I am in need of help if anyone here knows HVAC

[MrChris]

So we bought a house back on April 1st down in Rush Springs. Everything was good for the first week, then everything started taking a crap on us one by one. Oven went out, microwave went out, now the heat and air took a dump on us.
We had a family emergency 2 weeks ago that ate up just about all of our savings/reserves so I can't really afford to pay someone to come in and diagnose and or fix it, and it is dang HOT in here!!
Is there any HVAC guys here that would be willing to help me out? I can barter guns or ammo if need be. I just really need to try and get this system back up and running.
It would be greatly appreciated.

Chris

 

[montesa]

Is your filter clean? Compressor and fan running?

 

[jtmcglothin]

Mine has gone out 3 times in the last few years. Before you go spending a bunch of money or clearing out guns you might just check the simple things as it’s most likely a faulty component. If you have a voltmeter you can check the fuses in the junction box and the switch and capacitor in the compressor unit. It’s most likely going to be one of those things, and it should run less than $100 even if you replace all three of those parts. Any ac company will charge at least 150 just to come out and change the fuses and up to 300 to come change the switch, so you’re better off watching YouTube videos and trying to do it yourself.

 

[TinkerTanker]

What happens when you turn the AC on and set it to 65 degrees?

 

[Rez Exelon]

Kind of need more details on the HVAC ---
1. When the system is supposed to be on, do you hear the fans running inside the house?
2. When the system is supposed to be on, can you see the fan on the exterior unit running?
3. If the answer to number 2 is a "no" do you hear a humming sound?
4. Most of the exterior units will have a power disconnect in line to them. Might be worth checking it and/or the fuses in it.

The most common failure of an HVAC system this time of year as far as what I know, is the capacitors on the unit. If you have a multimeter worth a darn then you likely have the ability to test that, but first look for obvious failure points such as bulging, leaking, etc on the cap, particularly where the wires connect. If that's the issue, then a quick trip to Grainger will have you fixed for probably 30 bucks. Lots of good Youtube tutorials explaining how to test an AC capacitor.

(Note, I'm not an HVAC pro --- just some cheap homeowner that doesn't like spending money)

On the oven and microwave side, get thee to a Lowe's (and then maybe another and another). You're likely to find scratch and dent/special order returns on clearance, especially early in the week. Also, many "bin stores" that specialize in pallet liquidation will have appliances cheap as well. I recently got a $4000 kitchenaid oven for 500. Granted I'll have to replace the microwave door that the glass broke, but that's a $300 fix. Still a $3200 savings.

 

[eaglerjs]

I am retired hvac contractor, call me and i will walk you thru troubleshooting your system. 918 940 0826. I will gladly help anyone.

 

[TerryMiller]

Look for ants around the outside unit as well. Some years ago, we were in a place to look after property, and when the A/C quit on one of the lodges, we called someone out. They found ants that had gotten up inside the electronics and shorted out the switches or something. After they got it running, I sprayed for the ants and totally cut out some type of tree back there that had ants climbing all over it.

 

[MrChris]

Thanks guys for all the responses. Turns out it was a hidden safety switch that had gone bad and was causing a low voltage situation. Switch bypassed and running like a champ now.

 

[John6185]

Now that the discussion is over, I’ll tell you that I read on Nextdoor-a neighborhood app, that Herman’s Plumbing and A/C service is charging $250.00 per hour. If that is true, it isn’t inflation!