I googled my problem but didn't find anything useful ... maybe a beeb A/C guy or someone that has experienced this might give me a hint as to what's going on ... My house A/C occasionally stops working. Resetting both breakers (40A marked A/C, 60A marked Heater) resolves the issue. The breakers weren't "popped" prior to me resetting them (turn off, wait 30 sec or so, turn back on). The combined A/C and heater unit is in my attic. When it acts up no air is coming from the vents but the outside unit is running. The whole system was serviced and cleaned last year, I keep the filters changed and clean. I wouldn't think it was iced up if resetting the breakers makes it work again. Could it be something as simple as a breaker that needs replacement? Any help or advice is appreciated.
Check my thread on this last month. http://forums.13x.com/showthread.php?t=287646&highlight=AC Everybody said capacitor and sure enough that's what it was. While your at it, get a can of coil cleaner at HD for about $7. You will be amazed what your coils look like after a good cleaning. Spray it off with your hose on very low volume so you don't mess the tines up.
maybe the fan in the attic unit isn't working. when you reset it from the breaker, it'll only work for that short time until, as said before, it cuts off because of something (drain, circuit board, etc.).
sorry to thread jack, but I will my unit is located in a little closet on the, literally, outside of my living room. We have been running the central air for the past couple weeks, and then my wood floor starts to ripple and pull up right next to the exchange. Go into the closet and see that there is water all over the floor. It looks like from continuously running the unit, the condenser sewer drain might have backed up. (the info that has led me to this conclusion is from the google). Could this be a possibility? Where Is the drip pan located? is is behind the condenser line? Where are the coils located, so maybe I can clean them while i'm out there? The bottom of the furnace has the fan, and the condenser line is in the middle of the entire unit with the furnace in the middle. and the forced air vent system on top? does this sound about right? Please help all knowing beeb....
My mom's air handler blower would occasionally quit running, but the outside compressor & fan still ran. I couldn't make it over there to check it out, so after a few questions over the phone, I told her to call her A/C technician and have him replace the A/C circuit breaker in the main service panel. He came the next day, checked the unit over (and of course, it was working fine while he was there); before he left, she called to fill me in on he found. I asked him to replace the breaker, but he was convinced that wasn't the problem. After a little more persuasion, he removed the breaker . . . in charred pieces. After 45+ years and at least 3 A/C units, it had become intermittent.
This is going to sound silly, but check for chewed up wires in your compressor (assuming it's outdoors on the ground). This could be shorting the unit out as wind makes the bare wire touches the unit. I was blowing the little 5amp fuse on my unit's circuit board, when a Trane tech told me to check the outdoor wiring. Sure enough, there was a Vole's nest, and a few chewed up lead wires to the compressor. Little F'ers! Tech told me that rodents often make a winter's nest in compressors. Apparently, the wire coating are very tasty to them.
Could be your thermostat or possibly a fan control relay is sticking. It's probably not the capacitor if the fan starts working after resetting the breakers. Once the cap is gone, it's gone, but if you have the ability to test it you may as well. It may even be something as easy as a loose wire. Unless you know what your looking at it may be best to call a professional. Good luck.
I had the same type of issue a few weeks ago. The unit would start up, vents would blow normally(although not as cool as it should be), soon the vent volume would be zero. AC guy checked it out, said the freon was low and was causing the coil in the "blower box"(the technical name I'm sure) to essentially freeze up even though there was only a little icing at the outside units hi/low fittings. A recharge and coil rinsing has it working normally again...Hopefully something that cheap and simple for you too!
