Air conditioner

sdelivery said:
Shut the power off to the a/c unit. Inside the control box is a capacitor and a sealed timer, check these units. If you are unsure how to test them then ask here. CAUTION a Capacitor can hold a charge for an unknown amount of time again with the power off . Short the capacitor legs together with a screwdriver. Mark for the wires for identification and remove the wires. Test the capacitor. The second small box looks like a sealed relay . If the motor starts up it probably is not the capacitor if it is a lack of cooling it is more than likely the relay.
I bought the capacitor at HF 15.00 and the Relay 22.00 through an Appliance repair supply.
These components are hit hard by the sudden loss of power or sudden return of power.
Safety first. VERIFY power is disconnected and be wary of a low voltage signal present from a low voltage control transformer.
Or just call a repairman...stay cool
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I have my unit serviced at the beginning of the season. In the five boroughs of New York its common for appliances to suffer from Brown Outs ( voltage lowered ) to which the supplier will not admit being the problem. Compressors, pumps, motors and start relays burnt/damaged.
 
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Charles scozzari said:
I have my unit serviced at the beginning of the season. In the five boroughs of New York its common for appliances to suffer from Brown Outs ( voltage lowered ) to which the supplier will not admit being the problem. Compressors, pumps, motors damaged.
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Prove they are responsible then.

Build / buy a large sized Voltage display, plug it into a socket and have a vidcam pointed at it 24hrs a day that records to a hard drive (Think CCTV style). Easy enough to prove there is a voltage drop then and for how long.
 
projectnut said:
In our area the utility companies offer a lower rate to those willing to go on their “conservation” program. The conservation program allows them to install a radio controlled shut off at the AC and other high energy use appliances. They shut off things like the AC and water heater during times of high demand.

Some how it doesn’t seem to make sense to shut off your AC when you need it the most just to save a few pennies
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I for one, will not allow the utility to control my energy usage in exchange for cheaper rates.
 
projectnut said:
In our area the utility companies offer a lower rate to those willing to go on their “conservation” program. The conservation program allows them to install a radio controlled shut off at the AC and other high energy use appliances. They shut off things like the AC and water heater during times of high demand.

Some how it doesn’t seem to make sense to shut off your AC when you need it the most just to save a few pennies
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It's not to save a few pennies, it's to keep the grid from overloading and browning out. Brown outs can be much worse than complete shut off. All sorts of electronic devices fry when the voltage drops.

Had a client who lived on the same feed as a local fish hatchery. Sudden demand surges from the pumps and chillers would drop his voltage significantly. Lost several refrigerators, computer power supplies etc. PG&E paid to replace most of it.
 
I expect that the NY utility is using a brownout to control power usage. A lower voltage to the A/C means it has to work harder to maintain the settings. As you point out, this means it runs longer. Bottom line, removing heat and moisture requires a fixed amount of energy based on ambient conditions a nd lowering voltage doesn't help the situation. the same is true for computers and the like, The switching powers supply's just have a higher duty cycle to compensate. In fact, any electrical device which converts electrical energy to another form is pretty much in the same boat. The only exception that comes to mind is incandescent or fluorescent lighting where the light output drops with decreased voltage.
 
MrWhoopee said:
It's not to save a few pennies, it's to keep the grid from overloading and browning out. Brown outs can be much worse than complete shut off. All sorts of electronic devices fry when the voltage drops.

Had a client who lived on the same feed as a local fish hatchery. Sudden demand surges from the pumps and chillers would drop his voltage significantly. Lost several refrigerators, computer power supplies etc. PG&E paid to replace most of it.
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We have never had a brownout in this area, and our utility company "assures us" that they have more than sufficient capacity to power everything within their service area. The "conservation" program allows them to sell energy to other utilities at a higher rate than the local customers are paying. Much of their excess goes to southern states that have customers on "spot pricing". Spot pricing allows the utility to raise their rates whenever necessary if they need to purchase power from outside sources.

Just last year utility companies in Texas were paying up to $175.00 per megawatt hour on the spot market when part of the ERCOT network failed. The normal rate around the country is in the $80.00 per megawatt hour range.
 
projectnut said:
We have never had a brownout in this area, and our utility company "assures us" that they have more than sufficient capacity to power everything within their service area. The "conservation" program allows them to sell energy to other utilities at a higher rate than the local customers are paying. Much of their excess goes to southern states that have customers on "spot pricing". Spot pricing allows the utility to raise their rates whenever necessary if they need to purchase power from outside sources.

Just last year utility companies in Texas were paying up to $175.00 per megawatt hour on the spot market when part of the ERCOT network failed. The normal rate around the country is in the $80.00 per megawatt hour range.
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What I get from this is in New York they more than likely would cause a brown-out because they can sell off voltage elsewhere for more profit.
 
I have no idea what the conditions in New York are concerning power availability and sales. In this area the utility companies have convinced enough people to go on their conservation program that they can avoid brownouts while still selling power to other areas
 
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