is why we recommend the Electro Breeze Duct Mount UV kit at http://www.allergy-relief-air-purifier.com/air-conditioning-filters.html. This unit will eliminate mold and bacteria from your indoor air and keep your air conditioning coils clean from mold.
You must consider that to remove the mold from your air ducts, the air duct cleaning company is entering into a potentially dangerous situation for their employees. This requires expensive equipment and a person with the skills to do the remediation properly. Now that they have knocked the mold loose, you will need the high efficiency filtration and ultra-violet light of the Electro Breeze DMUV kit to kill and capture the mold spores in your indoor air. I hope this helps.
More Air Conditioning Questions
Repair
An air conditioner is a sophisticated piece of machinery, and AC repairs of your unit should be trusted only to a professional. Unless you have above average AC repair skills, it's not recommended that you attempt any air conditioner troubleshooting on your own. One of the biggest causes of air conditioner problems is improper maintenance. Keeping your unit clean and free of debris is something every home owner can do. Simply remove the protective cover, and clean dust and dirt off the condenser fins. Hose down the fins if necessary, taking care to avoid splashing water on the motor and wiring. Accumulation of dust on the fins can reduce the cooling efficiency of your unit. Major AC repair problems like compressor failure, can also develop.
Proper air conditioner maintenance is a common cause of air conditioner problems. For instance, if the filters and coils collect dust, it will soon lead to failure of the compressor, necessitating AC compressor repairs. One of the earliest signs that dirt and debris may be dragging down the efficiency of your air conditioning system, is a unit that cools slowly. In such a case, you can clean the condenser fins using a soft brush. You can also hose the fins, although you must take precautions to protect the motor and wiring. An air conditioner that doesn't go on immediately could be the result of a tripped breaker or blown fuse. In such a case, replacing the fuse or resetting the breaker can solve the problem. If you find your blower making noises, call an AC troubleshooting technician to conduct repairs. The belt may be incorrectly aligned or may need to be replaced.
The air conditioner repair tips listed above are only meant to be used by a person with more than basic DIY skills. If you are not comfortable handling electric appliances, leave your air conditioner troubleshooting to qualified Irvine AC repair services. We can help you connect with air conditioning service and repair contractors in Irvine.
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4 yr old house hvac system. Tenant's did not replace air filter for over 6 months use, so the coil is covered in dust and the blower is not working due to excessive dust buildup. How much to replace blower and clean out coil?
Chris P
Upstairs ac is blowing, but no cold air is coming out!
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An air conditioner is a sophisticated piece of machinery, and AC repairs of your unit should be trusted only to a professional. Unless you have above average AC repair skills, it's not recommended that you attempt any air conditioner troubleshooting on your own. One of the biggest causes of air conditioner problems is improper maintenance. Keeping your unit clean and free of debris is something every home owner can do. Simply remove the protective cover, and clean dust and dirt off the condenser fins. Hose down the fins if necessary, taking care to avoid splashing water on the motor and wiring. Accumulation of dust on the fins can reduce the cooling efficiency of your unit. Major AC repair problems like compressor failure, can also develop. 
Proper air conditioner maintenance is a common cause of air conditioner problems. For instance, if the filters and coils collect dust, it will soon lead to failure of the compressor, necessitating AC compressor repairs. One of the earliest signs that dirt and debris may be dragging down the efficiency of your air conditioning system, is a unit that cools slowly. In such a case, you can clean the condenser fins using a soft brush. You can also hose the fins, although you must take precautions to protect the motor and wiring. An air conditioner that doesn't go on immediately could be the result of a tripped breaker or blown fuse. In such a case, replacing the fuse or resetting the breaker can solve the problem. If you find your blower making noises, call an AC troubleshooting technician to conduct repairs. The belt may be incorrectly aligned or may need to be replaced.