Air conditioner freezing

[webbydude]

Long story short, I'm in the midst of evicting a major dirtbag from a small home I rent. The spiteful little minx (I'd say something else, but this IS an open forum ) left all the windows open and cranked the central AC all the way down to 52 degrees this past weekend.

I can go on and on (and on and on and on...!!) about the other atrocities that were committed to the home, but I digress. When I stopped in tonight, both the outdoor compressor and indoor blower were blowing, but I had no cool air running thru. 'Lo and behold, the insulated copper line from the outdoor compressor to the furnace was completely iced over. My problem and question is, how long does it take for it to thoroughly thaw out? I shut the sucker off for 90 minutes while I mowed the 2 1/2 foot high grass (sorry...am I venting again, LOL?) and tried to fire the AC back up; but no cool air. Am I being too impatient? Should I wait 24 hours for it to thaw? Any thoughts, comments, and/or suggestions would be appreciated in advance. Thanks.

 

[StevenD]

GIve it a day. Once you do that, you need to have the unit checked. It should only do that if its low on freon.

 

[KE4EST]

Yeah I would guess that it is low on freon. Sometimes not though. Give it till Tomorrow.

 

[Van]

Knowing where your at let me ask, has the humidity there been overly high lately? The new work van I had with dish that I had been using for work when I was helping the Toledoe rsp with super dish installs had iced over most of the system in the engine comparment on a morning that was at %100 humidty. Also is the copper line covered in an insulating foam wrap? One line will be smaller than the other that is the return line and this usually gets hot to the touch.

 

[fayrich]

When a thermostat gets "buried" like that, it is common for the indoor coil to freeze up. Give it 24 hours. Also check the furnace filter. If it is plugged up, that could also be contributing. Low air-flow is a no-no. Also make sure that the outdoor condenser coil is free of debris.

 

[Jamey K]

That's happened to me on really hot humid days. Let the fan run until the ice is gone and don't turn the thermostat down past 70.

My AC went out early Sunday morning. Bad valves on the compressor. I have to get a new unit and it will be tomorrow before it gets installed.

It is very humid lately and I'm about to die. I could not have lived in the 1700's. Too damn hot and no AC.

 

[Bountykiller]

AC units only freeze when there is an inccorrect pressure or ammount of coolant (freon is one brand of that) Check the pressure (you likely need a professional to do this and tell you what it should have) Also check that none of the fittings are lose. What a prick to crank it and open the windows!!! hah ;0

-B

 

[Van]

The renter will have to pay the utilities though until its transfered back into the landlords name.

 

[webbydude]

Knowing where your at let me ask, has the humidity there been overly high lately? The new work van I had with dish that I had been using for work when I was helping the Toledoe rsp with super dish installs had iced over most of the system in the engine comparment on a morning that was at %100 humidty. Also is the copper line covered in an insulating foam wrap? One line will be smaller than the other that is the return line and this usually gets hot to the touch.

It was the line covered with insulating wrap that was totally frozen. I went to the basement last night and saw the occasional water drip coming from it. That was my 2nd sign things were bad (the 1st being the thermostat cranked down to 52 and the windows wide open...grrr!!)

 

[webbydude]

When a thermostat gets "buried" like that, it is common for the indoor coil to freeze up. Give it 24 hours. Also check the furnace filter. If it is plugged up, that could also be contributing. Low air-flow is a no-no. Also make sure that the outdoor condenser coil is free of debris.

Yeah, after turning off the unit, I went and checked the furnace filter. Sure enough, it was the same "30 day" filter I put in last August. Very nasty looking. The outdoor unit was pretty much weed free. Even more so now that I cut the "hayfield" backyard. Unbelievable...can't fathom anyone messing over a landlord like this (granted, this is my only property and I'm somewhat of a noob at this).

For the record, it wasn't a dude...but a single mother I rented it out to. And nooooooo...I didn't let her whore her way out of the rent. It was kind of tempting...LOL! 21 year old gal, and MAYBE a size 4 dress. It just seemed too much of a Springer episode if I went "there". Besides, with this job there certainly are better opportunities throughout any given week

At any rate, thanks to everyone. It gives me a rough idea as to what I need to do with the outdoor compressor. It sounds like, as a worst case scenario, that I may need to have a tech recharge the system (praying...crossing fingers...etc).

 

[webbydude]

The renter will have to pay the utilities though until its transfered back into the landlords name.

It's funny you mention that. The former renter got her current b/f to bail her out. Even more funny...this guy is the one who repo'd her car a few weeks back. Not sure how, but she seems to have an uncanny knack for landing on her feet.

 

[Van]

Must be that size four dress, oh well you know what they say about single moms....

 

[Stacy A]

Could it be that she didn't really do that out of spite but rather the AC had already let go and she just opened all the windows and being 21 years stupid didn't think to turn off the AC unit or call the landlord?

 

[Van]

Going by his other hints at acts of negligence and lack of responsibility I would say that it was intentional specialy as cranking up the a/c in the summer with the windows open or the heat in the winter is a common abuse tactic used by the dregs of the rental world.

 

[webbydude]

Could it be that she didn't really do that out of spite but rather the AC had already let go and she just opened all the windows and being 21 years stupid didn't think to turn off the AC unit or call the landlord?

That would ALMOST be a possibility, except when I swung by last week (Thursday) to check on the house and her progress in moving out, the thermostat was turned off. Due to the fact I had a showing to a potential tenant, I showed up 30 minutes prior to assess the situation and cool the house down before he got there. Ugh...what disaster that was trying to explain to the dude, "hey..sorry the place is trashed, but she's still in the midst of moving out" After said showing, I turned it off.

When I swung by again last Monday it was not only on, but the thermostat was cranked down...waaaaaaaaay down. Nobody in their right mind cranks it down to 52 AND leaves the windows wide-ass open. Especially when I know I had it set to 76 four days prior AND had shut it off

 

[Van]

hey webby I found a larger size of your avatar.

 

[Derwin0]

Nobody in their right mind cranks it down to 52 AND leaves the windows wide-ass open.

You'd be surprised. My wife has turned down the thermostat before thinking it would cool the house down faster.

 

[chadzx11]

You are a heck of a dude. There is no way I would rent to anyone with kids or pets (sometimes the two aren't so different). I've been to way too many shitholes to go down that route. I just don't see how you dudes can make any money renting to those types of people.

I applaud you for taking the chance. If she had come to me, she'd be living under a bridge, or I might have told her to take it to her baby's daddy.

Also, you may see it as a 'knack for landing on her feet,' more likely, it is a knack for laying on her back. Sorry. Just cynical.

 

[Van]

You are a heck of a dude. There is no way I would rent to anyone with kids.

Now that would be funny to see you do that as a rental property owner, probably last only about after the first or second single parent went to the states fair housing commision or renters rights board and ou found yourself standing before a judge, you cant discriminate against children when renting, leasing, or selling a property just as you cant against anyone else based on race, religion, creed, or sexual preference.

 

[webbydude]

Now that would be funny to see you do that as a rental property owner, probably last only about after the first or second single parent went to the states fair housing commision or renters rights board and ou found yourself standing before a judge, you cant discriminate against children when renting, leasing, or selling a property just as you cant against anyone else based on race, religion, creed, or sexual preference.

How very true

And let's face facts, most renters are either (a) young couples just starting out (Oh how I wish I could find one of those), (b) senior citizen who just had a spouse die and can't afford to maintain the old house, or (c) single mothers.

Don't laugh, the leading candidate for the next tenant is a gay guy and his b/f. The funny thing is he has absolutely NO problem with the one bedroom being painted violet (insert joke/comment at ANY time...LOL).