UGGGHHH!!! AC issues again!

trinityoaks · Jul 31, 2012

I've just about made up my mind that our AC is out again, and that changing the filter didn't do anything to help. Too many things to do this week to have to sit around waiting for the repairman.

MamaSheepdog · Jul 31, 2012

Our AC went out once, and it was because ants had gotten into the control board or something, and gotten fried. You might check the connections.

trinityoaks · Jul 31, 2012

The control board is upstairs in the center of the house, so I don't think there's any way any critters could have gotten in there without our noticing. I also checked the condensation drain pan, and while there's water in it, it's only about half full. When the AC went out in May, it was because the condensation drain had gotten clogged (previous tenants had several large, hairy dogs).

The blower is blowing just fine--just not cold air. Temp is up to 86F in the house (thermostat at 75F).

We called the property manager's office and they're sending someone over, but they said they've gotten quite a few AC calls in the last couple of days, so I don't know how long this is going to take.

OneAcreFarm · Jul 31, 2012

trinityoaks":3sxlngk4 said:
The control board is upstairs in the center of the house, so I don't think there's any way any critters could have gotten in there without our noticing. I also checked the condensation drain pan, and while there's water in it, it's only about half full. When the AC went out in May, it was because the condensation drain had gotten clogged (previous tenants had several large, hairy dogs).

The blower is blowing just fine--just not cold air. Temp is up to 86F in the house (thermostat at 75F).

We called the property manager's office and they're sending someone over, but they said they've gotten quite a few AC calls in the last couple of days, so I don't know how long this is going to take.

Your system may need a recharge....

trinityoaks · Jul 31, 2012

OAF, I hope that's all it is. They checked the charge when it went out in May, so that *should* be good. The guy is supposed to be here between 2pm and 4pm. The one good thing about all this is that we're renting, so if the whole thing has to be replaced, we don't have to pay for it.

We're going to go vote (runoff election in Texas today) and try to find someplace cool for a while.

__________ Tue Jul 31, 2012 1:10 pm __________

UPDATE: AC is fixed, thank God!! It'll take a while for the house to cool down again (90F INSIDE), but it's better already. Turns out it WAS the condensation drain again. Apparently the P traps in the condensation drain pipes are poorly designed and clog very easily, but are difficult to unclog. Then the drain pan fills up and the safety switch shuts off the system.

The guy said that if he'd had the supplies with him, he would have redone the drain pipes. If it happens again, he WILL redo the drain pipes. He also gave us a procedure that, if we have to call him out again, will keep the AC running until he can get there.