Air Conditioning: If it Ain't Broke, Don't Replace It!

My AC went out in the middle of the boiling summer heat. The system turned on but no air came through the vents.

So I did what anyone would do, I called an HVAC technician to look at my central unit. For legal purposes, let's call him, "Julien".

With some passing small talk and a quick look at my unit he said, "The inside of your unit is frozen solid. That means you probably have a refrigerant leak. That being said, there's nothing I can do today until the ice melts."

Julien: "Just to find the leak is a $400 charge, then you'll have to buy any replacement parts needed to fix it. I suggest a whole new unit. We can get the sales team out here to suggest options for you but the cheapest unit we offer is around 14."

Me: "1400?"

Julien: "No, $14000."

Seeing the look of terror on my face, "Julien" started setting up the sales team appointment.

With no better options, I decided to wait it out. Over two days, I probably called 50 different businesses looking for better deals, with no success. So, I did what anybody in this economy would, I made do.

Two portable fans and a borrowed window unit later, I was finally able to get some peace from 90-degree heat. We're living high now, down to 85 degrees.

Luckily, I was able to get a second opinion from another technician. Let’s call him “Kevin”.

After checking my indoor filter to see if it was clogged, he found that wasn’t the issue. The filter was relatively clean, the thermostat worked, and the system fan turned on.

He also tested the system pressure to determine if there was a leak. And, (to absolutely no one's surprise) there was no refrigerant leak.

Kevin looked at my outdoor unit and immediately noticed a lot of overgrown bushes around it.

Kevin: "Your system needs to breathe to circulate properly. That could be the issue right there. When the system can't breathe all that refrigerant sits there and freezes."

My system froze due to poor airflow.

The central unit did not have a seamless flow of warm air cause the bushes around it. Since the warm air had nowhere to go, the freezing temps of the refrigerant froze over the coils. The freezing climate of the system formed an ice block that completely blocked air passageways. No heat absorption leads to higher utility bills, a hotter home, and frozen coils.

In my case, there were blocked airways but your home might suffer from a different issue. Other reasons an AC unit might not blow cold air include:

• Clogged air filters
• Closed or blocked vents/returns
• Clogged or Damaged Ducts
• Power failure
• Closed interior doors
• Dirty Condenser Coil or Dirty Evaporator Coil
• Broken wires
• Thermostat malfunction
• Refrigerant Leak
• Poor Insulation
• Faulty Capacitor

Do's

• ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, get a second or even third or fourth opinion. What started off being a $14000 problem with one technician, became a $300 dollar problem with the second. I saved thousands just by shopping around.
• Make do, with what you have. If you can't afford the options presented to you, get a portable ac, fans, or a window unit (if you're lucky) to offset the heat. Never feel forced to purchase an expensive unit, even if the licensed professional is pushy.
• Ask a lot of questions! Don't let the tech speed the conversation along. If you don't understand something, ask.
• Landscape! Do the work to prevent your AC from going out. Cut back bushes and trees around your central or outdoor unit. That helps prevent leaves, branches, and critters from finding their way in.
• Regularly wash the outside of your system with a hose. Dirt can build up on the outside and a simple 10-minute wash can prevent damage down the line.

Don't

• Don't accept the first answer to the problem.
• Don't forget to clean-up around your unit.
• Don't try to fix or replace air conditioner parts with a license. This can void your warranty and cause more damage to your unit.