Ok. I need help. My AC unit outside was sounding weird. It was alot louder and had a faint rattle. I wasn’t thinking much of it, but my wife asked why it was on anyways because we’ve had the heat on for a week. I didn’t have an answer for her. I heard it again tonight and went out to see. There is ice around that insulated pipe ( condensate or refrigerant line?) which is odd because the temperature is above freezing. The heater is gas, and so far I think that it is still working. What gives? I was going to ask the HVAC guys at the job, but I realized that none of them speak english.
I don’t know a thing about HVAC. Somebody who does please explain to me in great boring detail what could be going on, and how I go about fixing it. The unit is only about three and a half years old, but I can’t tell you off-hand the name brand.
Replies
Is this a heat pump
You have some control issue. Leaving the outside unit in that condition will ruin it. Find the breaker in the house that shuts the outside unit down and turn it off. Call a HVAC guy to fix.
first i take it that this is not a heat pump?
what was said about a controler is correct. two things i would start with. first in the furnace there is a switch relay that turns the outside unit on,usally has about 5 wires to it and is about 2"x3". you might replace that,cost is around 15 .00.
the other thing is the thermastat.if it's a cheapy i might throw a new one on before the relay,if it's a 125.00 digital i'd do the relay first.
in the meantime throw the 220 to the air unit cause it's hard on them to run when it's real cold.
if a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
Sorry for the late response. Posted right before bed, then had to work.
No, it isn't a heat pump. The gas furnace is in the attic, and the AC sits on a pad outside. I figured it had to be some sort of relay, but again, I know nothing about them. I threw the disconnect first thing when I saw the ice. The thermostat was moved to a different wall about a year ago, I re-wired it the same way I disconnected it, and the AC ran all summer with no problems. Is there a way to test the relay before I start ripping that thing apart?
first disconnect power to the outside unit... you should have a disconnect within sight...
under the panel where the wires go into the unit... there is a magnetic contactor... for some reason this is activated... 24v from your thermostat... it could be frozen/rusted on and not be powered on... rare but it could happen... chances are you have a jumper or wire wrong on your thermostat so that you are power'n up your contactor... should be a simple fix... there shouldn't be anything in your furance that controls the outside unit unless the outside units contactor is called for from the contactor that calls for the blower motor...
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ponytl ,your right about the fan control relay there is a relay inside his furnace also,it usally looks like this http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-FURNACE-FAN-CONTROL-RELAY-24-V-TIME-DELAY-OFF_W0QQitemZ170237482372QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116 ,sorry i don't know how to do just the pic.!~! heres a pic of the contactor in the outside unit http://cgi.ebay.com/Air-Conditioner-24-volt-Contactor-Relay-1-Single-Pole_W0QQitemZ370053359968QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116
but you are right in that the contactor out in the unit is engaged, for what ever reason.either this fan relay is bad,the low voltage contactor is froze shut or the thermastat.
i think the thermastat needs looked at since it has been recently rewired. make sure you have the wires connected for the furnace and air correctly,and not wired together ,if that happened then when the thermastat siganaled for the heat it would also send juice to the air. during summer the furnace might not kkick on because the pilot is shut off so you wouldn't notice it.if a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
There should/may be an electrical disconnect within sght of the outside unit (usually required by code to have a disconnect within sight). Turn it off ... then read the other posts ... you got a control problem ... unless it is a heat pump and it is trying to heat, but not thinking that is the case.