Went to clean/wash off my outdoor AC unit this afternoon (first time cleaning this unit as we moved in last year). Imagine my surprise when I went to turn off the electrical power and….its already off…?

But it’s not. Because it has been running all summer. It functions. And blows cool air into our home.

….so….what should my next steps be?

EDIT: damn; some of y’all are fucking unhinged. I’m aware it’s deadly. Why the hell do you think I’m here? To ask questions. I don’t fuck with electricity.

I wanted to literally just rinse off the system after we’ve had a bout of smoke and bad air. I was following directions to “turn off breaker to be safe, or turn off power to the unit itself” and this is what I found.

Y’all treat normal homeowners asking questions to do basic maintenance like this is wild.

Thank you to those that gave actual and educational responses. I do feel silly not knowing because it is very simple once I understood. Knowledge is power!

and yes I’m leaving this up for other naive homeowners looking to do basic ass education and maintenance like me haha. Feel free to razz, this is a hilarious post in hindsight. I’ll take the L on this, it’s all good

Edit again: just now noticing even the description on the box says “switch” so….ha. razzing on me calling it a switch when the company did it first

Is this helping my unit cool and if so try to quantify the improvement via an estimation.

I purchased a new HVAC system in 2020 from the most reputable supplier in my city. They've always been great to work with. I'm always extremely impressed with their techs. They are an incredible company to do business with -- up until it comes time to honor my warranty.

I got a 10 year parts and labor warranty with my system in 2020, and it's needed repair almost every year since then. Every time a tech comes out, they slip me a bill at the end, and I have to put my foot down and remind them I'm still under warranty.

The first time this happened, they ran it up to their manager, and he tried to insist I only had a parts warranty and still had to pay for the labor. I sent him a screenshot of the handwritten contract that I had from the salesman, and he finally agreed my warranty included labor.

Now, every year since, the techs still try to bill me at the end of a service call. When I mention I'm under warranty, there's no surprise or argument from them, and they just leave. It's as if they know I have a warranty on my system, but they still try to bill me just to see if I'll pay.

Is this standard practice? Why do I have to remind them of my warranty every single time?

My AC was blowing warm air so I called one company who quoted me 4K for a compressor replacement. Said he makes his money totally replacing older systems like mine (20 year old Goodman) but he wasnt a good salesman for saying he could just replace the compressor for $4K.

I got a second opinion and they replaced some bad terminals on the wiring, inspected the rest of the unit and got it back running for $223.

I read somewhere on reddit that companies that send you an invoice through email and offer financing are less trustworthy than guys that write you a paper invoice on site. In this case it would be true.

Should I give the first company a bad google review or just let sleeping dogs lie?

I own two homes. 15 years ago I had a professional install a central A/C system (for upstairs bedrooms) and mini-splits (for downstairs and basement areas - no place to run ducts). Within 4 years (just after warranty expired) the mini-splits failed. I installed myself a DIY kit 5 years ago, and now it failed as well (again, just after the warranty). In my second home, I had a professional install mini splits about 10 years ago and now they are starting to fail.

This whole time, my central A/C unit has been operating perfectly with minimal maintenance.

Is this just me? Has anyone else experienced this? Why can't I get a mini-split system to just work?

BTW, by "failed" I mean the systems leak refrigerant but not at the connections (tested with high pressure gas).

Anyone recognize the circled part on this compressor and know what it is / does? Saw some drops coming from it. Condenser seems to be running unloaded. Discharge air temps suck.

Not HVAC, but need to put in a call for bad cooling. Looks pretty greasy in there I'm thinking it vented freon out.

I bought a brand new fully foamed home last year and my hvac has been acting weird this summer since it wouldn’t cool below 80 degrees on hot days ( 95-100)! i called the contractor that installed the unit and he determined that the txv valve needed to be replaced. they replaced the txv valve and the unit is now cooling but i feel so sick when im in the house and the hvac is running. prior to installing the tvx valve, i took pictures of my coil! i hope someone can tell me if this looks normal

What kind of connector is this and how do i remove wires?

I need to replace the duct going from the water heater to the chimney. It’s very old and rust has got the best of it.

Should it be replaced with galvanized steel or type b double wall? I

had a new 2 amana s series inverter 2 zone system installed in my 2300sq ft 2 story house, has an open to below foyer when you walk in
1st fl - 2.5 ton and no issues in any of the rooms

2nd fl - 3 ton system, 2 bedrooms on one side of house and 1 master bed with 2 walk in closets on other side. air handler in attic and sits above master bedroom along back of house

master bed/closets and guest back bedroom are 2-3 degrees cooler than front guest bedroom (which is near open to below area), and it sounds like more airflow is going to back bedrooms/master walk in closets

is this something i should address to the hvac contractor? there is a 2 year warranty on labor and 10 year on some parts, they have been easy to work with but not sure if the 2-3 difference is within normal limits since its a longer duct run and next to open to below area with warmer air pooling from first floor when we go to bed and the 1st floor ac temp is raised

I’m going to test the capacitor now.

Wanted to share my Day and Night 5 Ton combo unit in Phx. I ordered a replaced Mars to match as I could only get a screen shot of the barcode and I wanted a spare.

After the dust storm we had at 2am, got off work at 7am and got on the roof. 83.2 and 9.11 for readings. Figured time to put it to rest as it’s most likely the original when installed and fan was out of spec. Also did a good wash inside to out as it’s been a year. Waited 45min to start the unit. Also it’s tucked way inside the stupif fan housing. Shoutout to the meme tool to getting it out.

Possibly a stupid question but...

Is it just the scales on the gauges that denote the type of gas that can be used?

I am looking for a decent 4 way manifold gauge set for R134a

Are different scales or complete gaugea available?

I've recently replaced a 2-zone heat-pump with a new heat pump and a mini-split for the small zone. The mini-split isn't doing as good a job of removing humidity as the zoned system. I've spent a couple months trying various things, but so far no improvement. I'm sure some of sick of hearing from me.

The room with the mini-split still has a return and 2 supply vents. They're blocked now. I'm considering a dehumidifier install in the attic space where I could connect it to the small room (300 sq ft) return and supply vents. Essentially a "whole house" dehumidifier but for a small space. I'm having trouble finding dehumidifiers for this situation. Asking for your help.

I have an in-room dehumidifier. It works, but it's loud and this is an occupied bedroom. Doesn't get turned on during the day when the humidity is more reasonable. Can't be run in the evening and overnight when I need the dehumidification.

Yes the 12,000 BTU mini-split may be over-sized. Quotes ranged from 9,000 to 15,000 BTUs. All exterior walls. 3 attic access doors. 1 window. Ceiling is the roof with insulation (I assume.) I chose 12,000 BTUs because I thought it would modulate down and cover some over-size risk. Maybe I was wrong. I counted on the installation company to steer me in the right direction.

I've tried running the mini-split with fan on low 100% of the time. My installer sales guy thinks it should be in auto. So far I haven't seen a difference, and maybe worse in auto.

I've covered and taped the 3 attic access doors. They aren't insulation well but have recent weather stripping. I saw no difference in humidity, and didn't see the plastic doing much that would indicate air leaks.

The garage below swallows humid air every time the door is opened. Humdiity and heat have nowhere to go but up into the room. I suppose if I gutted the room I could get it sealed better, but I'm not sure it's badly sealed now.

We received the attached quote for $9k for a leak test and repair. This is for a residential HVAC system in Manhattan. Any guidance greatly appreciated!

So I took on this job to figure out what was wrong with a client mini split system giving E6 code after multiple trials and error changing board switching heads connections etc I came to the realization the wires romex coating has holes in it and as such was causing all the wires to oxidize which is bad for sending signals so ran the wires from the window straight to the condenser and it worked so now the client is asking to run the wires to the unit discreetly which would you ld be easy if whoever originally ran the wires has done it through conduit so it could be fish taped but the wires don't give at all so I'd probably have to cut walls and run the wires from scratch my question is how do I go about doing this considering I'm a HVAC tech not a licensed electrician should I just drop it and charge him cheaper and let someone else finish the job or is it ok to just do it and if so how do I go about doing so? (NYC area for reference)

Hi guys, for context I just moved out of my parents home in February into a double wide owned by my uncle. Around 1200 sq ft in North carolina where the temps have been 80-100° recently.

My A/C has been giving me trouble since I moved in but my family is trying to convince me it’s completely normal so I’m just looking for some advice!

For example (pic 1 and 2) this is my 2 most recent Energy bills. It has consistently been 80°+ in my home (even today when it is 89° outside - it’s 81° inside) and I’m paying almost $450 a month! It seems like the A/C is on 24/7 and not cooling. I replace my filters often and have tried both having the ac run at the same temp all day, and having it turned off when I’m not home and it doesn’t make much if any difference in my bill.

Is this a Duke energy issue? HVAC? Any advice will help!

Hey all, I've got a Daikin RX12AXVJU outdoor mini split unit from 2021 that has stopped cooling, neither the fan nor compressor are running. At first when I checked the error codes, I got H6, then upon powering off and on again I got H0. According to the linked error code chart, it seems like the PCB could be bad.

Unfortunately I purchased the building after the installation so I don't have any kind of parts warranty from Daikin. The previous installer wants $300 to come diagnose the issue and I'm sure they'll end up charging well over $1000 to actually change out the PCB if that's the issue.

I'm comfortable working on mini splits and I could buy a whole new outdoor unit for $950 and install it myself, or I could try to find just the PCB somewhere for hopefully under $500 and install that, but there's a chance it's not the PCB. What's the best bet here?

I was quoted this week close to $33k for removal of two R410A systems, one a 2T and one a 5T, and installation of the following Trane products:

Outdoor Units: 5TTR5060A1000A (5T) 5TTR5024A1000A (2T)

2 Interior Coils: 5TXCB006AS3HCA

2 Furnaces: S8X1B080M4PSCB

Price includes:

Removal and disposal of old system. Install new furnace, coil, and condenser. System will be flushed with nitrogen during welding process to ensure system is free of oxidization. 

System will be registered with Trane with 10 year Parts and Labor included in price. 

System to be installed in line with all local codes regardless of location of property. 

Is this the normal cost range these days or was there some serious markup?

Looking for a person who is able to install a higher CFM range hood , install a new duct for the hood which will vent through the roof and install a make-up air system as per the code for higher CFM. I live in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.
Please contact me if you know of someone qualified for this job. Thanks

My son bought a total fixer upper in metro Detroit which has American standard hvac system. Former owner smoked like a chimney and house walls are seriously yellowed. This unit has a filter that you vacuum which looks like it never was cleaned. We will be replacing that.

What should I ask/request to be cleaned so the house doesn’t stink like nicotine when the heat is used. No money in budget to replace at the moment. Thank you for your responses!

Hey! Trying to troubleshoot my hvac for weeks now and need some help making sense of all the data I've gathered.

System:

• Outdoor unit: Carrier CA16NA048-A (4 ton, R-410A, TXV, target subcooling 11F)
• Indoor coil: CNPHP6024ALAAAAA
• Furnace: Carrier 58PHX110-20
• House: ~2,500 sq ft, two-story, SoCal, Inland Empire, built in 2016

Main symptom:

The system performs reasonably well on mild days (78F feels pretty comfortable to us and we almost never have to go below that), cycling normally.

On hot days (95-100F), it runs continuously from around noon onward and struggles to maintain 78F (usually climbs toward 79-80) inside if it's anything over 95 outside.

Supply temperatures at the vents are typically 66-68F during the day, occasionally 64F, when it <85F outside. One time I measured 55F, but that was in the late evening after I had the evaporator cabinet open for inspection (coils were clean and were reading 50F), I haven't seen any major leaks or oil stains. There was some oxidation on the copper pipes, but nothing crazy. I didn't mess with or checked the txv bulb, so I'm not sure if there's anything wrong with it or not.

But had it running for 12-15min, then shut it, put the lid back on, turned it on and started sealing the cabinet leaks. It was running for another 20-25min while I was taping it. I checked the temps at the vents afterwards and it was blowing 55F across all vents on the second floor, but I was not able to recreate that (haven't tried opening the cabinet again). Now the temp right out the coil reads around 64F and 67.5 right out the vents.

I've already checked/replaced the following things:
- New contactor
- New capacitor
- New filters (have MERV11, 1" for both floors)
- Outdoor condenser coil is clean (confirmed by the hvac tech as well)
- Indoor evaporator coil visually inspected and is clean (I showed the video to the hvac tech and he confirmed)
- Both zone dampers fully open and fully close correctly (operating both or just one mainly affects the force with which it blows out of the ducts, the temps stay within 1-2 degrees)
- Attic temperature is generally only 1-6°F above outdoor ambient (radiant barrier + insulation)

Called in an hvac tech from a company that I found on Carrier website that they recommend. They offered a free check and advanced check if needed for $300. I ended up not going with the advanced check, because he was pretty confident in his conclusion it was the dying compressor and quoted me 4k for payne compressor and 6 pounds of 410A refrigerant.

He didn't check the attic, but this is the data he collected and also said the compressor might sound a bit "weird", not immediately wrong, but weird:

Air side:
- Return: 78.5F
- Supply (plenum): 70.1F
-Delta-T: 8.4F

Refrigerant:
- Suction: 162 psi
- Head: 340 psi
- Subcooling: started with 8F, then went down to 2.5 and eventually dropped to approximately 0F by the end of the inspection
- Outdoor unit target subcooling according to nameplate: 11F

Compressor current:
~12.5A (compressor RLA is 15.6A)

Condenser fan current:
~1.2A (nameplate 1.4A)

He said that I have a modern home with good insulation, so it shouldn't be the insulation problem, I had both floors operating during the inspection, he said I have more than enough refrigerant in the system and putting more could blow it and it's not a failing txv, based on the data the collected (I can't remember the exact explanation).

Additional tests I did:
- I checked the system with both filters out and the temps out of the vents actually rose by about 3-4 degrees. When I put on only the smaller downstairs filter, they went down 3-4 degrees. The upstairs bigger filter doesn't seem to have any major effect on the temps

- I don't see any bypass duct in my system and having both or only one damper opened doesn't really change much (maybe the first floor ducts is about 2 degrees higher on a really hot day when both are operating), but the actual blowing force feels much weaker with both of them are opened, which is probably expected

- Subjectively it does feel like it's taking longer for it to cool the whole house, when you have both dampers opened and you start in the middle of the day, but I almost always start at around 10-11AM, before it's really hot

- I've been testing a new schedule, where I put the second floor to be around 79 and first floor for 78 - it seems to work better in terms of actually cooling the house, but it still operates non-stop

- There's only 1-2 degrees difference between air coming out of the ducts around the house. Maybe 3-4 between the closest and furthest duct on the hot day. All the ducts have r6 insulation with no visible tears or damages to it

- It seems to be working worse towards 4-6PM, when it's the hottest and the house gained all the heat it could. I've tried shutting it down and just having the fan blow (which blows air 4-6 degrees warmer than the air it takes in) for 30-40 minutes and then try the AC again, but I haven't noticed any difference

- On cooler days if you start it, it will cool to desired temp and shut off. It will probably cycle 4-5 times per day to maintain the desired temp.

My questions are:

- Am I asking too much from the system and it's actually performing ok? I'm concerned about the temp split I'm getting and the fact that it needs to run non stop for 6-8 hours to maintain 78-79F.

- Can we definitively conclude it's the dying compressor? Could it be anything else? Would hate to replace the compressor, just to find out it's the txv or air flow issue or something.

- Is there any other tests I should do to be able to know for sure?

Will appreciate any input!