I have just moved into a house with Central Air Conditioning. The main electrical breaker was shut off for the winter as recommended. How long after you switch it back on, should one wait till he decides to use it. There are certain theories from 20 minutes to 24 hrs, I know it is to energies the capacitor but I would like other opinions.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Jeff
20 seconds or less
Actually, you know incorrectly. Capacitors charge instantly. What is the concern is the crankcase heater, and refrigerant liquid diluting the compressor oil.
24 hours is a good figure.Since the last folks were moving out, they may have neglected the maint. Might want to call a HVAC company to come out and do the maint. Clean the coils, check the freon, etc.
Unless you have a couple pounds of refrigerant in the oil. And then you might be in for some expensive repairs.
This is Turtle.
Just about every brand condensers I have ever installed had on the paper work this. Wait 24 hours with power on before operating when you have had the 220 power off for more than 24 hours. So wait 24 hour and be sure.
TURTLE
Huh? I think someone had been smoking something before they made up those theories. What do you think flipping the main breaker energizes? Hint: nothing. Nothing happens to your A/C until the thermostat turns it on. So, by the time you flip the main switch and walk to the thermostat to turn it will be just fine. Maybe you are thinking about the length of time you should wait after moving a refrigerator/freezer before plugging it in.
Not so fast....
If a unit has a crankcase heater, it is energized all of the time. It is connected to the line side of the contactor. In other words, even when the unit is not running, the crankcase heater IS. (As long as there is power to the unit).....
Crankcase heater.....
Yeah I forgot about crankcase heaters because my AC doesn't have one. Where I am you don't turn the AC on unless it gets warm, so a crankcase heater is useless and is pretty much a wasted option. Even if you have a crankcase heater the overide switch turns it off when the temperature rises above a certain point. I suppose they are useful in places where you use the AC at lower temperatures as a dehumidifier.
This is Turtle
I would not call them a waisted option. I have seen people turn on the cooling mode in freezing weather outdoors and Blow the valve plates out of their piston compressor and cost them $700.00 to $1,000.00 by not having one. It keeps the compressor warm even when your not thinking about it. I would not turn one off because turning it back on could be a problem in cool or freezing weather, but not too much in hot weather. There is not too much of the problem when turning on the power on to operate it but during cold spells it keeps the compressor warm to be able to start in those cold times without busting the valve plates in the compressor. The real good of having one comes diuring the whole years when your using it. Then you have to concider Heat pumps and the compressor running in cold weather. That little cost of that crank case heater is worth it.
TURTLE
Didn't know it would be quite that violent. I understand the need for a crankcase heater for a heat pumps because they operated at much lower temperatures. But operation of a central AC shouldn't be needed until the ambient temperature rises above 70 F, and anyone that turns one on when the temp is less than 60 degrees (assuming it isn't needed for humidity reduction) should be shot for general wastefulness. Here, we don't turn on an AC until maximum daily temp gets above
80 degrees because low night time temperatures reduce the need for cooling.I don't know what the standard cutout temperature (temperature that turns off the crankcase heater) is, but I would imagine it would be lower than any temperature I would likely turn the AC on.
This is turtle.
You know about the cause and problem that can happen when cranking the compressors in freezing weather with not crank case heater running on it but there is 100 of thousands of operator of HVAC thermostats that have not a clue as to blowing the valve plates of a compressor by turning it on in freezing weather. The statement about the crank case heater is for the unknowing and not to the knowing.
TURTLE
I realize that Turtle, I just get cranked a bit about some of the extra features and go tilting at wind mills. Most consumers are so dumb that the manufacturer have no choice but to include all sorts of extras to keep the consumer from destroying the product. As one adds more and more of these features, however, the more complicated it becomes, the more break downs and failure that occur, and the greater the cost of the product.
This is Turtle.
Crank Case heater is a old time item to have because they were on the 1950's models of system then when I was a kid. They saved compressors then just like today. These Crank case heater are really a item to save compressor today but mostly in the North where you get minus number on the thermometer readings.
There is a lot of bull on systems today but the crank case heater is still a good one to have to save compressors.
TURTLE
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