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Ruud AC Unit Not Cooling

Hi folks!

No-nothing type here, trying not to get hoodwinked by the AC guys coming out tomorrow. Any help in understanding the issues at hand is much appreciated.

The unit is a RUUD Acheiver 10 "SCRO11 Inside" is what one of the labels says. We bought the house ten years ago, and the inspector said the unit was about 2 years old at that time. The house has 2200 square feet, well insulated, all finished.

Last year the thing stopped cooling. The fan blows fine, but it is just not very cool. We have NOT had the thing serviced yearly as the manufacturer suggests, but have been good about changing filters under the house.

We don't want to replace the system yet, if we can avoid it.

Do any of you have any experience that might help me know what to expect?

Thanks.

Reply to
cybercat
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aughghghgh! I meant "know-nothing."

Yes, I are leterate.

lol

Reply to
cybercat

The blower motor runs and the Unit is fitted with a Copeland Scroll compressor. That is not enough information to diagnose a fault.

Reply to
Telstra

Thanks. I was looking more for an array of possible problems/fixes. Questions like, if anyone had a similar unit of a similar age with similar problem, did coolant solve the problem, or did they have to replace it, that sort of thing.

Reply to
cybercat

Our RUUD blows one of the fuses on the outside disconnect almost every year upon initial startup. Make sure they don't charge you an arm and a leg and just replace a fuse.

s

Reply to
S. Barker

I don't have experience yet, but I will on Thursday.

We had a guy come in a couple of weeks ago to clean the system. Well, he couldn't clean our closet AC unit (5000 ton) RUUD because it needs to be pulled out to be cleaned. He quoted $900+. Forget that.

Found a RUUD dealer. They'll charge $378 to pull and clean the evaporator coils. That's more like it.

If you've never had the inside coils (evaporator coils) cleaned, do it.

I suspect that's our problem here. I mean it works but it only cools the house 10 degrees, not 20 like we were used to. The other guy said that it has tons of dust and hair in it and mold (which I dare not tell the others in the house).

So perhaps with a good cleaning and getting a really THICK THICK filter for the intake (like 6-8 inches thick, instead of the little paper one that you get at the stores), it'll solve this problem.

I'll let you know. P> Do any of you have any experience that might help me know what to expect?

Reply to
Kenneth Udut of Naples, FL USA

Now this is helpful, thank you! When it blows a fuse, what happens? Does the fan stop running, or does it stop cooling, or what?

Reply to
cybercat

"cybercat" wrote

12 years old right? It may need coolant but I cant recall if thats just before they changed the type or not. If it predates the new stuff, you will want to check prices for replacement as you may not be able to get the old style much longer at all.
Reply to
cshenk

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com (Kenneth Udut of Naples, FL USA) wrote in news:7eaa47cc4ce736a43b9ff018183d1c50$ snipped-for-privacy@naplesnerds.com:

5000 ton...how many BTU's is that? Rooms in your house must be pretty big if a closet hosts that unit :-)
Reply to
Red Green

Thanks! I will do that. I had no idea about them changing types. I guess you can't add coolant to the new type?

Reply to
cybercat

Kenneth, thank you! I will email you to remind you.

Reply to
cybercat

the indoor fan still operates, but the outdoor (condensing unit) does not run and no cooling.

s
Reply to
S. Barker

home units have changed refrigerants, (not coolant) but the old r-22 is still used and still available. Beware of misinformation.

s

Reply to
S. Barker

"cybercat" wrote

Not exactly. It's that you can't add the new coolant to the old type machines. Freon and some shift. I am sorry that i can't recall the dates of the shift but if they tell you to replace the unit as it has older coolant type, I'd start checking prices right away.

Here's the upside of that *if* it comes to that. Check energystar ratings. If you get a unit that is so rated, your electrical bills will be less in summer and you can file it as an energy improvement on the following year's taxes. You dont get a total write off for the cost on adding such an 'upgrade' but a portion of it comes back so you may get as much as 20% of the cost back? Will depend on your circumstances and wages etc.

Now, sometimes they can adapt a unit built for the older coolant, but it seldom works as well as intended or as well as one built for the new stuff. It also can (sometimes) cost as much as 50% of the price of a new unit to adapt an old one. When you think about the lifecycle of an AC system and your's being 12 years (12 right?) this may not be a very good deal financially.

Now lets take best and worst case at same time. Older coolant but you guy can supply it. If you do not have a true leak, go for it as you'll be good a few more years. Check prices of new units but wait as they are getting more and more efficient as we typo to one another.

Reply to
cshenk

"S. Barker" wrote

My bad if i used the wrong term. Can you explain the difference between refigerant and coolant? All I know is in *my area* the old stuff is barely obtainable. My system though is far older than hers.

I am checking prices as sometime in the not too distant future, we will need to replace the AC portion. It's actually older than such units were rated for at the time.

Reply to
cshenk

If it does nothing see if it is getting power first.

Reply to
ransley

The Unit has an Auto re-set Low presure control and loss of refrigerant charge would cause it to continually stop and start or short cycle. It also has a manual re-set High pressure control and loss of the condenser fan would cause this to stop and lock out the Unit. The Unit is 12 years old and if you think of it as a car is it worth replacing defective parts or is a new model a better investment. Older models use Refrigerant R22 which is due to be phased out. New models use Puron ( R410A ). It's a matter of paying your money and making your Choice

Reply to
Telstra

At this point no-one here has any clue what the actual problem is. Could be as simple as a bad contactor. Could be as complex as a dead compressor. If you aren't comfortable with what the A/C repair guy says it is post back here and let us know what he said and maybe someone can point you in the right direction. Don't be afraid to get a second opinion if the repair costs seems out of line.

Also realize that your system isn't a spring chicken. If something major has gone wrong this would be a good time to look at replacing it.

Steve B.

Reply to
Steve B.

refrigerant is used in a/c systems. and is called things like r-12, r-22, r-134a, r-410 ect. sometimes wrongly called freon.

coolant is used in internal combustion engines to cool them. called things like antifreeze, ethelyene glycol, etc.

steve

Reply to
S. Barker

Thanks, very good information. I know we need a new one, I would just like to put off the expense for a little bit.

Reply to
cybercat

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