The through the wall AC unit isn't working properly.


  #1  
Old 06-30-14, 01:29 PM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 6
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
The through the wall AC unit isn't working properly.

I recently had maintenance replace the old unit which wasn't blowing any cold air. The unit they got to replace it is a Comfort Aire model BG 143k with a 13600/14000 btu. We live in an 800 sqft apartment and according to the product's website, this is meant for 750 sqft. It was a brand new unit, right out of the box when it was installed in our living room, where the AC wall sleeve was. When I turn it on, I can feel the cold air coming from it if I stand right infront of the vents. However the cold air cannot be felt anywhere except a few feet from the unit, directly infront of the vent. The unit itself is mounted a foot below the ceiling, and from what I've seen, it doesn't have any air dampers to stop it from pulling in outside air.

The issue I'm having is that when the unit is on, the air inside the apartment feels very thick and muggy, and if you are on a stool infront of the unit, you feel cold air, but the rest of the apartment will typically feel hotter than it does outside. And the outside air is a lot easier to breath even when it's 90+ outside with a lot of humidity. I've tried every setting it has to offer, and lately I've kept it on auto for the mode and Auto for the man speed.

One thing I've noticed is that the fan is always blowing and the condenser will run for five minutes at most. I'm not looking for this thing to cool the entire apartment, I just want it to cool the living room off. I know it isn't right when I have the ac set to 74, have it running for an hour and a half, step outside in 90 degree weather and feel cooler outside that I do in the apartment. I've had fans set up in the apartment to promote air flow and I still haven't noticed a difference, did I just get a bad AC unit or am I doing something wrong?
 
  #2  
Old 06-30-14, 01:36 PM
S
Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Long Island
Posts: 695
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
fist off if the inside fan is running the outside is running ....it is 1 motor with 2 shafts and 2 fan blades as built.did you slide it into the old sleeve or use the new sleeve
 
  #3  
Old 06-30-14, 01:42 PM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 6
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
It was put into the old sleeve, I had cleaned it out before the new AC was put it. The unit has only one fan blade in it as well
 
  #4  
Old 06-30-14, 02:54 PM
T
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 955
Received 31 Upvotes on 25 Posts
That's a fairly nice size unit and should at lease cool off the room it's in.
What was the BTU rating of the old unit and was it able to cool off your apartment better?
 
  #5  
Old 06-30-14, 03:02 PM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 6
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I don't know anything about the old unit, all I do know about it was that it wouldn't blow cold air no matter what, so maintenance went ahead and replaced it.
 
  #6  
Old 06-30-14, 05:28 PM
PJmax's Avatar
Group Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Jersey
Posts: 64,939
Received 3,951 Upvotes on 3,544 Posts
it doesn't have any air dampers to stop it from pulling in outside air.
Is the new A/C unit a lot smaller than the sleeve ?

You need to be very careful when exchanging units in a thru the wall sleeve. The intake and exhaust air areas that cool the condensor/compressor area need to match. In other words the sleeve needs to have cutouts in the right places.
 
  #7  
Old 07-06-14, 11:30 AM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 6
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I bought a humidity and temperature reader just to see if it was working. And within ten minutes of the AC being on, the humidity, which was around 51 with all the windows open, jumped up to 65, it peaked at 70 but it is staying at 65. I have it set for auto on the mode and auto on the fan, the temperature is set for 72, but the actual temp is 84 while it's 89 outside.

The elderly lady that lives next to us has the same AC unit with the same sleeve, and her place feels a lot cooler and it is a lot easier to breath in there. Is it possible that we just got a defective unit even though it was new and right out of the box? I have also noticed that when the compressor kicks in, the humidity will drop down to 62. Do I just need to get a new unit now that I know the humidity jumps drastically when the ac is on?
 
  #8  
Old 07-06-14, 11:44 AM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 6
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
As far as I can tell it isn't a lot smaller. It was replaced with the same brand and model. that the sleeve was made for.
 
  #9  
Old 07-06-14, 02:42 PM
S
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 6
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
One thing I have noticed, is that the fan is constantly running, it doesn't seem to ever stop, even when the compressor is stopped. I read somewhere that this could add humidity to the room, I'm thinking of buying a window unit sized for the room, and sticking it in the sleeve that the through the wall unit is, would that work?
 
  #10  
Old 07-06-14, 03:02 PM
Gunguy45's Avatar
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 19,281
Received 6 Upvotes on 6 Posts
The same motor normally drives the air into the room as well as blowing air across the outside coils.
This isn't your exact unit, but in the same family...Parts for BG-101A | Comfort-aire | Air Conditioners

Also, if you look at the diagram, it mostly pulls air only from the room in the lower section of the grill where the filter is located. There may be some leakage of outside air, I dunno how well they are sealed.

Most new ones also sling condensate over the condensor coils to make them more efficient, like spraying water on the radiator of an overheated car.

The fact that it's running constantly indicates it's never hitting set temp and isn't functioning correctly. Call them back. Yes, units can be bad even when new. It could be something as stupid as a fan installed incorrectly.

Did they leave you the owners manual? If not it's available online. Comfort-Aire : THE SOURCE for Residential and Commercial Heating and Cooling Equipment.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: