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Is My Central Air Working Right?

by Steven Wagenheim
23 replies
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Okay, it's 101 out. I have the central air set for 67 but it's 75 in here.

I realize 101 is ridiculously hot so is my central air working the best that it
can under these conditions or should I have somebody come out to check it?

Thanks.
  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    It's hard to tell...Your AC is cooling your home 26 degrees, so it's working to some degree.

    You may want to call your local power company and see if they'll give you a free energy audit.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    And while I'm thinking about it...When was the last time you checked the air filter? This should be the first thing you check.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
      Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

      And while I'm thinking about it...When was the last time you checked the air filter? This should be the first thing you check.
      Kurt, the unit isn't even a year old yet. We just had it installed last July so
      I doubt the air filter is a problem yet, but who knows? Problem is, I've
      contacted the guy who sold and installed the unit a while ago to come
      and check it before summer hit but he never got back to me. I have a
      feeling he is out of business...and with it the warranty I have on the unit.
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      • Profile picture of the author Bill Farnham
        Steven, send me the MapQuest directions and I'll come over and look at it right now.

        I've got a few free minutes before dinner, so this should be a piece of cake...

        ~Bill
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        • Profile picture of the author Ken Strong
          Originally Posted by Bill Farnham View Post

          Steven, send me the MapQuest directions and I'll come over and look at it right now.

          I've got a few free minutes before dinner, so this should be a piece of cake...

          ~Bill
          Why do you have to go look at it? Can't you tell how cool it is by reading the thread? Geez...
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          • Profile picture of the author Bill Farnham
            Originally Posted by KenStrong View Post

            Why do you have to go look at it? Can't you tell how cool it is by reading the thread? Geez...
            Yea Ken, I can. I just like looking at those things...
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          • Profile picture of the author whateverpedia
            Originally Posted by KenStrong View Post

            Why do you have to go look at it? Can't you tell how cool it is by reading the thread? Geez...
            How is he going to charge a call-out fee by doing that?
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      • Profile picture of the author garyv
        Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

        Kurt, the unit isn't even a year old yet. We just had it installed last July so
        I doubt the air filter is a problem yet, but who knows? Problem is, I've
        contacted the guy who sold and installed the unit a while ago to come
        and check it before summer hit but he never got back to me. I have a
        feeling he is out of business...and with it the warranty I have on the unit.
        Actually most will suggest that you change the filter about every 3 months. Do you use the same blower unit for your heat? If so the filter could be quite dirty by now. Also make sure that the outside condenser unit is clean of any debris. We have a cotton wood tree that totally covers our condenser unit w/ cotton during the summer. I have to vacuum it off every month or so.
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      • Profile picture of the author seasoned
        Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

        Kurt, the unit isn't even a year old yet. We just had it installed last July so
        I doubt the air filter is a problem yet, but who knows? Problem is, I've
        contacted the guy who sold and installed the unit a while ago to come
        and check it before summer hit but he never got back to me. I have a
        feeling he is out of business...and with it the warranty I have on the unit.
        Check on the unit, the insurer, etc...

        SOMETIMES a unit will be NAME BRAND, etc... and through some contract legerdemain, the warranty is WORTHLESS! That actually happened with an HP product I got at my last job! SOMETIMES a unit seems to be from someplace you have NEVER heard, but has to full faith and credit of a MAJOR manufacturer you MAY well know.

        In any event, many parts are apparently rather generic so even if the manufacturer goes out of business, etc... you may still have luck.

        Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Steven,

    Because of the way the A/C unit works, there is a limit to how fast, and to what degree, your A/C unit can cool the air. ALSO, there is the idea of airflow, and insulation. The slower the air moves, or the more heat let into your home from the outside, the more inefficient it will be.

    A/C units work in a manner that is OPPOSITE to what you might expect.

    HEATERS heat the air, send it in the inlet, and take the exhausted air and run it through again.

    Air conditioners work by taking the EXHAUSTED air(because it is hotter), and run it over coils that have gas running through at high pressure. It heats the gas which is then sent to a coil outside the home where a fan is used to cool the coil down, and the air goes through the inlet. The gas is then sent back to the internal heat exchanger to do the whole thing all over again.

    You could TRY to get an energy audit, but I doubt they will find anything. I mean what could they find? If you don't have enough power, the A/C won't start, or things like your desktop computer will succumb to spikes, etc....

    The external unit should be in a relatively cool area. The cooler the better. If it is VERY hot, don't expect it to work well. Try covering windows, ESPECIALLY near the inlets. Make sure any filters are clean, you want the air to move WELL!

    BTW if you set the thermostat to 67, and it is 75, your A/C should continue FULL BORE! If it stops, your thermostat may be faulty, or in a bad area. The best area is as far away from all inlets as possible. In my home, it is practically in the center with the inlets predominently along the exterior walls.

    Keep in mind not all units are the same. Maybe you need a larger unit. MAYBE the heat exchanger isn't proper. If you call a GOOD A/C guy, THEY should be able to help you there.

    Steve
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    • Profile picture of the author Bill Farnham
      Kurt's right about checking the air filter, but I'd bet your AC is working just fine.

      You can only get a certain amount of heat removed by your AC, and the faster the heat comes in your house the higher the lowest temp you can achieve becomes.

      You can always add a window unit if you can find one. That's what Kay did, and that's what I've done, and boy do they make a difference. I'm not even using my central AC anymore, including today.

      ~Bill
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      • Profile picture of the author Ken Strong
        I believe tomorrow's going to be the first day the temp has gone over 80 this year.

        While watching fireworks the other evening, I had a sweater and a rain jacket on.

        I've spent time during the summer in places like NYC, Chicago, Washington D.C. and St. Louis, and I'll take the cool and damp here, thank you. It's not for everybody, but I like it. Very few houses here even have AC.

        Great subject line, though -- posting on an Internet forum to ask if your house is cool enough? Sorry, it just struck me funny when I saw it.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
      Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

      Steven,

      Because of the way the A/C unit works, there is a limit to how fast, and to what degree, your A/C unit can cool the air. ALSO, there is the idea of airflow, and insulation. The slower the air moves, or the more heat let into your home from the outside, the more inefficient it will be.

      A/C units work in a manner that is OPPOSITE to what you might expect.

      HEATERS heat the air, send it in the inlet, and take the exhausted air and run it through again.

      Air conditioners work by taking the EXHAUSTED air(because it is hotter), and run it over coils that have gas running through at high pressure. It heats the gas which is then sent to a coil outside the home where a fan is used to cool the coil down, and the air goes through the inlet. The gas is then sent back to the internal heat exchanger to do the whole thing all over again.

      You could TRY to get an energy audit, but I doubt they will find anything. I mean what could they find? If you don't have enough power, the A/C won't start, or things like your desktop computer will succumb to spikes, etc....

      The external unit should be in a relatively cool area. The cooler the better. If it is VERY hot, don't expect it to work well. Try covering windows, ESPECIALLY near the inlets. Make sure any filters are clean, you want the air to move WELL!

      BTW if you set the thermostat to 67, and it is 75, your A/C should continue FULL BORE! If it stops, your thermostat may be faulty, or in a bad area. The best area is as far away from all inlets as possible. In my home, it is practically in the center with the inlets predominently along the exterior walls.

      Keep in mind not all units are the same. Maybe you need a larger unit. MAYBE the heat exchanger isn't proper. If you call a GOOD A/C guy, THEY should be able to help you there.

      Steve

      Steve, the unit is running constantly, and when I put my hand by the
      vents, the air is coming in strong and very cold.

      I guess the unit we have can only handle so much. We've never had it
      this hot since we've lived here and that's over 20 years.

      Oh well, 75 isn't the end of the world...as long as it doesn't get any hotter.

      (PS - It's now up to 76 LOL)
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    • Profile picture of the author Kurt
      Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

      Steven,

      Because of the way the A/C unit works, there is a limit to how fast, and to what degree, your A/C unit can cool the air. ALSO, there is the idea of airflow, and insulation. The slower the air moves, or the more heat let into your home from the outside, the more inefficient it will be.

      A/C units work in a manner that is OPPOSITE to what you might expect.

      HEATERS heat the air, send it in the inlet, and take the exhausted air and run it through again.

      Air conditioners work by taking the EXHAUSTED air(because it is hotter), and run it over coils that have gas running through at high pressure. It heats the gas which is then sent to a coil outside the home where a fan is used to cool the coil down, and the air goes through the inlet. The gas is then sent back to the internal heat exchanger to do the whole thing all over again.

      You could TRY to get an energy audit, but I doubt they will find anything. I mean what could they find? If you don't have enough power, the A/C won't start, or things like your desktop computer will succumb to spikes, etc....

      The external unit should be in a relatively cool area. The cooler the better. If it is VERY hot, don't expect it to work well. Try covering windows, ESPECIALLY near the inlets. Make sure any filters are clean, you want the air to move WELL!

      BTW if you set the thermostat to 67, and it is 75, your A/C should continue FULL BORE! If it stops, your thermostat may be faulty, or in a bad area. The best area is as far away from all inlets as possible. In my home, it is practically in the center with the inlets predominently along the exterior walls.

      Keep in mind not all units are the same. Maybe you need a larger unit. MAYBE the heat exchanger isn't proper. If you call a GOOD A/C guy, THEY should be able to help you there.

      Steve
      Actually, the main "invention" in an AC unit is the king valve, which expands the cooled gas which lowers the pressure and the lower the pressure the lower the temperature (thermodynamics 101).

      Basically, the compressor puts the gas under high pressure which increases the temperature of the gas, cools the gas under high pressue which is now much warmer than room temperature, then the king valve releases the gas which lowers the pressure and therefore the temperature.

      A king valve works in pretty much the same way aerosol deodorant is always cold...As you lower pressure you also lower temperature.

      And a home energy audit will check for insulation, leaks, thermostate and possibly if the AC needs to have the coolant recharged. IF a home isn't well insulated, an AC can run non-stop and never cool the house.
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      • Profile picture of the author seasoned
        Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

        Actually, the main "invention" in an AC unit is the king valve, which expands the cooled gas which lowers the pressure and the lower the pressure the lower the temperature (thermodynamics 101).

        Basically, the compressor puts the gas under high pressure which increases the temperature of the gas, cools the gas under high pressue which is now much warmer than room temperature, then the king valve releases the gas which lowers the pressure and therefore the temperature.

        A king valve works in pretty much the same way aerosol deodorant is always cold...As you lower pressure you also lower temperature.

        And a home energy audit will check for insulation, leaks, thermostate and possibly if the AC needs to have the coolant recharged. IF a home isn't well insulated, an AC can run non-stop and never cool the house.

        OK, so I left off the compressor, etc... When you said a power audit, I figured you meant power. And YEAH, if there isn't enough coolant, you may need that recharged. If so, I HOPE it isn't freon! They outlawed that a while back. My last car was built in 1992, and I never got the airconditioner fixed because it was freon and too expensive to convert.

        Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author dsimms
    You can expect a 25-30 degree temp difference...so your unit is working. If you need to get even cooler then you may want to look into portable air units...now if was 100 degrees outside, and your inside temp was 95 then you would surely have a problem...but with that much temp difference, I think your unit is working as much as it can in the heat....
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      I use a powerful fan that is an "air mover" (it doesn't blow strongly when you stand in front of it) that I place in the hallway. That thing moves the air through this one level house and seems to increase the comfort of the air conditioned air. I also have ceiling fans running in every room as I can't stand air that isn't circulating. When the air keeps moving it feels cooler to me so A/C doesn't need to be set as low.

      kay
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    • Profile picture of the author Barry Patterson
      Where is the unit sitting outside? If it is in the sun it will be less efficient that in the shade. Put a thermometer at the air ducts in the house. The temperature at that point better be lower than what you have set the thermo at on the wall. Set a sprinkler on the out door unit and if that brings the temperature down in the house you will know that the unit is working to it's capacity in the environment it is placed. Is there ice on the coils that you can see. If so, turn it off for a few hours so that can melt.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kelly Verge
    We change our filters every 30 days during the Summer. If you haven't checked it in a year, it's almost certainly the culprit.

    The filter should be just behind the intake vent (wherever it's at). It you can see a layer of dust on it, change the filter. Yours likely has a thick layer.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
      Originally Posted by Kelly Verge View Post

      We change our filters every 30 days during the Summer. If you haven't checked it in a year, it's almost certainly the culprit.

      The filter should be just behind the intake vent (wherever it's at). It you can see a layer of dust on it, change the filter. Yours likely has a thick layer.
      My wife said she changed it 2 months ago.
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      • Profile picture of the author TLTheLiberator
        Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

        My wife said she changed it 2 months ago.

        Make sure you use a high quality filter.


        Those 99 cent cardboard type filters with the spun fibers are worthless.


        TL
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        • Profile picture of the author seasoned
          Originally Posted by TLTheLiberator View Post

          Make sure you use a high quality filter.


          Those 99 cent cardboard type filters with the spun fibers are worthless.


          TL
          I don't know how much they cost, because my home actually came with SEVERAL, and I'm not done using them, but I think your description fits MOST such filters! What kind do YOU use?
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          • Profile picture of the author TLTheLiberator
            Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

            I don't know how much they cost, because my home actually came with SEVERAL, and I'm not done using them, but I think your description fits MOST such filters! What kind do YOU use?
            I use a brand named "Naturalaire" and they supposedly last for 90 days each.

            I change it every 2 months instead - just to be on the safe side.

            I believe they cost about 12-$15 for a 3pack at Home Depot.

            I've been told by AC repairmen that the cheap ones are worthless and sooner or later they will help mess up the coil on the unit.

            Lots of people think the filter is for in home air quality but it is also really to protect the unit.


            TL
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