I noticed that our A/C was not working last night. The air would circulate in the house, but it was not cooled. I went outside and gave the compressor/condenser unit a kick with my foot, around where wires come in. TO my great surprise, that got the outside unit started!
My only explanation is that there is probably a solenoid switch inside, to turn the unit on, and the solenoid was stuck after the winter. What do you think?
I can't see it from here but it sounds like you had a set of contactor stuck. You need to put some ant & bug poison out to kill out the bugs and replace the contactors. You really need the unit serviced when you get the contactor changed out and wash the condenser coil too.
There is a retrokicker package that is available in the trade. Big foot on a servo with a timer on it, kicks the outdoor unit every half hour. Available in different colors, either the petite patent leather, or the combat boot for "hard starts".
More seriously, it sounds like a bad contactor. Call a HVAC tech, and describe it over the phone like you did here. Not expensive at all.
Just what is involved in replacing a contactor? Isn't it a DIYjob?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- @ @ @ Please forgive my typos as my right hand is injured. @ @ @ char*p="char*p=%c%s%c;main(){printf(p,34,p,34);}";main(){printf(p,34,p,34);} "It's never too late to have a happy childhood."
Of course I read the above previously........remember, Im not the one posting as "ignoramus"........
Still the question remains--why replace anything when you still dont even know for sure what caused the problem.......I gots my doubts as to whether you could even identify the contactor, let alone sucessfully replace it.
All suggestions so far seem to be to call for service--and I have to agree.........
Just curious, just how did you aquire that nickname ???
I agree that replacing something that is not necessarily broken is a bad idea. But, I asked how difficult it would be to do IN CASE of it is broken.
The last time my A/C broke, I identified the problem with it better than the first contractor who came in. I was right and he was wrong, and without me poking around prior to his visit, he would run up an expensive bill trying to replace this and that and "see if it would work". Due to my poking around, I realized that this guy should not be hired, and hired someone else.
This is highly typical of my experience dealing with various repairpeople. It is much better to be informed and prepared, and think logically through problems, than to rely on their expertise and honesty blindly. No doubt most repairpeople are honest men, though, I would never think otherwise. Hence my questions.
I would be rather surprised if somehow, I would not be able to replace an electrical part called a "contactor". I have no idea how it looks, but I fixed enough things that I did not even know how they worked. I am not claiming any sort of omniscience, but a lot of repair tasks are not rocket science.
The key is identifying when I am way out of my ability to understand stuff.
It is a long story involving some netkook and a variation of my real name.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- @ @ @ Please forgive my typos as my right hand is injured. @ @ @ char*p="char*p=%c%s%c;main(){printf(p,34,p,34);}";main(){printf(p,34,p,34);} "It's never too late to have a happy childhood."
Real easy, once you've done it a few dozen times........
Well goody for you !!!
You already have someone in mind to hire this time around then huh ???
Go to the library and check out a book maybe ???
Dayum, maybe there REALLY IS a God !!!
The key is to realize you hadnt a clue as to what you were looking for--so you decided to kick the bloody thing instead.......what was to be next, a fricking baseball bat ???
*I* certainly wouldnt have a whole lotta confidence in some repairman that began kicking on something where I had hired him to diagnose and repair it.
Probly just a bug stuck in there--if it dont work suggest call for service, else if its working now and yer too cheap to hire somebody, just ignore it and hope it goes away--same as Im gonna do with you....bigger fishes elsewhere.......
not difficult at all.....pick up the phone and call your local *competent*, licensed, insured, professionally trained, HVAC technician to correctly diagnose, repair, and service your heating and cooling system.
Could it be that you called around for the cheapest price first??? Could it be that you got what you paid for??
maybe you are asking the wrong questions.... maybe you should be asking "How do I find the very best technician to service and repair my system??"
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