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Started By
Message
A/C Condenser Unit Question
Posted on 8/9/23 at 3:50 pm
Posted on 8/9/23 at 3:50 pm
I have outside by my condenser and it kicked on and then immediately off, twice. The third time it kicked on, it stayed running.
Any suggestions?
Air temp in house if fine, so it is cooling. Just concerned with it kicking on and off a couple of times before it kicked on an ran.
Any suggestions?
Air temp in house if fine, so it is cooling. Just concerned with it kicking on and off a couple of times before it kicked on an ran.
4
Posted on 8/9/23 at 4:23 pm to WPBTiger
90% of AC problems stem from bad capacitors or dirt daubers/ants in your contacts.
Posted on 8/9/23 at 4:25 pm to WPBTiger
How do you know this OP? Check your float switch. Could be a clogged drain line, I’ve seen the float wired to the outside unit before.
ETA: what I mean by how do you know this is why were you standing next to your outside unit ? Were you having other issues and went out to look?
ETA: what I mean by how do you know this is why were you standing next to your outside unit ? Were you having other issues and went out to look?
This post was edited on 8/9/23 at 4:27 pm
Posted on 8/9/23 at 4:27 pm to baldona
quote:
what I mean by how do you know this is why were you standing next to your outside unit ? Were you having other issues and went out to look?
No, my garbage cans are near it and I heard it do it when I was throwing trash in the can.
Posted on 8/9/23 at 4:42 pm to WPBTiger
Could be contactor, capacitor, float swith, thermostat.
I'd start with float switch and capacitor.
I'd start with float switch and capacitor.
Posted on 8/9/23 at 4:55 pm to WPBTiger
Could also be your fan going bad on your outside unit, but Capacitor is much more common. Too late tonight but I'd suggest working on a new capacitor either online or locally tomorrow.
Is your AC staying cool? Check your condensate line for water and make sure its draining.
Is your AC staying cool? Check your condensate line for water and make sure its draining.
Posted on 8/9/23 at 5:09 pm to baldona
quote:
Too late tonight but I'd suggest working on a new capacitor either online or locally tomorrow.
I always have a spare capacitor and switch.
Posted on 8/9/23 at 6:23 pm to WPBTiger
I would be looking at the thermostat wire , from where it comes out of the house wall, to the wire nut connections in the panel. Look at all of its insulation- like maybe a squirrel ate it. Especially check the wire nuts.
If nothing found, go in attic and follow it. All of it. All the way into the inside unit. Check wire nuts, screw terminals. Check all 24 volt wire nuts, any splices.
We had one down in nola one time, a loose wire nut next to the wash machine. It was rental so yeah wires were out in the open in the laundry room.
Anyhow, when the wash machine went into spin cycle, it would shake that loose wire nut and the outside unit would machine gun.
If nothing found, go in attic and follow it. All of it. All the way into the inside unit. Check wire nuts, screw terminals. Check all 24 volt wire nuts, any splices.
We had one down in nola one time, a loose wire nut next to the wash machine. It was rental so yeah wires were out in the open in the laundry room.
Anyhow, when the wash machine went into spin cycle, it would shake that loose wire nut and the outside unit would machine gun.
This post was edited on 8/9/23 at 6:28 pm
Posted on 8/9/23 at 7:18 pm to EF Hutton
Have you ever heard of the float being tied to the outside unit? I had a friend have this and his AC guy swears by it, I can’t remember why? The issue is I wasn’t able to help him tell if there was an issue with his float as no one else that I know does it that way? The benefit of it being tied to the thermostat is you immediately know the issue if the power is off.
Posted on 8/9/23 at 7:49 pm to baldona
quote:
Have you ever heard of the float being tied to the outside unit?
Mine is.
Posted on 8/9/23 at 7:53 pm to MikeBRLA
I have been breaking the outside unit with the float switch since 2007. It is the water maker. Why not .
Posted on 8/10/23 at 6:47 am to EF Hutton
quote:
have been breaking the outside unit with the float switch since 2007. It is the water maker. Why not .
Lol, of course you have. I don’t know the positives other than it is what you say.
But the negatives are the average person doesn’t know the issue if the float switches. Thermostat goes off, it’s very easy to have a smart thermostat that sends you a message it lost power or is consistently losing power. Or if you are home, it’s easy to test that the float is working. Pop the float over at home to test it (as they do fail regularly) and it’s a pita to test if it’s on the outside unit.
Posted on 8/10/23 at 7:02 pm to baldona
quote:
Lol, of course you have. I don’t know the positives other than it is what you say.
But the negatives are the average person doesn’t know the issue if the float switches. Thermostat goes off, it’s very easy to have a smart thermostat that sends you a message it lost power or is consistently losing power. Or if you are home, it’s easy to test that the float is working. Pop the float over at home to test it (as they do fail regularly) and it’s a pita to test if it’s on the outside unit.
Not everyone has or wants a smart thermostat. If the float switch failed in the winter and you break the 24v to the thermostat, you have no heat. Not good if you are away in the winter. Opening the A/C circuit is the correct way. If someone is handy enough to pop the float over to test, they are handy enough to figure out if the drain is the problem.
Posted on 8/10/23 at 8:19 pm to jagrays
quote:
Not everyone has or wants a smart thermostat. If the float switch failed in the winter and you break the 24v to the thermostat, you have no heat. Not good if you are away in the winter. Opening the A/C circuit is the correct way. If someone is handy enough to pop the float over to test, they are handy enough to figure out if the drain is the problem.
Ok, yet almost all of that doesn’t really apply. Smart thermostat? Who cares about that. I was pointing that out if you are routinely away. Plugging it to your basic thermostat shows anyone at home they don’t have power, it won’t run…
And heat? Lol. How much water is pulled from the air in the winter? I’ve yet to hear of anyone with a condensate line issue in the winter….
There’s not that many places in the south where the heat failing is really that big of an issue. As in, where there’s a major condensate line issue for a good portion of the year due to the AC running.
So your solution is the 7-9 month a year problem is helping most people maybe 7-10 days a year? Hmm
Posted on 8/10/23 at 8:26 pm to baldona
Checked the water line, capacitor, and switch all were fine. Called A/C guy who said issue was leak in the coils in the condenser. Thankfully, it is under warranty.
Posted on 8/10/23 at 8:39 pm to baldona
quote:
And heat? Lol. How much water is pulled from the air in the winter? I’ve yet to hear of anyone with a condensate line issue in the winter…
The switch doesn't have to have water in it to fail. Mice can also chew the wire. As a technician you learn to expect the unexpected. Our area had single digit weather last December, there were several no heat calls due to poor installs and decisions made by people that think they know it all..hmm
Posted on 8/10/23 at 8:42 pm to WPBTiger
quote:
Checked the water line, capacitor, and switch all were fine. Called A/C guy who said issue was leak in the coils in the condenser. Thankfully, it is under warranty.
Good to hear it is under warranty. Unfortunately, manufacturing issues are too common these days.
Posted on 8/10/23 at 10:26 pm to WPBTiger
Just to add to this. I've seen a short in the switch next to the furnace. Can be a frustrating thing to diagnose.
Posted on 8/11/23 at 6:43 am to Ricardo
So, how did a leak in the condenser coil cause the entire contactor to repeatedly go off a couple times, then work right.
I understand low pressure switch. But that would not go back normal. It would continously go off and on until someone went put more freon.
I don’t get it
I understand low pressure switch. But that would not go back normal. It would continously go off and on until someone went put more freon.
I don’t get it
Posted on 8/11/23 at 8:56 am to EF Hutton
quote:
I understand low pressure switch. But that would not go back normal. It would continously go off and on until someone went put more freon.
I don’t get it
I know when he put his gauges on the condenser the issue was the reading on the high pressure side, not the low pressure.
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