Hvac help??????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DollaBill]

Any hvac guys around? My mom's ac system is broken and I can't get a tech until friday. I've got pretty far with a diagnosis but hit a wall. Any help would be appreciated guys. Trying to make mom comfortable....... Thanks

[Perlmudder]

I know pullmytrigger deals with that stuff, but hes all the way up here.

[Warlock28SXT]

You could call these guy's:26::26:

[Magic Medicine]

You could call these guy's:26::26:

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Wrinkleface]

you could call these guy's:26::26:

:26:

[Ratickle]

You could call these guy's:26::26:

I like it.

[MattBMiller]

Sunsation96 on the board is in the HVAC business.

[Sunsation96]

Any hvac guys around? My mom's ac system is broken and I can't get a tech until friday. I've got pretty far with a diagnosis but hit a wall. Any help would be appreciated guys. Trying to make mom comfortable....... Thanks

How may I help you? what is the issue? and how much do you charge? oh crap how much money do you have:rofl: I would be glad to help you please describe the issue and I will try and help.

[Sunsation96]

Never mind I stopped by your Moms and fixed it @ lunch don't worry and no need to say thanks:rofl:

[Chris]

I've bailed 3 people out this last week. All three had clogged condensor coils. One with vines, one with leaves and one with tons of sunflower seed hulls from their birdfeeder right above it. All three popped breakers from overloading. A quick cleanout and a push of the little red button...

[Ratickle]

I've bailed 3 people out this last week. All three had clogged condensor coils. One with vines, one with leaves and one with tons of sunflower seed hulls from their birdfeeder right above it. All three popped breakers from overloading. A quick cleanout and a push of the little red button...

Always the simple stuff first it seems.

[Warlock28SXT]

Always the simple stuff first it seems.

Always K.I.S.S Keep It Simple Stupid. Most cases It's always seems to easy.

[DollaBill]

Thanks guys. Just got back from a meeting.

Ok, here is what I've narrowed it down to...

outside unit is good. followed wiring inside to basement to air handler. realized wall thermostat upstairs is powered by air handler. Checked everything. Found 3amp fuse blown on control board. replaced fuse. Unit fired up then blew the fuse after about 5 seconds. Obviously something is fukd. ????????? any ideas?

[Chris]

Just a guess- there's only so many possibilities. Either you have a short in the wiring, a problem with the thermostat or a problem with the control board.

I've had a series of ground issues in the rentals after changing over to electronically-controlled furnaces. I had one that was going through flame sensors like popcorn until I discovered the whole building's electrical system had a ground issue.

[pullmytrigger]

Thanks guys. Just got back from a meeting.

Ok, here is what I've narrowed it down to...

outside unit is good. followed wiring inside to basement to air handler. realized wall thermostat upstairs is powered by air handler. Checked everything. Found 3amp fuse blown on control board. replaced fuse. Unit fired up then blew the fuse after about 5 seconds. Obviously something is fukd. ????????? any ideas?

dont know what unit you have or if its a heat pump or not but.......

First, get a bunch of fuses.......do not use tinfoil!!!......look for t-stat wires touching each other or some metal in the control board area in the air handler or in the t stat itself.......in the early days of control boards if you accidentilly grounded out the 24v t stat wires while checking components with the unit in operation you would blow the board!!.....then they started putting fuses in them.

"blows after 5 seconds"......this is the troubling part....in a typical wire short to ground the fuse blows right away as soon as power is applied......what could be happening is the compressor contactor coil is effed/shorted......you got two t stat wires coming from the house into the outdoor unit that leads to a compressor contactor.......turn the power off and pull the two t stat wires off the contactor and fire it up.....if the fuse doesnt blow replace the contactor.......you def have a short in the 24v control circuit

also, outside chance the stat itslf has an issue....turn the power off, pull the front off the stat and touch "Y" and "R" together then turn the power back on, if it fires and doesnt blow the fuse change the stat (with the power off)

also look for a capacitor in the outdoor section that has oil leaking out or looks mangled where the wires connect......you can call me if you want 905 668 6677

[pullmytrigger]

I had one that was going through flame sensors like popcorn until I discovered the whole building's electrical system had a ground issue.

I see that a lot in old pre 1960 houses.....I'll run a dedicated ground wire from the furnace to the city water pipe upstream of the water meter, I don't bother going to the panel cause lots of times they arnt grounded worth a chit either......that issue stumps a lot of techs......a modern furnace has no tolerance for a bad ground

[Chris]

I found that my electrician was doing the washdown method when driving a new ground rod. He's flood the hole with water while driving it down. Then when it got dry, the soil would shrink and pull back. Lousy ground. I'm glad it was flame sensors instead of dead tenants.

[DollaBill]

thanks guys. Letme check it out this morning.

The system is only 2 years old. The compressor fires up and seems to run fine but does "freeze up" and shut down after about 10 min. I'm guessing becuase the air handler isn't working properly.

[pullmytrigger]

The compressor fires up and seems to run fine but does "freeze up" and shut down after about 10 min. I'm guessing becuase the air handler isn't working properly.

didnt know that....yep, check air handler/filter.....check capacitor on the handler blower motor.

[Chris]

My brother-in-law installed a woodburner in his basement to offset the price of fuel oil. The one he bought could handle coal so that's what he used. Last spring, he had no air. The system would run, but no cooling. I finally took the whole thing apart and the evaporator was coated in thick coal soot. I don't know how it got past the filters, but it did.

If the evap is freezing up, that's a sign of low freon.

[Sunsation96]

thanks guys. Letme check it out this morning.

The system is only 2 years old. The compressor fires up and seems to run fine but does "freeze up" and shut down after about 10 min. I'm guessing becuase the air handler isn't working properly.

You will not blow the Low Voltage fuse because of a freeze up. The only way to blow those fuses is because of a short in a 24v component or the wire it self. As far as the freezing up could be due to a low refrigerant issue. Check the caps on the condensor (OUTSIDE UNIT) the caps that are used on todays A/C's are junk and will allow refrigerant to leak out over the winter, change to the brass caps if you are in need of some I will ship you some @ no charge. Let me know. Remember kids when installing remove the cores before brazing and leaks will be prevented.:seeya: