Help - My Air Conditioner Won't Keep Up

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  • Hoosierdood

    Grandmaster
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    8   0   0
    Nov 2, 2010
    5,360
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    North of you
    We just moved into a condo last month, and haven't had too many warm days till this weekend. Well, the air conditioner runs all day long and the temperature just goes up. The air blowing out of the registers is cold, but doesn't seem to be blowing very hard. Details below...

    - Townhouse condo with shared walls on both sides of the house.
    - Built in 2002, HVAC is original (I think)
    - Plenty of insulation in walls and attic
    - 1600 sq ft condo. 400 in basement, 800 on main floor, 400 in 3rd floor loft.
    - Big 10' X 10' window on west wall of house.
    - Air ducts were cleaned in April before I moved in.
    - New air filter
    - Condenser coils were very dirty when I moved in. Cleaned them off with water from a hose right away.
    - I tried to help the condenser out several times by spraying cold water on the coils. Didn't seem to help.
    - Thermostat set at 74 degrees. Inside temp was 75 at noon, then 80 at 6:00 pm.

    I think that covers everything I can think of. I will be replacing the furnace and A/C unit in the next couple years anyway since the furnace is 80% and I'm not sure the A/C is big enough. I think they just used whatever was cheap at the time that they built these condos.


    J0nTYwx.jpg



    PICTURE OF THE TAG ON THE COMPRESSOR

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    P1eHPhh.png
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
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    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
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    OK...…..

    1st it is at the tail end of its designed duty cycle.
    2nd....running dirty like that just kills the valves in the compressor.
    3rd....R-22 unit. Not good my friend. It might be down on charge just enough to loose capacity. Then again it could be just tired and hurt from the dirty condenser.
    4th...Living in that cubby hole is not conducive to a long life.
    Hard to say past that.
     

    Hoosierdood

    Grandmaster
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    Nov 2, 2010
    5,360
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    North of you
    OK...…..

    1st it is at the tail end of its designed duty cycle.
    2nd....running dirty like that just kills the valves in the compressor.
    3rd....R-22 unit. Not good my friend. It might be down on charge just enough to loose capacity. Then again it could be just tired and hurt from the dirty condenser.
    4th...Living in that cubby hole is not conducive to a long life.
    Hard to say past that.

    Ya, all things that I had considered. I knew this all going into purchasing the house, which is why I already planned to replace the HVAC in the next couple years. Looks like I may be replacing it sooner than I thought.

    Thanks for the confirmation though.
     

    gregkl

    Outlier
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    33   0   0
    Apr 8, 2012
    11,868
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    Bloomington
    Well, at least you can correct your problem. Mine won't keep up either and it's due to having these beautiful 13' wood vaulted ceilings with 2" of foam board between the wood and the shingles.

    I was surprised that today it only fell behind 2 degrees and only for a couple hours. Once we get into the really hot weather, it is toasty in my home.

    That said, I guess I could correct it if I threw enough money at it.:):
     

    KG1

    Forgotten Man
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    Jan 20, 2009
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    We have a Carrier from the late 80's that still gets the job done. Our local HVAC tech is amazed that it's still running as well as it is. Never had to replace anything other than a new thermostat since we had it installed shortly after we moved here.
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
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    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
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    Wow CM what about a GE unit from 1982 that still freezes us out?

    I assume it’s decades past It’s duty cycle?

    GE made a solid unit. That all went to hell when Trane bought the design and GE stopped.

    I was certified to work on the GE heat pumps of the day.....:p
     

    Sigblitz

    Grandmaster
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    9   0   0
    Aug 25, 2018
    14,583
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    Indianapolis
    Consider a dirty evaporator coil. You'll have to trap the freon in the compressor in order to take it out and clean it.
     

    Cameramonkey

    www.thechosen.tv
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    35   0   0
    May 12, 2013
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    Camby area
    We have a Carrier from the late 80's that still gets the job done. Our local HVAC tech is amazed that it's still running as well as it is. Never had to replace anything other than a new thermostat since we had it installed shortly after we moved here.

    And they sure dont make them like they used to. We just replaced 2 heat pumps from the early 80s at church. Both cooling and heating fine. One we replaced because it lost a relay and fan wouldnt shut off. OEM/equivalent was $500. And it was Freon, so about to hit the "you cant refill that anymore" mark due to EPA. So we replaced that one. Got a deal we couldnt refuse to replace the other equally old unit at the same time.

    Now its cool and our electric bill is a fraction of what it used to be.

    Consider a dirty evaporator coil. You'll have to trap the freon in the compressor in order to take it out and clean it.


    or I've had good luck with these products and careful cleaning.

    Inside:
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DM8KQ3I?tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

    Outside
    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Web-19-oz-Condenser-Coil-Cleaner-WCOIL19/301847065

    It cant hurt.
     

    Hoosierdood

    Grandmaster
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    8   0   0
    Nov 2, 2010
    5,360
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    North of you
    Consider a dirty evaporator coil. You'll have to trap the freon in the compressor in order to take it out and clean it.

    I had thought about this, but its going to be pretty difficult to get to. I'm going to get someone out to check the freon level, and in the mean time figure out how to get to the coil. Even if I can get a shop vac and a brush to it might make a difference.
     

    Cameramonkey

    www.thechosen.tv
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    I had thought about this, but its going to be pretty difficult to get to. I'm going to get someone out to check the freon level, and in the mean time figure out how to get to the coil. Even if I can get a shop vac and a brush to it might make a difference.

    Before Da Mouse replaced my unit, I had a pretty gunky coil. I was able to get it almost completely clean with the can of foam I referenced above, and then using a pump sprayer with clean, hot water to rinse it off. You dont HAVE to rinse, but I needed to in order to blast the chunks loose.
     

    24Carat

    Master
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    1   0   0
    Aug 20, 2010
    2,897
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    Newburgh
    Home Depot has a pretty amazing item called A/C-SAFE (AC-921) Foaming Cleaner that is water based. Spray it on the evap coil and let it sit. When the system runs, the condensation on the coil will rinse it clean of the emulsified product. Let's not forget about the pleasing citrus scent also.
     

    Hoosierdood

    Grandmaster
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    8   0   0
    Nov 2, 2010
    5,360
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    North of you
    Before Da Mouse replaced my unit, I had a pretty gunky coil. I was able to get it almost completely clean with the can of foam I referenced above, and then using a pump sprayer with clean, hot water to rinse it off. You dont HAVE to rinse, but I needed to in order to blast the chunks loose.

    I had suspected the coil was dirty due to the lack of forceful air blowing out of the registers. Will definitely give this a shot.
     

    Cameramonkey

    www.thechosen.tv
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    May 12, 2013
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    I had suspected the coil was dirty due to the lack of forceful air blowing out of the registers. Will definitely give this a shot.


    If you can, try to rinse from the top of the coil. That should help force the gunk back down from whence it came. Even better if you could take a compressor and blow air down through it before foaming it to knock the chunks loose. Maybe even after as well once the foam has loosened it.

    The label says no rinse required, but you will want to give it every last bit of help you can.
     

    Cameramonkey

    www.thechosen.tv
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    Also make sure the ductwork is sealed and hasnt sprung a leak. That could also explain lack of airflow if the air is blowing out a disconnected hose into the attic or something. (had that happen at church... techs ripped a duct wide open while pulling a new lineset and didnt notice. )
     

    KG1

    Forgotten Man
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    And they sure dont make them like they used to. We just replaced 2 heat pumps from the early 80s at church. Both cooling and heating fine. One we replaced because it lost a relay and fan wouldnt shut off. OEM/equivalent was $500. And it was Freon, so about to hit the "you cant refill that anymore" mark due to EPA. So we replaced that one. Got a deal we couldnt refuse to replace the other equally old unit at the same time.

    Now its cool and our electric bill is a fraction of what it used to be.




    or I've had good luck with these products and careful cleaning.

    Inside:
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DM8KQ3I?tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

    Outside
    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Web-19-oz-Condenser-Coil-Cleaner-WCOIL19/301847065

    It cant hurt.
    Yeah we have separate heat and central ac. We replaced the furnace about 6 years ago. I suppose we probably will be looking to replace the ac unit in the near future due to EPA regulations even though it is still getting the job done.

    You are correct that they don’t make anything like they used to. Just wondering what unit to go with when the time comes. Maybe CM might be willing to give his thoughts on the subject or others that might have had good or bad experiences with the current options.
     

    BiscuitsandGravy

    Future 'shootered'
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    Nov 8, 2016
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    At the Ranch.
    We cleaned our outdoor unit yesterday... Took the top off, sprayed Dawn dish soap solution all over the inside and outside. Took the power washer and carefully blew out all kinds of gunk. Runs very smooth and quiet now. All good!

    :ingo:
     

    Sigblitz

    Grandmaster
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    9   0   0
    Aug 25, 2018
    14,583
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    Indianapolis
    What does this 'coil' look like, is it in the box?

    'A' coil. Above the furnace on an upflow, or below it on a down flow. There's usually a little access panel with a couple of screws, behind the tape, where the freon line goes into the duct work.
     
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