Before you call a service tech to fix your air conditioner because it's not as cold as it used to be, clean the coils first. Go to your local AC supply and get a gallon of foaming coil cleaner. Follow the directions on the jug, and be sure to rinse thoroughly. Around 75% of all service call could have been avoided by doing this first. And it is a LOT cheaper than a sevice call.

Quote from: Greatgeezer on July 08, 2013, 06:34:48 PM
Before you call a service tech to fix your air conditioner because it's not as cold as it used to be, clean the coils first. Go to your local AC supply and get a gallon of foaming coil cleaner. Follow the directions on the jug, and be sure to rinse thoroughly. Around 75% of all service call could have been avoided by doing this first. And it is a LOT cheaper than a sevice call.

Being an HVAC mech. most of my life this will help your electric bill more then anything. You can use any kind of quality cleaner and an old toilet type brush. Also oil the cond. fan motor while your at it. Keeping the air filter clean is just as important. If there is any dirt on the evap. coil do the same as you are with the outdoor coil.
I would disagree with your 75% of service calls could have been avoided though. The biggest $NONE $ CALL$ for me was "well I got home from work at 5:00pm and it was 105 degrees in my house and it's now 7pm and it's still not under 100. No sh*t! 
Good Luck.
The next one was it's 98 degrees outside and can't get it below 72 inside.

Quote from: The Stranger on July 09, 2013, 01:50:28 PM
Being an HVAC mech. most of my life this will help your electric bill more then anything. You can use any kind of quality cleaner and an old toilet type brush. Also oil the cond. fan motor while your at it. Keeping the air filter clean is just as important. If there is any dirt on the evap. coil do the same as you are with the outdoor coil.
I would disagree with your 75% of service calls could have been avoided though. The biggest $NONE $ CALL$ for me was "well I got home from work at 5:00pm and it was 105 degrees in my house and it's now 7pm and it's still not under 100. No sh*t! 
Good Luck.
The next one was it's 98 degrees outside and can't get it below 72 inside.

LOL   IF all else fails read the directions read the manual first. I change the filter every month.  Do not let the good wife set the AC below 78 when it get 85º + out side.   IF your gone for the day and you find the AC has been turned down, and unit is frozen. Turn the AC off and turn just the fan on until it ice is gone.  This will help cool the house as the ice melts.  Once the ice is gone you can turn the fan back to auto and turn on the AC.  I have put a block on my control so my good wife can not set it below 70º.   

Quote from: walkstall on July 09, 2013, 05:33:00 PM
LOL   IF all else fails read the directions read the manual first. I change the filter every month.  Do not let the good wife set the AC below 78 when it get 85º + out side.   IF your gone for the day and you find the AC has been turned down, and unit is frozen. Turn the AC off and turn just the fan on until it ice is gone.  This will help cool the house as the ice melts.  Once the ice is gone you can turn the fan back to auto and turn on the AC.  I have put a block on my control so my good wife can not set it below 70º.   

The area I lived in the systems were only designed for an 18 degree drop. So 95 outside 77 is abut the best you would do inside. If a system is designed CORRECTLY you should never have to but the stat below 78 degrees anyway. The icing thing used to be a problem yrs back but most units now have low pressure controls and such so that don't happen all that often anymore. And yes the Air Filter is so very important. If you have a properly designed unit you can get one of the metal electrostatic air filters for 75.00 or so and it should last a decade or so. And you can wash them every month or so and the house will be less dusty for the good women.

Quote from: The Stranger on July 09, 2013, 06:05:05 PM
The area I lived in the systems were only designed for an 18 degree drop. So 95 outside 77 is abut the best you would do inside. If a system is designed CORRECTLY you should never have to but the stat below 78 degrees anyway. The icing thing used to be a problem yrs back but most units now have low pressure controls and such so that don't happen all that often anymore. And yes the Air Filter is so very important. If you have a properly designed unit you can get one of the metal electrostatic air filters for 75.00 or so and it should last a decade or so. And you can wash them every month or so and the house will be less dusty for the good women.

Thanks

My good wife think the house should be at 65º year around, as she has been going through the change for over 35 years now.  The Doc. told her she is one of the lucky ones and will not be cold.  So I go out side just so I can get warm 8 months out of the year.   

Quote from: walkstall on July 09, 2013, 06:44:28 PM

Thanks

My good wife think the house should be at 65º year around, as she has been going through the change for over 35 years now.  The Doc. told her she is one of the lucky ones and will not be cold.  So I go out side just so I can get warm 8 months out of the year.   

The reason for A/C is to dehumidify as well as cool. I over the yrs have been asked by customers to put a unit in that was more then a size to big. I always refused, first off the insp. dept always wants a heat load calc. so they would balk as well as the elect, co.
If you have a unit that's to big it will cool but not dehumidify so you will continue to lower the stat to be comfortable and your meter will spin off the wall. 78 with low humidity is comfortable. When I got calls from people who said it was 72 in the house and they were hot and I knew they had a properly sized unit I would ask the to take a walk around the outside of the house then come back in, most thanked me for saving them the service call.
Good luck.