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raf007

Need an Idea of what it's going to cost to Fix AC

raf007
9 years ago

Well i'm a newbie here so go easy on me, I live in Florida so AC is pretty much a must so i'm kinda in a bind here. Before i make a service call i would love to know if any experts here can tell me if it's going to cost me a lot to fix. Basically a few days ago it stopped blowing any cold air no matter how low i set the thermostat. Friend looked at it said it might be freon that it needs, but he's no expert.

Since it's central air there is an inside unit and i notice that water(liquid) is leaking from it, not a lot of it but enough to notice. Just today the thermostat went kaput, blank display and it doesn't take batteries either i've checked. So basically that's it, i've tried to stick it out with no AC but because i'm a student i don't have that much money to throw around.

If anyone has any experience or has had something like this happen to their AC what should i expect? is it going to break the bank for me to fix it?

Comments (4)

  • tigerdunes
    9 years ago

    Sounds to me there are 2 issues here. First a bad thermostat, next problem at condenser. Really not enough info here to say. If it's not a failed compressor and nothing in control cabinet damaged such as wiring, the cost to fix could be up to $500 but that takes in bad case scenario. Could be much less. If it is a leak, do not accept a gas n go without determining where leak is located and if it is repairable.

    How old is system? When was it last service?

    IMO

  • raf007
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Well it came with the house so about 7 years give or take and while it was serviced i can't remember how long ago it was. Just messing around with it myself i think i found out why the thermostat when bonkers it's because of (i think the emergency shut off) it has water in it so i guess it automatically shuts it off. My friend said i'm shockingly low on freon but i'm not sure it's just that. If i recharge the freon will it stop water from pooling into that pipe that will shut off the Ac System?

  • mike_home
    9 years ago

    This sounds like a condensation water over flow switch tripped and shut down the AC. If the refrigerant is low it could cause the coil to freeze up. At some point the ice melted and caused the overflow. The condensation drain may be blocked. This is another problem which will need to be resolved.

    I suggest you call a service company and ask how much it will cost to come to your place to diagnose the problem. At a minimum you will have to pay for a service call. They should then give you an estimate to fix each problem. You must have a leak if the refrigerant is low. The right way to do this is to repair the leak and add refrigerant. The condensation drain could be something simple as cleaning the trap.

  • over40
    9 years ago

    Sounds like the condensate drain is clogged up, causing the system to shut off.
    I would take a shop vac, and suck out the line outside the house. I do this at the start and end of ac season in SW FL where I live.
    This may be the only problem.
    If the thermostat still doesn't work, I would open the air handler and check for a 3 amp inline fuse. On a new system I had installed, the fuse blew. Don't know why, but a new fuse cured it, and hasn't blown again.
    In the air handler there should be a 24 volt transformer to give the thermostat power. Check for power there. Maybe the float shut off switch is stuck in the open position.
    Just curious why your friend thinks it's low on freon?
    Let us know how you make out.

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