Kids out of school, grilling in backyard, sweating to death because my AC died.Yes, after a long winter, spring and summer have finally rolled around, and its time to crank up the AC. Time check out those air filters and flip that magical switch from 'heat' to 'cool'.At least, that was the plan.I came home on the first day of warm weather, and went about my usual routine in the house, let the dogs ot, steal something out of the fridge before the wife and kids got home, plop myself down on the couch and veg out for a few. However, I noticed something... It was hotter in my house than it was outside. I checked the thermostat -- it was set for 74 but the inside temp was reading 80. The blower fan was running, I could hear it. I checked a nearby vent -- yep, blowing warm air. No glorious frigid winds of respite, no relief from the sun's fury. I flipped the unit off, waited a few minutes and turned it back on... I went to bed happy that night, secure in the idead that my problem was a fluke, a gremlin in my hom air conditioning.

But I was wrong. The next day when I got home I had the same issue, everything blowing but no cold air from the vents.I went outside and checked the compressor; the fa out there was running too, but the compressor itself was not. I could tell because the air above the unit was cool; when the compressor is running the air is warm. Also, there is quite a noticeable difference in sound.I had a friend who had some experience in home air condition repair. I called him and described my problem, and he mentioned the possibility that my capacitor on the compressor had gone bad. Apparently these things can do that.  They used to last forever, but changes by the EPA in the materials they can use (they used to contain PCB, known to cause cancer) have resulted in capacitors that die out over time.So, I went down and shut my compressor of at the breaker outside next to the unit.  This is very important, as I did not want to die. It was hot enough without going to hell.I removed the service panel and saw my capacitor. 

It was a 5-6" tall flask looking metal thingamabob.  It had 3 leads connected to the bottom.  My unit is about 15 years old, and probably should be replaced, but I had no intention of shelling out $5000 for a new system unless I absolutely had to.I disconnected the capacitor(careful not to short the contacts, didn't want a shock)  and then with an INSULATED screwdriver proceeded to short the contacts on the capacitor safely to discharge an charge that was in there.  I saw stamped on the capacitor that it was a 45/5MFD 370 V.  Now, you don't necessarily need to know what these mean.  The MFD is the strength of the capacitor ( the more important number), the 370 being the voltage it operates at.  When you get a replacement make sure you get one that has the same mfd and at least the same voltage.  You can go higher on the voltage but not lower.  I would just be safe and get the same.Now, in order to check and see if this was the actual problem, I took a multimeter with MFD settings and checked the capacitor. 

Mine was a dual run capacitor and had 3 connectors.  It ran both the fan and the compressor.  The capacitor provides the "kick" that the compressor and fan need to start up.  If it gets too weak the "kick" isn't strong enough and the compressor or fan or both wont start.  I checked the fan side and the compressor side.  ac unit apartmentThe fan side was okay ( the 5 in the 45/5, it needs less of a kick), but the compressor side was less than half what it should be (the 45, see).  ac unit brandsSo I knew then it was failing.  cover for window ac unitI hopped online and dug around for somewhere local I could get a replacement, but there were no AC Supply places in my area.  However, there is a Grainger store nearby.  I checked their catalog online and found a suitable replacement, called it in and went and picked it up. 

All told less than a hour or so.  Headed out and plugged the new capacitor into the unit, careful to hook it up the same way the old capacitor was.For reference, there are markings on the capacitor.  The center post is marked C, for common - that's the power- And the 2 on either side are marked F for fan and HERM for hermetic compressor.  There should be a wiring diagram on the service door or nearby that lists the color wire for either.  Dont get it wrong.  Take note which is which when you first remove the old capacitor.I hooked everything up, closed the panel, crossed my fingers and turned everything back on.  And cold air condition! And the part from Grainger cost me under $20!  Thats less than getting someone to come out and look at the unit, let alone fix it!  My ego was swollen for days after all that.I'm not saying that your problem with AC will be the same as mine, but its something that is relativly easy and cheap to try on your own.  Of course, if you arent comfortable with any of this, then get a professional. 

Capacitors can carry a charge and be dangerous if not handled properly.But if you are careful, and go slowly, it sure feels good to fix your home AC yourself.If your repair problem isn't listed, to email or chat with a repair expert. Check to see if there is power getting to the air conditioner. If it is a 110-volt unit, plug a lamp or other device into the same outlet the air conditioner is plugged into. If there's no power, check the fuses or circuit breakers. If there's still no power, you will need to contact a qualified electrician to restore power to the outlet. If there is power to the appliance but it is still completely dead there may be a problem in one or more of the following areas: Work on these areas of an appliance may require help from an appliance repair person or other qualified technician. Is the air conditioner completely dead? Is the thermostat knob turned to the proper setting? Is the compressor motor running? The compressor is a football-sized case with no apparent moving parts.

It is located inside the air conditioner at the center. Is it humming or making any kind of continuous noise or causing the lights to dim? If it is making a continuous noise, and your air conditioner is still not cooling at all, there may be a serious problem with one or more of these areas: These items are not user serviceable. You will need to contact a qualified appliance repair technician to repair these components. If the compressor is not running but you do have power to the air conditioner there may be a problem in one or more of these areas: If the air doesn't seem cool enough it is necessary to use a thermometer to check the difference in temperature between the air going into the unit and the air being blown into the room. Ideally, the temperature difference should be more than 15 degrees. For example, if the temperature going into the air conditioner is 80 degrees, the temperature coming out of the unit should be at least 65 degrees or less. If the difference is 15 degrees or more there is probably no cause for concern.

If the temperature difference is less than 15 degrees you should check the following: Check to make sure the air damper is closed. If it's open, it will bring in outside air and reduce the efficiency of the unit. During the winter season many people cover their air conditioners to protect the unit from the weather. In the spring or summer they will sometimes forget to remove the cover. If your unit has a cover on the outside portion of the air conditioner remove the cover first. The condensing coils will always be on the "warm" side of the air conditioner. That is, on the side that faces outside of the room to be cooled. Air is drawn into the back of the air conditioner on the sides through vent slots and is blown directly out through the condenser coils. If the coils get clogged with lint, dust and dirt the cooling system cannot provide the cooling necessary. To clean the coils it will be necessary to remove the entire cover of the air conditioner or pull it out of the wall to gain access to the coils.

They can be cleaned by blowing compressed air at them or by using a soft bristle brush to wipe the dirt off. It is important to also clean any dirt or lint build-up in the bottom of the air conditioner so the condense water will be picked up by the condensing fan slinger properly. This is normal on some models when fan is set to run constantly. If the unit is supposed to turn off and it doesn't, it will be necessary to check several things. AREA TO BE COOLED / CAPACITY (BTU/HR) If the room is heavily shaded, reduce needed capacity by 10% If the room receives a lot of direct sun, increase needed capacity by 10% Add 600 Btu/Hr for each person in the room if there are more than two people If the unit is for a kitchen, increase the capacity by 4,000-6,000 Btu/Hr. If the room size is too big for the air conditioner you have two possible choices. Either decrease the room size by shutting some doors or partitioning off an area of the room. Or, increase the BTU of the air conditioner for that room by installing a different air conditioner with a higher BTU rating.

All window air conditioners will remove moisture from the air if there is any. Most window air conditioners collect this moisture in the bottom pan of the air conditioner and attempt to evaporate the moisture. The evaporation process works as follows: First, the water drips down off of the cold evaporator coils on the front of the unit. Then the water collects in the bottom of the air conditioner base, the "pan." If the air conditioner is installed properly it will be tilted slightly back. The water then collects near the back of the unit. On some units, the fan blade used to cool the rear condensing coils will have a rim on the outside of the fins of the blade. This rim, or "slinger," will come close to touching the inside of the air conditioner pan when the fan is spinning. As the water collects in the pan and reaches the depth necessary for the fan ring to touch it, the ring will lift some of the water up and the fan will blow it at the condensing coils. Because the coils are warm, they will evaporate the moisture to the outside.

While this is happening it is normal to hear water splashing and sloshing around. As long as there is no water leaking inside the room that is being cooled there is no cause for concern. Never drill into the bottom of and air conditioning unit to "let the water out." Every air conditioner has a motor called a compressor. The compressor provides the cooling capacity for the air conditioner. If the compressor or its electrical controls are defective the compressor may try to start, fail, and create an electrical overload. If the unit does create an overload, every compressor circuit is also equipped with an overload safety switch. The safety switch is designed to protect the compressor from burning out. The safety switch will cut the power to the compressor for a certain length of time and then reset itself. When it resets it will allow the electricity to flow to the compressor once again. If the compressor then starts, the unit should function normally. If the compressor doesn't start when the overload resets, the overload will again cut the electricity to the compressor.

This cycle will continue indefinitely. (Always allow three to five minutes before restarting the compressor.) If this situation is occurring, unplug the air conditioner and get help from a qualified repair technician. This problem is often fatal to the air conditioner because the cost of repair often exceeds the price of a new air conditioner. Every air conditioner is equipped with at least two motors, the compressor and the fan motor. It is possible for the fan motor to be defective and the compressor to be running. If this is the case the unit will appear to be running and may even sound "normal" but no air is blowing out the front or back of the unit. If, after removing the cover of the unit you discover the fan blade is very stiff and difficult to rotate, the fan motor should be replaced. If the fan blade turns freely the circuit powering the fan motor will require electrical troubleshooting. It will be necessary to have a qualified technician locate the cause of the problem, which may be either a problem with the capacitor, the selector switch or the motor itself.

The compressor in all window air conditioners is a powerful motor. When it starts up - and especially when it shuts off - the whole air conditioner can shake, sometimes loudly. Usually there is nothing that can be done to correct this problem. However, it is possible that the compressor mounting pads and brackets are worn out or missing. If that is the case the pads and brackets can sometimes be ordered and replaced. Be sure that the air conditioner is securely mounted in the window frame if the unit shakes at all. It is possible for the unit to shake free of the frame if not installed properly. It is normal for water to collect in the lower base of an air conditioner. See the section entitled: "There is water sloshing around inside." If water leaks out the front it is usually because the unit is tilted forward in the window frame. All air conditioners should be installed so they tilt slightly back to allow for proper removal of the condensation collected. Air conditioners remove moisture from the air.