It can be hazardous to push the contactor in manually. If the compressor is shorted there could be a large arc. Never use anything to hold the contactor manually engaged.
When working directly around the compressor.... wear safety glasses in the event of a refrigerant breach.
When servicing systems keep in mind that most thermostats have a five minute turn on delay to reduce short cycling when changing set temperature. Many condensers also have a three to five minute time delay board to reduce short cycling in the event of power failure.
Biggest complaint is the outside condenser is not operating. There is a logical way to test the system and arrive at the problem. Disconnect power - pull service pullout. Look at the diagram. The 24vAC enters the condenser in the wiring hatch where the main AC wiring enters. Check for 24v there. If it's there but not at the contactor.... one of the pressure switches is open. This problem occurs mainly when low on a charge. If you have 24v on the contactor and it doesn't close.... the coil is open.
If the compressor is running and the fan is not.... you may have a defective capacitor. Replacing the capacitor is a logical and cost effective first step. Make sure power is disconnected and short across the capacitor to insure it's discharged.
If the fan isn't running or is running slow.... the compressor will shut down on overload.... high heat. It could take upwards to an hour for the compressor to cool off and restart. A compressor should not be allowed to cycle on overload as it will shorten its life.
morning all, i just had a new furnace a/c installed and unfortunately went with a friend of the wifes family and i think i know as much as he does.. was a cluster since the beginning.it seems the system is cooling but i think its not getting rid of the humidity.. i had another guy come out and he said the system was overcharged.. it also had high head pressure. so he removed some refrigerant .. i also noticed the liquid line has never even felt warm to me. he said the line dryer could be clogged, but he doubted that, he recommended going to a 2.5 ton A coil which is a half ton larger than the system.. i feel like this new system should be sufficient for my small 1000 sq ft home, and dont want to buy anything else since the system is new.. the fan speed is on hi, and i was wondering if i could lower that to see if that helped with the cooling/dehumidifying? its such a mess, my old unit worked, but i figured it was 25 years old, so should upgrade. really regretting it so far! thanks
I have installed a number of AC systems both ducted and mini splits. My question, as long as the sizing of the mini split wall units are adequit does it matter if I purchase say an LG 30K outdoor inverter and purchase different brand wall units on a multi zone system?
06-21-22, 02:00 PM
Please read first for A/C repair
