# A/C under warranty - company says it works **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 30, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893 "2019-07-30T19:08:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/1 "2019-07-30T19:08:25Z")
They won’t do the work at your home. They take it out and leave you with a loaner. But if they get it and say “We don’t agree with you” what do you do? I had to go to a hotel for two nights last week. The unit would not cool below 86 degrees in the apt, when it was 95 outside. I don’t think it’s right to tell me to take it back. I felt like I was at risk for stroke or suffocation. Obviously I’m going to get a new one, but not from that store or that brand. How can a warranty be that weak? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/2 "2019-07-30T19:13:20Z")
It’s either broken or it’s not. If it’s not broken, what do you want the warranty to cover? I assume you’re talking about a window or portable unit. What’s the make/model? How old is it? What’s wrong with it? ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/3 "2019-07-30T19:25:44Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > …The unit would not cool below 86 degrees in the apt, when it was 95 outside. I don’t think it’s right to tell me to take it back. I felt like I was at risk for stroke or suffocation. Obviously I’m going to get a new one, but not from that store or that brand. Are you saying the unit won’t cool the apartment below 86 degrees, or the temperature of the supposedly cool air coming out of the unit is at 86 degrees? If the former, you need to consider if the unit is large enough for the area being cooled. For example, a small 5,000 BTU A/C unit is not going to be able to adequately cool an apartment with several rooms. If the latter, then it’s broken, assuming you’re giving it long enough to operate with the compressor going. In short, is it blowing out cool air or not? If it is, and the apartment is still to hot, then you need additional A/C units and/or a bigger unit. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/4 "2019-07-30T19:43:21Z")
> [@robby](#): > > If the latter, then it’s broken, assuming you’re giving it long enough to operate with the compressor going. There’s some other issues as well. If there’s a dirty filter, dirty coils (evap or cond) or it’s so humid the coils are icing over, that would all cause problems, none of which is going to be covered by a warranty (unless the iced coils are from low refrigerant). Keep the unit clean is likely standard maintenance covered in the manual. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/5 "2019-07-30T22:44:49Z")
I sent it out because it wasn’t operating to cool the apt the way it should. But I can’t diagnose the problem, and they won’t do it in your home. The temp outside was 96 last week. The unit in question operating at full blast, 64 degrees temp, could not get the place below 86. The air coming out of the unit was not 86. The apt was. Just because the air is cool doesn’t mean it’s operating adequately. This is 1) unusual and 2) unhealthy. I felt like I was suffocating or stroking. They are saying it is not broken. But I can’t put it back in. It doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/6 "2019-07-30T22:58:25Z")
Need more info. Make? Model? BTUs? Did you buy it? Or did it come with the apartment? If you bought it, how long have you had it, and did the previous AC work O.K.? ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/7 "2019-07-30T23:16:24Z")
When you say it is unusual, do you mean that under similar weather conditions in the past it has been able to keep your apartment cool? Typically, a window air conditioner should be able to output air at least 20 degrees below outdoor ambient temperatures; you have about a 30-degree delta, so the unit appears to be working in that sense. Is it blowing the same amount of air as it has done in the past, or do you have a dirty filter or other blockage? If it is blowing the same amount of air as it did previously, and that air is at 64 degrees, it is working as designed; you just have too small a unit for the space you’re trying to cool. Have there been other changes in the environment? An empty and un-air-conditioned apartment immediately below you, for example, or new windows/curtains/blinds, or the loss of tree cover to your west could also alter the AC’s abilities. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/8 "2019-07-30T23:37:05Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Need more info. Make? Model? BTUs? > > Did you buy it? Or did it come with the apartment? If you bought it, how long have you had it, and did the previous AC work O.K.? 5 years old. It’s a 14000 btu covering 650 sq feet. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/9 "2019-07-30T23:41:22Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > They are saying it is not broken. But I can’t put it back in. It doesn’t work. Make? Model? When did you get it? Are you sure it’s not simply undersized. If it’s too small, it can run all day and never make the apartment comfortable. The heat is getting transferred into the space faster than the AC can remove it. Did it work before? On a 90+ degree day, the AC is going to struggle, especially a window unit (and especially if the sun is on it and/or the space it’s cooling has a lot of humidity). If they’re telling you it works, lets assume for a moment that it does actually work properly. You may have to look into getting a bigger one, or at least a second unit to put else where in the apartment to help it. And, lastly, if it worked find up until the heat wave and it works fine after it, it simply can’t keep up on these hot days. I understand it’s uncomfortable (and/or dangerous), but an AC can only remove so much heat and if it’s at that limit, it’s not broken, it’s just too hot out. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/10 "2019-07-30T23:45:45Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > 5 years old. It’s a 14000 btu covering 650 sq feet. That’s on the low end. I think the AC being too small combined with some really hot weather is the problem. I’m guessing when it’s, say, 75 out, the AC has no problem keeping the apartment comfortable. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/11 "2019-07-30T23:53:19Z")
> [@slash2k](#): > > When you say it is unusual, do you mean that under similar weather conditions in the past it has been able to keep your apartment cool? > > Typically, a window air conditioner should be able to output air at least 20 degrees below outdoor ambient temperatures; you have about a 30-degree delta, so the unit appears to be working in that sense. Is it blowing the same amount of air as it has done in the past, or do you have a dirty filter or other blockage? > > If it is blowing the same amount of air as it did previously, and that air is at 64 degrees, it is working as designed; you just have too small a unit for the space you’re trying to cool. > > Have there been other changes in the environment? An empty and un-air-conditioned apartment immediately below you, for example, or new windows/curtains/blinds, or the loss of tree cover to your west could also alter the AC’s abilities. Unusual means it isn’t cooling as much as it did in the immediate recent past. We haven’t had 96 degree evenings much if at all before. Are you saying here that the output from an A/C at 100 degrees outside is expected to be under 80 degrees? I’m not sure what delta means here. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/12 "2019-07-30T23:56:08Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > That’s on the low end. > I think the AC being too small combined with some really hot weather is the problem. > I’m guessing when it’s, say, 75 out, the AC has no problem keeping the apartment comfortable. Low end? 14000 isn’t too small for under 700 sq feet. It’s the biggest one they make. I have two rooms but there is very efficient fan set up. When it’s 75 out it’s probably also 75 in (my apt with A/C running) , so there’s that. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/13 "2019-07-30T23:58:46Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Unusual means it isn’t cooling as much as it did in the immediate recent past. We haven’t had 96 degree evenings much if at all before. > > Are you saying here that the output from an A/C at 100 degrees outside is expected to be under 80 degrees? I’m not sure what delta means here. The delta is the difference between the temperature of the return air coming into the A/C compared to the air being blown out of the A/C - it should be at least 20 degrees cooler, usually 30 or more. The outside air temperature will affect this, but even with the outside air being 100°F, there should be a 20°F delta. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/14 "2019-07-31T00:00:14Z")
> [@slash2k](#): > > When you say it is unusual, do you mean that under similar weather conditions in the past it has been able to keep your apartment cool? > > Typically, a window air conditioner should be able to output air at least 20 degrees below outdoor ambient temperatures; you have about a 30-degree delta, so the unit appears to be working in that sense. Is it blowing the same amount of air as it has done in the past, or do you have a dirty filter or other blockage? > > If it is blowing the same amount of air as it did previously, and that air is at 64 degrees, it is working as designed; you just have too small a unit for the space you’re trying to cool. > > Have there been other changes in the environment? An empty and un-air-conditioned apartment immediately below you, for example, or new windows/curtains/blinds, or the loss of tree cover to your west could also alter the AC’s abilities. I just caught this. The output is not 64 degree air. It’s cold air that is supposed to bring the ambient temp down to 64 in the area. If you run your hand under it it should feel like a cold air to cool the place, and not a 64 degree breeze. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/15 "2019-07-31T00:06:47Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > The delta is the difference between the temperature of the return air coming into the A/C compared to the air being blown out of the A/C - it should be at least 20 degrees cooler, usually 30 or more. The outside air temperature will affect this, but even with the outside air being 100°F, there should be a 20°F delta. Return air? You mean the delta is the difference between the outside air temp and the output in the room? So under those conditions you can’t get the output temp below 80? It sounds strange. That can’t be the case for all A/C can it? You would suffocate. The temp gets hotter when it leaves the machine. It needs to come out and mix with the ambient air to achieve a 70 degree temp or so. It has to be cold. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/16 "2019-07-31T00:19:57Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > The delta is the difference between the temperature of the return air coming into the A/C compared to the air being blown out of the A/C - it should be at least 20 degrees cooler, usually 30 or more. The outside air temperature will affect this, but even with the outside air being 100°F, there should be a 20°F delta. Is the delta the diff between the air in the room coming back into the unit, and the output? If so then the delta would converge to a smaller and smaller number over time, until the machine finds some balance? Large delta would be just after the machine is turned on, and get smaller then. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/17 "2019-07-31T00:31:55Z")
So you’re saying it has worked well over the past 5 years? And there was a sudden and significant drop in performance? ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/18 "2019-07-31T00:37:14Z")
How long did you run the A/C? It can take hours to cool 750 sf down. Also, we quickly acclimate to the temp in the room. I recently figured out that to be immediately comfortable when I go to bed (the AC is at the foot of my bed), I need to lower the temp down several hours before I hit the bed, then I can raise it a few hours later to remain comfortable. Is 64 degrees the lowest it can go? Mine goes down to 60. Did they repair people tell you how long they ran the A/C? Maybe it starts off okay, but gets less efficient with time. Is your vent open or closed? If it’s open, you’re drawing in hot air from the outside, which may be a good thing as it also allows the hot air from your place out. If it’s closed, you’re recycling the air in our place and may take long. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/19 "2019-07-31T00:38:20Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Is the delta the diff between the air in the room coming back into the unit, and the output? > > If so then the delta would converge to a smaller and smaller number over time, until the machine finds some balance? > > Large delta would be just after the machine is turned on, and get smaller then. No, the output air will get colder and colder. Then the A/C will shut off until the room warms up. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893/20 "2019-07-31T00:55:39Z")
If I understand correctly, the delta is based on air temp within a certain cone around the A/C. So that doesn’t mean it’s the same temp everywhere. Correct? I’m thinking of places that have those flaired A/C vents. If I sit directly under it, I’m not as cold and the person a few feet away and in line with the air flow. And of course, the further away you get, the warmer it gets. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-c-under-warranty-company-says-it-works/837893.md?page=2)