Need help with Central Air

[Bills Custom Calls]

I have been getting a lot of condensation from my central air since this is my 3rd summer with this kind of luxury and the past 2 summers have been trouble free I know nothing about air condition.The inside of the furnace got damp and to what I have been told any water that gets in there is suppose to go down the drain.That was the first thing I checked the drain is open and runs good.With high humidity and temps in the upper 80's to lower 90's I figured the AC was working harder then normal and it would be fine.I was wrong.I found the basement floor soaked with water and the AC not cooling very well at all.No we are not running it.
I am guessing that this unit is low on R 22 and since I can't just run to the store and buy this I am gonna need a service man to fix this problem.

[Carolina Coyote]

Sorry to hear about your problem Bill, wish I could help, I have had mine to break down several times just when I needed it the most, just can't make it with out the air anymore. cc

[HaMeR]

I typed in "central air troubleshooting". Here's a boat load of things to look thru if you're interested.

http://www.google.com/search?q=troubleshooting+central+air&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

[pitw]

 I'd love to help.  Want me to .

[Bills Custom Calls]

I'd love to help.  Want me to .

That scares me right there 

[coyotehunter_1]

Bill,
I'm not a "all around" HVAC service tech but I am certified to trouble shoot and repair certain brands of residential units. I believe you will find if your unit is low on freon that you should be seeing sheet ice forming on the outside unit. The solution to your problem maybe as simple as a dirty air filter, if you cant see light through the filter it needs to be cleaned or replaced. With water in the floor I would also check the drain port (the place on the inside unit's metal cabinet where the condensate discharge pipe hooks up) it maybe stopped up at the unit. Be warned.... inside your basement unit is a part called the "A" coil. If you should take the drain pipe loose don't poke anything like a screwdriver into the hole or you may damage the "A" coil. If you remove the front cover you should see the coil. The top looks like the fins on a car's radiator, looking at the coil from the front it looks like the letter A" , thence the name.  When the unit is running, a fan forces air through the 'A' coil. In AC mode, condensation collects on the coil along with any dust and dirt that gets past the house filter. Also a jelly like mold can build up in the pan under the "A" coil and block the drain. To clean the discharge drain put a garden hose on the end of the condensate drain or use compressed air to blow it out. A shop vac will also often clear the drain if it is not too clogged. To clean the A coil itself take a clean pump up garden sprayer or a good hand pump spray bottle, fill it with a mix of 50-50% white vinegar and pure distilled water. Spray the mix onto the "A"coil, letting it set for 30 minutes or so. Then rinse the coil using water mixed with a good squirt of Dawn hand wash dish detergent.  This may not totally solve your problem(s) but it's something most home owners can do themselves, is a good place to start, and may save yourself a $ervice call. 

[FinsnFur]

I was just going to say that....   But Chet beat me to it.

[coyotehunter_1]

 

I was just going to say that....   But Chet beat me to it.

Mr Jim... I wish you had cause I don't type very fast... it only took me 30 minutes to type that mess. 

[FinsnFur]

  I'll just edit yours and sign my name. There's no sense in both of us going through the misery of typing all that.

[Bills Custom Calls]

Thanks Chet and Jim 

Filter clean,Drain clear used compressed air then run the unit and water flows I have not seen the jelly like mold
so I am guessing I don't have to worry about that
Never thought to look at the unit outside to see if it is freezing up
I used compressed air to clean the A coil but never used vinegar and water

I do have a question for if ya don't mind and Jim don't beat ya to it 
How close to level does the outside unit need to be I have noticed that it is leaning a little bit

Thanks again
Bill

[George Ackley]

the inside of the heater should never get damp or wet, there is a frailer somewhere

the out door unit not sitting level will not effect the cooling only the life span of the unit.

if you low on R22 you have a leak the gas does not dissipate unless there is a leak Once you unit is charged its that way till you get a leak!

Bill, may I ask you some question? I am a HVAC guy, is your unit cooling the home?
is it cooling all day or only for a couple hours?

when running can you tell me if the low side of the out door unit(the low side will be the fatter of the 2 copper lines that connects to the out door unit.} is it sweating when  the unit is running around the valve ? and is the 3/8 line getting hot when its running?

  at the A coil , when the unit starts to run are you getting ice at the low side copper the low side is the larger of the 2 and if your low on gas it will ice up right at the connection on the out side of the coil..

with the unit working fine you should see no ice on the fatter line just it sweating, and the smaller line the 3/8 line should be getting hot .
if your low on gas what you would see is a white coating of ice on the fatter line and this would lead your unit to only cooling for a short time, then the coil will freeze up and not let air get across the coil. it becomes a block of ice . so if your unit stopped cooling and shut down or you shut it down the block of ice will start to defrost when it defrost it will leak everywhere the 3/4 condensation hole just cant handle the amount of water and over flows.

the best thing to do is give me a call today, try my ceill 267-303-7099 witch will be on me today and after 4 you can try me at home..215 203 0775

i am a better ac guy then a computer and spelling guy and i think i can help you better over the phone call me any time.

PS that goes for any fnf brother jugheads

[Bills Custom Calls]

George

I was gone today and just got home,and my wife followed coyotehunter_1  advice on cleaning the A coil and when she started the ac unit up she said the A coil froze up in just a few minutes after she started it

If ya don't mind I could give you a call on Friday if you are available

[George Ackley]

call me on the cell number after 8am buddy