Pseudo A/C Experts Step In Please

[Jeff '79]

So.... It's Africa hot here lately.
My office, bedroom and ensuite has central air.
The other half of my house does not.
My a/c only gets the thermostat down to 74° even though it's set at 72°, consequently it runs all day until the sun gets behind the trees in the west.
Why?
Is the a/c unit too small for the ~650 sq.ft that it services?
Do I need Freon?

This only occurs when the outside temp is above 85°.

[Stangkiller]

Just to confirm, have you cleaned or replaced your air filter recently, is your outside unit nice and clean? Has the AC been able to cool the house in the past?

[Burro (He/Haw)]

Is the a/c unit too small for the ~650 sq.ft that it services?
Maybe. What ton is it?

Do I need Freon?
Maybe, but it'd more than likely be cycling on and off.

[Jeff '79]

Just to confirm, have you cleaned or replaced your air filter recently, is your outside unit nice and clean? Has the AC been able to cool the house in the past?

1) New filter
2) I vacuumed the outside condenser out pre-season. Yep, it's clean.
3) It's tough to say if it has always done this. I've been in this house for 5 years and it always seemed to have a tough time keeping up in very hot weather.

I can tell you that the outside condenser is a Magic Chef, so it is ancient.
I replaced the fan motor in it last year and it runs just fine.
There is no freezing on any of the pipes, just a little condensate where you would inject the Freon.

[Jeff '79]

Maybe. What ton is it?


Maybe, but it'd more than likely be cycling on and off.

I have no Idea what ton it is. I wouldn't even know where to look for that info. The sticker on the condensor is totally faded and illegible.

[LATB]

If it's not keeping up
It's probably a frozen A coil in the air handler.
May need replacement or a charge (freon/"R" product)

[Craig]

Systems lose efficiency with age. How's the humidity feel? If it feels dry, just warm, your system is probably performing correctly, it's just not able to maintain the load given its age.

[Mike Mercury]

It's probably a frozen A coil in the air handler.
May need replacement or a charge (freon/"R" product)

my first thought. At about 5pm or so, physically check the A coil and see if it's iced up.

[mrvette]

Make sure the outside unit has NOTHING growing up around it,

anything closer than 2' is a mess up, I mean BALD DIRT or just grass, unit should be 2' from the closest wall also....

and yes to the freon comments.....

:issues::cert:

[Jeff '79]

Systems lose efficiency with age. How's the humidity feel? If it feels dry, just warm, your system is probably performing correctly, it's just not able to maintain the load given its age.

There is an Aprilaire humidity control on it so it feel good, not humid.

[Jeff '79]

my first thought. At about 5pm or so, physically check the A coil and see if it's iced up.

Where is this A coil you speak of? In the furnace?

Make sure the outside unit has NOTHING growing up around it,

anything closer than 2' is a mess up, I mean BALD DIRT or just grass, unit should be 2' from the closest wall also....

All clear

and yes to the freon comments.....

What does that mean?
:issues::cert:

[LATB]

Where is this A coil you speak of? In the furnace?

If it's not keeping up
It's probably a frozen A coil in the air handler.
May need replacement or a charge (freon/"R" product)

:seasix:

[Jeff '79]

my first thought. At about 5pm or so, physically check the A coil and see if it's iced up.

I have no way to access that w/o pulling the entire furnace out of the closet. The panel facing me has all of the tubes coming out with odd screws that appear to be holding things onto the inside. I'm not taking the chance of making a big problem out of a little one, so that's a no go..
It cycles normally in the night time though, so maybe because it's old, like was said, the efficiency falls off.

[OddBall]

close the window

[lspencer534]

close the window

And turn off the eater.

[Jeff '79]

And turn off the eater.

*heater

[LATB]

I have no way to access that w/o pulling the entire furnace out of the closet. The panel facing me has all of the tubes coming out with odd screws that appear to be holding things onto the inside. I'm not taking the chance of making a big problem out of a little one, so that's a no go..
It cycles normally in the night time though, so maybe because it's old, like was said, the efficiency falls off.

can you remove the return grill and look?