Frequently Asked Questions

When your compressor starts it draws up to five times more power than when it is running.  If you are using other appliances in your house at the time, your compressor can draw more than its share of power from your electric panel.  This causes the lights to dim.  Ask your service tech to install a hard start kit on your compressor.  This will reduce the starting amps required to start it and should eliminate your dimming lights.

If your air conditioning system is properly charged, the evaporator coil in your air handler is normally around 35 degrees.  However if it loses some Freon, it will actually cause the coil to get colder before it gets warmer.  If the temperature of the coil gets below 32 degrees, the moisture that it takes out of the air will turn to ice.  As the ice forms on the surface of the coil, less warm air will be able to get across the coil.  This will in turn create even more ice.  Eventually the coil will be covered with ice and no air will be able to blow out of your grills.  If you see ice forming on your insulated copper tube that goes into your condensing unit, this is a good indicator that there is ice on your coil upstairs.    Turn off your system and call for service.

It is the most likely reason.  However, it can also be caused by the following problems.  Your filter could be so dirty that not enough air is getting across the coil.  Your fan motor in your air handler could have failed so that no air is getting across the coil.  Your contactor could be sticking on your outside unit causing it to run when the air handler is off.   Or you system is set so cold that the air coming in is too cold.   

Take a thermometer and measure the temperature at the main return grill.  Then take the same thermometer and measure the temperature coming out of the supply grill nearest the air handler.  If the temperature difference is between 15 and 20 degrees, your Freon is fine.  If the temperature difference is over 20 degrees, you may have a dirty coil.  If the difference is less than 15 degrees, you probably are low on Freon.  Call for service.

Check your outside unit first.  Is it running?  If not, make sure the breakers are on.   (They are separate from the air handler breakers).  If the breaker has tripped, try turning it off then back on.  If it keeps tripping, call for service.   If both units are running, do the thermometer test listed above.

The contactor sits in your outside unit.  It is a small electrical device that creates a pathway for your power to go from your house to the compressor.  It is energized from the air handler by a small 24 volt wire.  When the thermostat calls for cooling, the thermostat sends a signal to the air handler to turn on the evaporator fan and another signal is sent from your air handler to turn on the condensing unit.  A small winding inside the contactor energizes and pulls down a metal set of points.  This completes a circuit and allows the high voltage to cross over to your condensing unit.

Because the contactor is high voltage and is exposed, many times a lizard or a bug will step on the points and get electrocuted.  This in turn will cause ants to crawl inside to feast on the dead carcass.  As they crawl under the contact points, they sometimes will get crushed by the points as they energize.  This prevents the points from closing all the way.  The points will begin arcing and will either weld themselves closed or will weld pits and holes on the surface of the points and will not be able to close at all.

If they weld themselves closed, the condensing unit will run continuously without the fan.  If they burn holes in themselves, the condensing unit will not come on at all.  Either way, the contactor will need to be replaced. 

Yes.  Your system is wired up so that the outside unit will never come on unless the inside unit is running.  Running the outside compressor without the inside fan is a lot like running a car without a radiator fan.  It will cause the compressor to overheat and could damage it.  Turn the system off immediately and call for service.  If it won’t shut off at the thermostat, turn it off by the breaker.

The evaporator coil could be covered in ice.  Because no air is coming out of the grills, this will give the appearance that the fan is off inside.  Check the outside pipe for ice.  A second cause for this is when the contactor outside sticks.  This will keep the outside unit on when no cooling is being called for.

Make sure your thermostat is set low enough to turn on the system.  If it is set on “Cool” the fan is set on “Auto” and the desired temperature is lower than the home temperature, your problem is elsewhere.  Check all breakers.  Remember, your breaker for the outside unit is independent from the air handler breaker.   Try turning off then on the breaker for the outside unit.  It is usually marked “AC”.    If it is tripped and it won’t reset, call for service.  You could also have a contactor that is pitted.  It could also be a faulty time delay, a low pressure switch or a number of other electrical failures.   Again, you will need to call for service.

That depends.  In SW Florida, a properly designed system be able to maintain the inside temperature of your home 17 degrees colder than the outside temperature.  This means that if it is 80 degrees outside, you could get your home down to 63 degrees inside.  But if it is 95 degrees outside, you won’t be able to cool your home below 78 degrees inside.  If your system is coming close to these numbers, it is probably normal.  Remember, things like leaky windows and poor ceiling insulation can affect these numbers.

Yes!  A number of things are available for seasonal residents.  Since you are not there to notice small problems, they can cause major problems if left unnoticed.  Here are some of the more popular items:

1.  Time delay

It is recommended that you turn off your air conditioner during an electrical storm.  Any momentary power interruption or brown out which occurs almost daily during Florida’s summer months will cause the compressor to short cycle.   This will cause your compressor  to overheat, thus shortening its life considerably.  A time delay will keep the compressor off for 3-5 minutes whenever there is a power disruption-thus preventing this.                       

2.  Low Pressure Switch

Your Freon carries the oil which lubricates the compressor.  If your system loses Freon while you are away, the compressor will run continuously.  Not only will this cause excessive electric bills, it will ultimately burn out your compressor.  A low pressure switch will shut off the compressor before any damage is done.  

3.  Humidistat

Mold damage in your home comes from excessive humidity.  If you use a thermostat while you are away to control mold, the air conditioner will go on when the outside temperature is at its highest.  Unfortunately, the highest humidity occurs late in the afternoon when the storm clouds roll in and the temperature drops.  Your house could sit in high humidity all night long until the temperature outside rises the next day.  By then, the damage may already be done.  By using a humidistat while you are away, you prevent this from happening.

4.  Inline Float Switch

Your air conditioning system removes moisture from the air and drains it outside.  (A typical 3 ton system can remove over 40 gallons of water from a home in a seven day period)  These drain lines are constantly growing algae.  At some point, the algae WILL clog up your drain line and overflow into an emergency pan beneath the unit.  This pan is not designed to hold water for long and will eventually rust through.  I have seen many damaged ceilings and walls caused by drain lines that have overflowed.  An inline float switch in you drain line will prevent this.  If the drain backs up, it will shut down the system.            

5.  Freeze Control

If your system loses a small amount of Freon while you are away, the coil temperature will actually get colder before it quits working.  This will cause ice to form on the coil.  If left unchecked, a six inch block of ice could eventually cover your air handler coils.  Eventually this ice will drop off.  Unfortunately, it usually falls into the ducts or the air handler cabinet.  As it melts, it will damage your ceiling.  An inline float switch will not prevent this as the drains will not be clogged.  However, a freeze control will prevent this.  If it detects a coil that is at risk of freezing , it will shut off the compressor long enough to keep the ice from forming.