Central air not as cold as last year...

[brigden]

OK, I know jack about these things... Our central air doesn't seem to get as cold as it did last summer, when we last had it on. I remember having it so cold that it was necessary to sleep with a down comforter, even on the upper floor.

What could cause the system to not cool as much?

 

[MustISO]

Leak? Low freon/coolant. Broken/bad compressor.

One of our compressors broke after 2 years but it was still under warranty so the fix was free.

Do you replace your filters regularly? (not yearly)

 

[FoBoT]

need to do "annual maintenance" , which is cleaning and checking the charge level of the coolant and stuff

 

[wondersteve]

Call you local AC guy and have run a check on it. Usually pretty cheap.

Also check you air filter, if you have one, it might be soo dirty the ac compressor can't get enough air.

 

[brigden]

Thanks for all the useful replies. I'm going to have someone come and look at it.

 

[PingSpike]

Probably has a dead badger stuck in the vent.

 

[PanzerIV]

Brigden, I learned a lot about their maintenance last weekend since I had to pay a $300.00 part and Saturday service call. Make sure the "screen" around the outdoor unit is clear of debris meaning plants or whatever. Also, the guy cleaned mine out with a hose and some type of acid because the previous owners had never done any upkeep to it. Schedule a yearly maintenance appointment so they can head off possible future problems and check your coolant levels. One of the simplest steps is to change out your air filter once monthly.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: PanzerIV
Brigden, I learned a lot about their maintenance last weekend since I had to pay a $300.00 part and Saturday service call. Make sure the "screen" around the outdoor unit is clear of debris meaning plants or whatever. Also, the guy cleaned mine out with a hose and some type of acid because the previous owners had never done any upkeep to it. Schedule a yearly maintenance appointment so they can head off possible future problems and check your coolant levels. One of the simplest steps is to change out your air filter once monthly.

I was just going to say this happened to my dad's. It was caused by the air intake outside being clogged with those "helicopter" leave dealies. Cleared those off, put in a new filter, good as new.

 

[Ronstang]

One of my best friends is an AC contractor and I have been doing my own AC work for so long that I can make an educated guess here. The system probably just needs to be topped off with refrigerant. I know it is a closed system but most home units need to have a little added every once in a while and I check mine each year and add as necessary. I top mine off every year because I have access to the refrigerant and I have the gauges. If you can borrow some gauges and get the refrigerant (R-22...I assume you use the same stuff in Canada) then just check the low side pressure and if it isn't about 70 PSI on a hot (90F) day then you need to add some. You might also look at the coil (evaporator...the part inside the house usually in the attic) as they can get clogged with dust and mold beleive it or not. Our system had gotten to the point I thought it was just going to have to be replaced until I cleaned the coils of both units and added refrigerant to each system....our bill dropped about %25.

 

[waggy]

you should have your AC checked out before summer. Around here it cost $79 to have it done.

Also keep weeds away from it.


We just had oures checked out becasue the rooms on the 2nd floor dont get cold. Come to find out when the old owners baught the AC unit they had the smallest one they can put in. Also in the far room it only has one register when it should have 2. Grr i don't have the money to buy a better unit or get that fixed.

 

[nakedfrog]

Crazy. The ratio of helpful responses in this thread is exceedingly high.

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

this thread is too sensible...











everyone should have at least one abortion so they can truely understand what it means.

 

[brigden]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Crazy. The ratio of helpful responses in this thread is exceedingly high.

I know! And I'm not even well-liked!

 

[Ausm]

Set the thermostat lower


Ausm

 

[KingPhil]

I'll have to check mine now........ never knew there was a filter inside it. I just moved in , in December...... I doubt the previous owners did much to service it. I'll be looking into that now....

WHat does a filter cost........ how do I know which one to buy?

 

[PanzerIV]

Originally posted by: KingPhil
I'll have to check mine now........ never knew there was a filter inside it. I just moved in , in December...... I doubt the previous owners did much to service it. I'll be looking into that now....

WHat does a filter cost........ how do I know which one to buy?

The filter is found at the intake vent inside your house. They can very from your run of the mill type in the $4.00 range to expensive allergen, etc. filtering ones like from 3M that are upwards of $25.00.

 

[dman]

Originally posted by: KingPhil
how do I know which one to buy?

Measure it, then find that same size at Home Depot/Lowes. Buy at least a 'pleated' one, the cheap-o ones let a lot of stuff get through that makes the coils get dirty faster. The allergenic $25 one, well, that's your call, but considering they only last 3mo's tops, I get the mid-grade $5 pleated ones.

 

[aircooled]

Don't forget to have your HVAC unit serviced regularly. Find a reputable place that will basically disassemble your unit, clean it internally, re-lube all the fans and test the electronics, etc.... cost about 100+ bucks but well worth it (unless you are a "wrench turner") and do it your self. They recommend having it done annually, but I do it about every 3-5 years.

Sounds like you just need a coolant recharge this time around though.