How to “Spring Air Conditioning Maintenance” Yourself? (Part 3/4)

Step 2: Restart the condenser (outside unit)

Confirm proper cooling

Switch on the power and set the thermostat to ‘cool’ so that the compressor comes on. After 10 minutes, feel the insulator to see if it feels cool. It is expected to feel cool. On the other hand, the uninsulated tube should feel warm. Turn the power back on, and set the house thermostat to “cool” so the compressor comes on. After 10 minutes, feel the insulated tube. It should feel cool while the uninsulated tube should feel warm.

In most cases, you can simply restore power to the outside unit and move inside to finish the maintenance. However, the compressors are surprisingly fragile and some require special start-up procedures under two conditions. Follow the procedures below to handle the start-up if yours do not have the built-in control as most air conditioners do. Others have built-in electronic controls that handle the start-up, but unless you know that yours has these controls, follow these procedures.)

1. If the power to your unit has been off for more than four hours:

• Move the switch from “cool” to “off” at your inside thermostat.
• Switch on the power again and let the units sit for 24 hours. (The compressor has a heating element that warms the internal lubricant.)
• Switch the thermostat back to “cool.”

2. If you switched the unit off while the compressor was running:

• Wait for 5 minutes or more before switching it back on. The compressor needs to decompress before restarting. While the air conditioner runs, make sure it’s working by touching the coolant body. This is a crude test. Only a pro with proper instruments can tell if the coolant is at the level for peak efficiency. Observe intimately, the dark drip marks on the bottom of the case and beneath the tube joints. This indicates an oil leak and a potential coolant leak as well. Call in a pro if this problem is observed. Do not tighten a joint to try to stop a leak yourself as you may over tighten it. This can worsen the problem. Getting a professional in Air Conditioning Repair in Raleigh City, NC State shouldn’t be a problem as you can call SantaAir for quality service.