air conditioning not cooling
#1
air conditioning not cooling
Our a/c fan is working properly, strong air flow out of vents, but is not cooling the house down properly. What can I trouble shoot myself? Thank you
#2
Not a whole lot you can troubleshoot unfortunately. If the compressor is running and the condensor and evaporator coils are clean possible you have a low charge which could be from a leak. You can do a quick check by measuring the temperature output of the system. You'll need a thermometer that you can stick into one of the outlet vents; an indoor/outdoor one with a remote sensor works pretty well. Stick the remote up into the vent grill and run the ac for 15 minutes or so. Read the temp and compare to the ambient room temp (away from any vents so you get a good average reading; the thermostat is a good reading to use). As I recall from the pro's here, a good system should be cooling somewhere around 15 degrees below ambient room temp.
If not, have it checked by an ac service technician.
If not, have it checked by an ac service technician.
#3
The advice from the tow guy was correct however you can fine-tune it some, since one or two degrees can be significant. After 10 to 15 minutes running time, you want to get the return inlet air temperature right at the air handler since you don't want to pick up any outside air. Then do the same in the supply duct 2 to 4 feet downstream of the air handler, rather than at an supply vent. The TD rule of thumb is 17 to 21oF and that puts you in the middle of the ball park. More or less TD and troubles could be starting. If more or less, call an HVAC tech. Be sure and have a clean filter before taking any temperatures this way!