Help Your A/C

[tuckahoe]

During times of extreme heat, it is hard for your air conditioner to transfer heat to the already hot outside air. An A/C guy told me long ago to spray the coils with water from your garden hose. It helps to cool them down and make your A/C more effective. The coils are the thingys in your outside unit that have the fins on them.
It doesn't hurt to sprinkle down your roof also.

[Parttimehobbyist]

I had AC issues as well. Had to turn the AC off for 2 hrs and turn fan unit on so the condenser coil can thaw out since it was frozen solid. It works now. If you haven’t had your AC serviced in years it’s probably time to do so

[CatMan4u]

All the above comments are good
You also might want to check your attic insulation you should have a R 30 that will also keep the heat from radiat down. Plus it will make your heating this winter less

Second a power attic fan will also remove some of the heat

[tuckahoe]

Originally Posted by CatMan4u

All the above comments are good
You also might want to check your attic insulation you should have a R 30 that will also keep the heat from radiat down. Plus it will make your heating this winter less

Second a power attic fan will also remove some of the heat

Good tips! It looks like energy costs may really go up.

[Post apocalyptic lvr]

Heat pumps are are great.you run it in reverse and they expell heated air,and make your cooling unit work more efficiently.

[mufffDiver72]

Running a dehumidifier helps a lot also.
Getting your indoor air humidity down below 60% makes 75F feel like upper 60’s.
Plus you remove the likelihood of mold growing in those low circulation areas of your home.
If a power attic vent isn’t in your budget, a good passive way to let your attic vent is with a ridge vent.
Of course, you have to have vented soffits for this to work.
Stay cool.

[sas72032]

Originally Posted by Parttimehobbyist

I had AC issues as well. Had to turn the AC off for 2 hrs and turn fan unit on so the condenser coil can thaw out since it was frozen solid. It works now. If you haven’t had your AC serviced in years it’s probably time to do so

If your lines freeze on your AC it’s an indication you are low on refrigerant. Thawing it out is a patch, but it will continue to freeze until you have refrigerant added. You probably have a pinhole leak in system. The higher the pressure of the refrigerant the warmer it gets. When it loses pressure it freezes. It sounds backwards but your refrigerant needs to be warm to keep you cool

[sas72032]

Originally Posted by tuckahoe

During times of extreme heat, it is hard for your air conditioner to transfer heat to the already hot outside air. An A/C guy told me long ago to spray the coils with water from your garden hose. It helps to cool them down and make your A/C more effective. The coils are the thingys in your outside unit that have the fins on them.
It doesn't hurt to sprinkle down your roof also.

Washing down your outside unit is good as you build up dust on the fins and coils which effects how efficiently it cools. Washing your unit down occasionally cleans the coils and makes it more efficient. Also periodically if you have a lot of trees you need to remove the screen and clean out the leaves that fall through the screen and build up over time around the compressor. Anything that reduces air flow through the coils affects your systems ability to cool.

[tuckahoe]

Originally Posted by mufffDiver72

Running a dehumidifier helps a lot also.
Getting your indoor air humidity down below 60% makes 75F feel like upper 60’s.
Plus you remove the likelihood of mold growing in those low circulation areas of your home.
If a power attic vent isn’t in your budget, a good passive way to let your attic vent is with a ridge vent.
Of course, you have to have vented soffits for this to work.
Stay cool.

I used to run a dehumidifier, and it did what you say.
The trouble is finding one reliable enough to run more than a couple of years, if even that long.
I used to get them from Sears and buy their protection plan. They usually replaced with a new unit instead of repairing. The protection plan wasn't cheap, but it was much cheaper than constantly buying new units. That is all a thing of the past now.
Maybe I will be able to diagnose the one I have now, and get a new part. Don't have time to tear into it right now.

[pluckmeup]

Thanks for the info on the dehumidifier. Ill have to look into this.

[fly]

Originally Posted by sas72032

If your lines freeze on your AC it’s an indication you are low on refrigerant. Thawing it out is a patch, but it will continue to freeze until you have refrigerant added. You probably have a pinhole leak in system. The higher the pressure of the refrigerant the warmer it gets. When it loses pressure it freezes. It sounds backwards but your refrigerant needs to be warm to keep you cool

Or it could be restricted airflow (VERY dirty filters).