We've got a central cooling air conditioner that was installed in 1984 with a thermostat from that same year. We are replacing the thermostat with a new programmable one (which has a 100% compatibility guarantee). Following the instructions from Home Depot I located the circuit breakers for the unit and switched them off (the circuit breakers on the panel inside the house, not the main ones for the entire house). The AC unit is still running and blowing cold air. Am I missing something here or could the breakers be broken? Or worse, could the unit be installed improperly? Feel free to point out the obvious. More info if it matters: We have a Trane central air unit with a heater pump and an emergency electric heater. We are in Central Florida electrical air-conditioning thermostat circuit-breaker You are missing something. Either you have not found the correct breaker yet, or the breaker is not inside the breaker panel for your house. Walk through each breaker in the breaker planel for your house.

You could have a mislabled breaker. (The breaker you are looking for is likely a two-pole 240V breaker, maybe 30 amps or better.) Since this is a central cooling unit, it might be powered from its own breaker box. Follow the electrical supply wires (cable) back from the unit. Where does it go? You might find another breaker box dedicated to the cooling unit alone. There might also be a breaker in your meter box protecting the unit in addition to the main breaker for your house.ac wall unit size The two breakers (double pole breaker) labeled "Air Conditioner" are likely protecting some other 240 volt device in your house, such as a hot water heater, dryer, range, baseboard hearters, etc. ac power supply filterYou should probably find out what that breaker controls and label it correctly.simplicity ac unit

Some AC units have an on-delay timer that prevents the system from turning on until 2 minutes after power is restored. I recently discovered the same issue, except I found that the idiots that wired up the AC units switched the wires with my neighbor's AC unit!!!!! My breaker turns off their AC unit! For 12 years I have been paying for their AC usage!Browse other questions tagged electrical air-conditioning thermostat circuit-breaker or ask your own question.Show / Hide All What is the toll-free number to enroll or to ask questions about Power Manager? The toll-free number to enroll or ask questions is 1-888-463-5022. What are the rewards for participating in Power Manager? Does the program decrease my electric bill? Typically, the energy usage on your bill remains the same since you are simply shifting your air conditioning usage to a different time of day. However, the amount on your bill will be reduced by the four monthly credits. For tips on how to decrease your summer air conditioning costs and increase your comfort, see our Power Manager Cool Tips.

How can I help save the environment and help keep electric costs low? What is peak electric demand? Demand is the amount of electricity needed at any given time. Power usage fluctuates hourly due to weather conditions, business hours of commercial and industrial companies and residential electric usage. When this combined demand is at its highest, it�s called the peak. How does Power Manager work? At what times will my AC be cycled? What happens during a cycling event? How often will my air conditioner be cycled each summer? How long after I sign up will my switch be installed? Generally, your switch will be installed within 30 to 60 days after you enroll. Do I need to be home for the switch installation? You do not need to be home when your switch is installed. However, if you tell us that you have a locked gate or arrangements are needed for any animals, we will notify you 24 hours in advance of our installation schedule. When will I receive my credits on my Duke Energy bill?

You will receive the credits for the months of July, August, September, and October. What months do you install Power Manager devices? We install Power Manager devices all year long. Even though you earn the credits during the summer months, don�t wait until warm weather arrives to have your device installed. Having the device installed in cooler months ensures that your device will be installed and you won�t have to wait to start receiving monthly credits. How do I enroll? To enroll by phone, please call 1-888-463-5022. How do I know if my air conditioner is being cycled? The temperature in my home is warmer than normal and I am not sure if my air conditioner is working properly. Should I call my air conditioning contractor? If your home seems warmer than you expect, first call 1-800-832-3169 to hear a message on our cycling status. If your air conditioner is being cycled, it is normal for the home to gain a few degrees during the event. After the cycling period ends, your air conditioner may run continuously until your home reaches your thermostat temperature.

If you feel your air conditioner is not working properly, please call your local HVAC dealer. What if my heating and air conditioning company's service technician recommends that I have my switch disconnected or removed? Please have the service technician call 1-888-463-5022 before allowing them to proceed. I'm having a new air conditioner or heat pump installed in my house. After the installation is complete, please call 1-888-463-5022 and request to have the Power Manager device reconnected.  There is no charge for this service. I'm moving to a new house. Before you move, please call Duke Energy at 1-800-777-9898. We can arrange for a switch to be installed on the air conditioner at your new house. The toll-free number to enroll or ask questions is 1-888-463-5022.Twice in five years I’ve cleaned my outdoor AC condenser, and both times I’ve been amazed by the amount of dirt and  leaves I’ve found. Fortunately, cleaning your outdoor coil is a task that any homeowner can accomplish, and it doesn’t take very long.

A good cleaning will help your AC unit to function more efficiently, and potentially make it last longer too. Read on to learn how I removed the fan, outside panels and scrubbed away a lot of dirt and debris from my outdoor AC condenser. Editors note: This post originally ran in August 2009. In a related post about AC maintenance, one reader asked about cleaning an outdoor condenser unit, which prompted us to update this post with more pictures and information. If you find it helpful, give it a +1. Else, leave a comment and we’ll try to make it better. The coil transfers heat from your home to the outside, and this process works best when air can move freely. That’s why outdoor units have those big ‘ol fans. When dirt and leaves block up air passages, it’s that much harder to cycle enough air. Plus, dirt and even dust can settle on the AC fins making them much less efficient. This in turn raises operational costs and shortens the lifespan of your compressor. This project doesn’t require much in the way of tools.

You’ll need a nut driver to remove some metal screws, a hose, and a scrubber. I’ve got a handy brush that allows me to attach the hose and pump water through the bristles. Cleaning my condenser is pretty much the perfect application for it. It’s best to start by turning off the breaker supplying power to the unit, and hopefully your panel is labeled better than mine. Next, remove any nearby obstructions. Most installation manuals will let you know the minimum clearance around and above the unit. If you don’t have access to the manual, try for at least two feet. My unit has louvered sides held together with a lot of metal screws, and I’d estimate I removed about 30 screws all together. Fortunately, they’re all the same. Just keep track of where they all go. If your unit has a grill instead of louvers, don’t even bother taking the sides off. You can effectively clean everything as is. You’ll see screws around the perimeter, at the corner where the top and sides meet (not the screws circling the fan).

After you remove all those screws, the top (and fan) can be lifted off. Be careful because the fan is tethered with electrical wires. If the installers had any sense, they left a generous length of wire and you can lean the top nearby. This picture shows the electrical compartment. And here you see the compressor. The side grills have more screws at all the corners and along the bottom edge. After you remove these screws you’ll see how the sides overlap and can be lifted up and off. It’s a good idea to remember where each panel was located. They should be identical, but this’ll help ensure that screw hole line up when you put it back together. Use your hose and brush to clean the grills, and hose down the fins (do not scrub the fins!). The fins maximize surface area for the heat exchange so if you accidentally mash them together, they won’t work nearly as well. Even an invisible layer of dust decreases efficiency so run your hose over everything (except the electric).