I know; I know. Call a pro. But I’m just wondering if I could get a pointer in the right direction.
Last month my electric bill was high and I’ve traced the source. The A/C unit is running non-stop and it doesn’t cool properly. It has been in the low to mid 90s here, but the A/C runs non-stop and it still gets up to about 78 during the day. (If I turn the system off completely, it gets up to 83) At night, it gets back down to 72 or so after running forever.
Air is coming out of the registers and it feels cold. I’m not sure if it is as cold as it should be, but it does feel cold. The unit shuts on/off as it should when I adjust the thermostat.
What problem could I have here?
You could have many problems.
I would check the filter. When running check the suction line to see if there is any frost or condensation on it. see if the condencer fan (out side)is running.
About the only thing you can change will be the filter. sorry but it is time to call a pro. And do not be afraid to get a second oppion.
Could be a low refrigerant charge. Poor cooling performance in an indicator of this. You might also check for frost forming on the evaporator coils inside or the low-pressure line running to the condensing coils outside. Frost on the low-pressure side of your system is also a symptom of low refrigerant.
Both frost and poor cooling could also be signs of other things, but low refrigerant is not an unlikely problem. I had to have my very old AC unit recharged a year ago. It cost a couple hundred bucks* but it works much better now.
*I have to admit that the bill seemed like quite a ripoff, because he spent 10 minutes putting $20 worth of material into my system…but I guess they have to eat too. It’s a shame I’m not licensed to handle R-12. He also pointed out that the contactor (relay) in my unit needed to be replaced. He offered to do it for $300! I looked at it and said to myself “I don’t know what that is, but I know it doesn’t cost that much or take that long to replace.” I ordered one from a parts supplier for $16 and had it swapped out in 15 minutes of work, mostly fighting with the sheet metal screws holding the outer cover.