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Old 06-09-2011, 12:16 PM
 
Location: Sarasota, FL
1,695 posts, read 3,037,396 times
Reputation: 1143

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When I turn the fan to the ON position on my A/C, the compressor stays ON - no thermostat control. So it gets really Ccccccold in the apartment! The thermostat is fine. But if I leave the fan on AUTO, it does what its supposed to - kicking on & off with the A/C. But in summer heat, I think I really need to run the fan ON to get proper cooling.

SO - had one A/C guy out & he checked the thermostat & said it was operating just fine. He was not familiar with the type of unit we have (COmbo Heat Pump, A/C that draws from a central cooling tower in the bldg), so he didn't want to go further with the system itself. So then I called the Co that has done most of the A/C work in our bldg. He was at first perplexed - he finally noticed that the thermo was wired to Bypass the Control Board. He rewired it correctly, but in doing so, the unit wouldn't work. Evidently, the owner before us KNEW there was a problem, and the A/C person they used rewired to avaoid that control panel. There was also a sticker on the unit saying it was installed 2008. WRONG. The A/C unit is from 1997. In 2008 they put a UV light into the system.

Anyway - looks like the COntrol Panel is shot. The A/C guy quoted around $500 to replace that. THe cost to replace the entire systen, now 14 years old, will be approx. $5500.

Considering the system is in its final years, if not year, I am wondering if I should replace entire system, or just that control panel.

Anyone familiar with AQUA plumbing? Are they good?

Thanks
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Old 06-09-2011, 01:11 PM
 
Location: Punta Gorda
181 posts, read 452,742 times
Reputation: 90
I'm the very last person to give any advice here, but I read on Google that the average life span for an a/c is 15 years. Personally, I would give it one more shot and pay the $550. If it packs up again, I'll seriously consider a new one.

The old a/c may just surprise you and keep going for another year or two... or like Pres. Mugabe just keep going and going.... I think Old Man Winter and the other guys will give you more professional advice.

Check out this link and good luck.

http://www.thefrugallife.com/air_conditioner.html
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Old 06-09-2011, 03:30 PM
 
Location: Punta Gorda and Maryland
6,103 posts, read 15,053,394 times
Reputation: 1256
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coachgns View Post
When I turn the fan to the ON position on my A/C, the compressor stays ON - no thermostat control. So it gets really Ccccccold in the apartment! The thermostat is fine. But if I leave the fan on AUTO, it does what its supposed to - kicking on & off with the A/C. But in summer heat, I think I really need to run the fan ON to get proper cooling.

SO - had one A/C guy out & he checked the thermostat & said it was operating just fine. He was not familiar with the type of unit we have (COmbo Heat Pump, A/C that draws from a central cooling tower in the bldg), so he didn't want to go further with the system itself. So then I called the Co that has done most of the A/C work in our bldg. He was at first perplexed - he finally noticed that the thermo was wired to Bypass the Control Board. He rewired it correctly, but in doing so, the unit wouldn't work. Evidently, the owner before us KNEW there was a problem, and the A/C person they used rewired to avaoid that control panel. There was also a sticker on the unit saying it was installed 2008. WRONG. The A/C unit is from 1997. In 2008 they put a UV light into the system.

Anyway - looks like the COntrol Panel is shot. The A/C guy quoted around $500 to replace that. THe cost to replace the entire systen, now 14 years old, will be approx. $5500.

Considering the system is in its final years, if not year, I am wondering if I should replace entire system, or just that control panel.

Anyone familiar with AQUA plumbing? Are they good?

Thanks
I am familiar with an Aqua-Therm system, that provides hot water for the domestic water as well as the heat for the unit when needed. It is a water based heat-pump system, and if the entire system needs to be replaced it may cost more than $5,500. That is what it would have cost a few years ago, before they modified the energy codes and now both the heating/cooling system, and the compressor all need to be replaced with the compatable / not mixed equipment in order to meet the energy and SEER requirements.
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Old 06-09-2011, 03:33 PM
 
Location: Venice, Fl
1,498 posts, read 3,458,923 times
Reputation: 1424
Coach , I am very familiar with your building. I have done a lot of work in it in the past. I will be honest, the new systems are not made like the old ones..... big surprise huh. The older coils are made with better grade copper and aluminum and the motors run like Sherman Tanks. It is a personal choice to repair or replace.

If I can ask, are you here full time yet or still back and forth to a northern location? If you are here full time, repair it. If it breaks you will be here to know there is a problem and wont come home to a condo full of mold. If you will not be there full time, replace it. That way when you are not here there is a much lower probability of it breaking down.

Aqua is a well known, very large company. I do not have any experience with their quality of work, but you dont become as large as they are from doing garbage work. Get a few estimates from several companies, look at 410A systems that are high efficiency. Dont let them install a left over new in box R22 system, they are obsolete and will end up costing you in the long run.

I want to give you my advice for running the blower fan in the on position. Some may disagree, if they do, they are idiots. The blower fan moves the air from the warm air return into the air handler and across the evap coil. Air crossing the coil will be room temperature or warmer (if the door is opening and closing). When the warm air passes over the evap coil the heat load from the air is absorbed into the refrigerant passing through the coil. That heat load is carried through the copper line set to the condenser coil where the condenser fan removes the heat load by passing outdoor air through the coil to dissipate the heat into the outdoor air.

The by product of this heat transfer in the evap coil is of course condensation, water is produced as the cold refrigerant picks up the heat load. As this water runs off the evap coil, it collects in the drain pan until it rises to the level of the drain in the pan.

When the system shuts of due to reaching temperature, the blower will turn off accordingly. When you leave it in the on position, your system is going to continuosly circulate air across the evap coil. No problem, right? Wrong. The air is going to pick up moisture from the standing water in the drain pan. End result, you will saturate your home with moisture increasing humidity levels and increasing your chances of mold and illness.

Look at Arizona, 102 degrees, sure im still playing golf and loving it. Compare to Florida, 102 degrees would put our humidity level at what, 90% maybe...... nobody is playing golf in that. A home at 80 degrees with 50% humidity is comfortable, a home at 80 degrees with 85% humidy sucks, you are not sleeping well in that and will be clammy and sticky with sweat. If you control the humidity in the home, you can run your system a few degrees higher on the t stat, save money and be comfortable.

You live close to the water Coach, you have enough moisture issues to deal with. Dont create new ones
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Old 06-09-2011, 03:59 PM
 
Location: Sarasota, FL
1,695 posts, read 3,037,396 times
Reputation: 1143
Thanks for the analysis OMW. I apprecaite your view.
Let me TRY to explain why I (and many others) am, in your words, "an idiot" for running the blower fan in the ON position. First of all, your explanation for not keeping blower in ON position makes lots of sense. But my reason why I think it is necessary is that the Bedroom is at one end of the ductwork. WHen the A/C kicks on, it usually does not run long enough, in my opinion, to get adequate flow of cool air into the BR. The air hits the thermostat & kicks it off before it has a chance to cool the BR. So what happens is the air gets stagnant in the BR. (Now a piece of advice the Aqua Tech gave me was to NOT run my ceiling fan, since that fan gives off heat, and actually warms the room.) The kitchen area is freezing, while the BR is several degrees warmer. The thermostat happens to be somewhat mid-apartment, but outside the BR door. Walking from the hallway into the BR the difference in temp can be easily felt.

As far as whether to repair or replace, we are still up north most of the year. We'll be down in a couple of weeks for 3 weeks. While we are away we have the thermostat set at 79, and the building maintenance people come & check on the unit regularly. They actually have a checklist since there are so many snowbirds in the system. Also, our general contractor has been in there off & on all spring doing a few follow up repairs. He's been turning it down while he is working. So if it fails while we are away, we'd know about it. On the other hand, if it fails while we are there, we'd have to suffer thru a really hot period of time waiting for a repair. Not sure if these things are done immediately.

What I will definitely do is get a couple more estimates while I am down in SRQ later this month.

One question - How do you know which building I am in? I don't think I posted anywhere on here which building, did I? Or did I PM that info to you at some prior time?

Thanks again!
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Old 06-09-2011, 04:49 PM
 
Location: Venice, Fl
1,498 posts, read 3,458,923 times
Reputation: 1424
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coachgns View Post
Thanks for the analysis OMW. I apprecaite your view.
Let me TRY to explain why I (and many others) am, in your words, "an idiot" for running the blower fan in the ON position. First of all, your explanation for not keeping blower in ON position makes lots of sense. But my reason why I think it is necessary is that the Bedroom is at one end of the ductwork. WHen the A/C kicks on, it usually does not run long enough, in my opinion, to get adequate flow of cool air into the BR. The air hits the thermostat & kicks it off before it has a chance to cool the BR. So what happens is the air gets stagnant in the BR. (Now a piece of advice the Aqua Tech gave me was to NOT run my ceiling fan, since that fan gives off heat, and actually warms the room.) The kitchen area is freezing, while the BR is several degrees warmer. The thermostat happens to be somewhat mid-apartment, but outside the BR door. Walking from the hallway into the BR the difference in temp can be easily felt.

As far as whether to repair or replace, we are still up north most of the year. We'll be down in a couple of weeks for 3 weeks. While we are away we have the thermostat set at 79, and the building maintenance people come & check on the unit regularly. They actually have a checklist since there are so many snowbirds in the system. Also, our general contractor has been in there off & on all spring doing a few follow up repairs. He's been turning it down while he is working. So if it fails while we are away, we'd know about it. On the other hand, if it fails while we are there, we'd have to suffer thru a really hot period of time waiting for a repair. Not sure if these things are done immediately.

What I will definitely do is get a couple more estimates while I am down in SRQ later this month.

One question - How do you know which building I am in? I don't think I posted anywhere on here which building, did I? Or did I PM that info to you at some prior time?

Thanks again!
I was not implying you were an idiot Coach, I meant guys in the business. The bedroom being far away from the AH is a problem, but the bigger problem is there is most likely no return in that room to pull the warm air out. They could always cut a pass through into the wall. The heat from a fan is negligable IMHO, but if it works for you, great. Since the maintenance guys check your unit, repair it, you might get 5 more years out of it. You never indicated which building you were in Coach, but you did indicate where you lived and since there are not many choices there, and I have done a lot work in them all, I generalized by saying I know your building. You had posted pictures that we talked about, you took from the balcony in your condo.

I prefer to not know where most people really live, that way I cant be implicated in any missing speedo reports to the police
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Old 06-09-2011, 07:31 PM
 
Location: Sarasota, FL
1,695 posts, read 3,037,396 times
Reputation: 1143
Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Man Winter View Post
I was not implying you were an idiot Coach, I meant guys in the business. The bedroom being far away from the AH is a problem, but the bigger problem is there is most likely no return in that room to pull the warm air out. They could always cut a pass through into the wall. The heat from a fan is negligable IMHO, but if it works for you, great. Since the maintenance guys check your unit, repair it, you might get 5 more years out of it. You never indicated which building you were in Coach, but you did indicate where you lived and since there are not many choices there, and I have done a lot work in them all, I generalized by saying I know your building. You had posted pictures that we talked about, you took from the balcony in your condo.

I prefer to not know where most people really live, that way I cant be implicated in any missing speedo reports to the police


SO IT's YOU! You're the guy who stole my Speedo!!!!!!

There actually IS a return in the bedroom - and a properly-sized one at that (Unlike my apt up north in NY where there is a 3" X 6" return in the BR).

I knew you weren't calling me an idiot - you don't know me. Once you do, Then you're free to call me that. My knowledge of air conditioning comes from a college physics course, owning several homes, having a job with a company that, among other things, built industrial & aircraft air handling systems, and mostly from a book my father used to have on refrigeration and air conditioning - from the 1940's!

Would A/C companies give me an estimate on replacing the control panel, or do they only do that for the entire system? Any recommendations (I guess via DM?)?
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Old 06-10-2011, 04:37 AM
 
Location: Venice, Fl
1,498 posts, read 3,458,923 times
Reputation: 1424
I am assuming the control board itself is bad? I see no reason why they cant just order that part. It wont take long to re wire the new board, the issue is, do they still make the board for your system.

BTW, we would love to see a few more pics of your dog. We had never seen the breed before and I have to say, amazing!!!
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Old 06-10-2011, 07:51 PM
 
Location: Sarasota, FL
1,695 posts, read 3,037,396 times
Reputation: 1143
Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Man Winter View Post
I am assuming the control board itself is bad? I see no reason why they cant just order that part. It wont take long to re wire the new board, the issue is, do they still make the board for your system.

BTW, we would love to see a few more pics of your dog. We had never seen the breed before and I have to say, amazing!!!
You asked for it: :-)



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Old 03-27-2013, 12:05 PM
 
1 posts, read 5,680 times
Reputation: 10
coach no air flow to bdrm could be a couple of things,inside coil needs cleaning,blower blades are dirty,not enough freon,too much freon,or you need a stronger fan motor,and sometimes closing any vents(kitchen,living rm,dining rm,bathrooms will help air flow reach your rm.think about it you have more pressure,air flow,closer to the a/c unit,check the coil,then the blower,then the closing of the vents then if that fails you may need a stronger blower motor just a thought gl
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