AC fans running but not cooling
#1
08-08-08, 11:26 AM
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AC fans running but not cooling
I've checked around to see if I can do this myself but here's the whole story before I do anything.
About a week ago, the AC unit started to act strangely. There's one main vent from inside the house where it gets all of its air. Suddenly, I could walk by the intake vent and feel ice cold air coming from the intake vent. I turned everything off and took a look inside and the insides were frozen; even the dirt on it froze. I even felt the AC unit in the house was frozen from the metal covering. I let it thaw for a few hours, tried the air again (set it on cool) and it worked, but froze again. I did let it thaw out for a few days, went inside the indoor intake vent and brushed out all the excess dirt and used the fan instead of the cooling part and that worked. (The air coming out when the FAN was on was almost 50 degrees). Throughout the whole incident, the outside AC unit NEVER TURNED OFF. I had to shut it down with the breakers to avoid running up my electric bill.
Fast forward to about yesterday. The AC fans are working but its just blowing room temperature air. I thought it was the thermostat but its still responding on when to shut off the indoor fans when I set the temperatures (I set it to 50 and 90 degrees for a few minutes to see if it starts up and shuts down) I checked the outdoor AC unit and the large fan on top is blowing up room temperature air; its not cold, but its refreshing. There's no blockage around the vents and since I do cut off the power to it from time to time, the pipes have no frost or distinct temperature when you touch them.
I'm thinking I have a freon leak somewhere. Other people in the house think its the thermostat. Another thing I should mention; the AC unit is outside in the open where rainwater can get into the outdoor fan vent (on top of the unit). Is that an obvious danger?
Thanks guys.
About a week ago, the AC unit started to act strangely. There's one main vent from inside the house where it gets all of its air. Suddenly, I could walk by the intake vent and feel ice cold air coming from the intake vent. I turned everything off and took a look inside and the insides were frozen; even the dirt on it froze. I even felt the AC unit in the house was frozen from the metal covering. I let it thaw for a few hours, tried the air again (set it on cool) and it worked, but froze again. I did let it thaw out for a few days, went inside the indoor intake vent and brushed out all the excess dirt and used the fan instead of the cooling part and that worked. (The air coming out when the FAN was on was almost 50 degrees). Throughout the whole incident, the outside AC unit NEVER TURNED OFF. I had to shut it down with the breakers to avoid running up my electric bill.
Fast forward to about yesterday. The AC fans are working but its just blowing room temperature air. I thought it was the thermostat but its still responding on when to shut off the indoor fans when I set the temperatures (I set it to 50 and 90 degrees for a few minutes to see if it starts up and shuts down) I checked the outdoor AC unit and the large fan on top is blowing up room temperature air; its not cold, but its refreshing. There's no blockage around the vents and since I do cut off the power to it from time to time, the pipes have no frost or distinct temperature when you touch them.
I'm thinking I have a freon leak somewhere. Other people in the house think its the thermostat. Another thing I should mention; the AC unit is outside in the open where rainwater can get into the outdoor fan vent (on top of the unit). Is that an obvious danger?
Thanks guys.
#2
08-08-08, 06:38 PM
Are you saying that you think your stat is okay because it will shut off the indoor air, but the unit outside keeps running? If so. If. Then it sounds like the contactor in the outside unit is stuck closed.
