I hope your AC is up and running soon. No AC in the heat is really, really miserable.

(((hugs))) no fun. And crossing all I gots, that it's an easy/quick fix.

A heat pump? Did it make squeaking noises before it went out?

Don't worry about it, you have a big rainstorm coming from the west and just now touching Louisville. This should cool you down.

Nicole, do you mean the money squeak HAVC companies love to hear?

Have you removed the filter and tried the AC? you will know quickly if the filter is your problem. Its OK to run your AC for a few minutes without a filter.

I feel you! When it was summer here in January, our AC completely died (it was over 20 years old and had been repaired a couple of times with parts adapted to suit as original ones are no longer available). It was over 40C / 104F here for days. The local firm which originally installed it said they couldn't get to us to even look at it for at least three months (ack!) so we contacted a firm in the next town who installed a new system about 2 weeks later. That was a LOOOOONG two weeks, I can tell you.

Yeah, unless the filter is chock full of muck completely blocking air flow, that may not be the problem.

Do you have a cool basement you can hang out in?

I think I would cry with no ac in this weather. Hope its solved soon

I was sure this was gonna be a covid thread! But that's what's on my mind as my wife is sick and tested positive last night. Coincidentally I checked one of my filters this morning and it's bad. That's no way to treat my old units!

In addition to trying it without the filter as Maddielee suggested, it's possible the condenser froze up due to restricted airflow. If that's the case and you shut it off last night, you should be good to go now for a bit with the old filter as you wait for the replacement.

FOAS I'm so sorry that your wife has Covid. I hope she recovers quickly with no lasting effects, and I hope you don't get it. Tell her please that we are thinking of her.

Kevin, I hope you're right, we need some relief! FOAS, I'm sorry your wife is sick, hope she recovers soon, and hope you don't get that nasty bug too. Prayers for both of you.

Oh well, something turned and pushed the rainstorm up into Illinois, so sorry.

I was guessing COVID for sure too. I know a few people who are currently sick with it.

Kath, I'm sorry. No AC in this weather is brutal.

I always think about my parents. They grew up without air conditioning. Heck, the 2nd floor of my dad's childhood home didn't really even have insulation. He liked to take a glass of water to bed and in the winter it would freeze overnight. Whenever my power goes out, I tell myself he survived and I'm sure I can too.... That thought never really helps me much either though. Ha.

Anyway, please accept my wishes that whatever is wrong is easily remedied.

It took me a few years to think of this but I now have a portable shop A/C as back-up. When anything happens with the central air I can just roll it in and stick the exhaust hose out the kitchen window. It manages to cool and maintain about 1800 square feet. Best $300ish I ever spent in my life. Takes up little space in the garage.

I am currently feeding parts to a 20 year Carrier system because the new units are made cheaper now. The repair guy just told me that a new law just passed that is going to require TX and FL to have units with heat pumps in the future. Because TX has a stupid solo electrical grid system and people froze to death their last year with no heat, now we have to have heat pumps? I don’t need a heat pump. I think I turned the heat on maybe 4-5 times last year. I usually use the fireplace instead. Now I have to find out if it is too late to get the old style.

Oh and he also told me that the new law will cost FL and TX the most and both states turned down the Federal credits that could have been available to help us.

It was the capacitor. ) : Air back on now.

Nicole, no squeaking noise.

Colleen, that's awful! I used to use a local company, who I bought the heat pump from, but a couple years ago they sent a new guy out and he wanted me to buy a brand new heat pump. So, I went with this company out of Lexington. They are much quicker. Old company might have come out tonight or tomorrow possibly. This one came out less than 2 hours after I called them. I still buy my filters from the old company since they're less than a minute drive from my house and Wal-mart and Lowes don't seem to carry my size.

Filter went up from $6 to $10 since last year when I bought the last one!

Bpath, no basement but the ceiling fans make it bearable.

foodonastump, that's what I thought it was at first and had it off for awhile, but that wasn't it. Sorry to hear your wife is sick, hope she gets better quickly.

Joan, I think my computer knew somehow yesterday that my a/c was going to go out. I was watching youtube videos in the morning and a little portalbe cooling gadget kept popping up on multiple videos I was watching.

I had that same problem last year, and it was fairly inexpensive and a fast fix.

Which is sort of what I wished you earlier. I hope my wish helped 😉

My niece's AC went out 2 weeks ago and it required a coolant recharge. Come to find out that her interior filter had not been changed for over 3 years too (ugh) but low coolant was the main problem. The air handler filter should be changed every 3 months for maximum efficiency and clean air recirculation. Hope your system is an easy fix Kathsgrdn.

" Because TX has a stupid solo electrical grid system and people froze to death their last year with no heat, now we have to have heat pumps? "

Forced air systems with gas furnaces similarly don't function if the electricity is out. Though, they require less electricity to run (I'm thinking for those using a generator).

" AC went out 2 weeks ago and it required a coolant recharge. "

If the leaking point isn't found and repaired, the system will continue to lose coolant and cease functioning. Recharging a leaking system is a temporary band aid at best. An expensive band aid.

Thought so! That's pretty common. Glad you have AC again!

I’m glad your AC is back on!

My capictor is almost yearly at this point. It is exposed to the FL sun and it’s a really old unit. It only takes him a few minutes to swap it out. He doesn’t even turn the unit off to change it out. I have zero complaints these days.

AC has always been less common in the PNW and mostly unneeded, but the summers have gotten somewhat brutal (for us). AC is still not common in older homes. Most apartments are built with electric baseboard heat, so no option for central air. Most apartments prohibit window AC units and definitely don’t provide them. It is heartbreaking to see all the posts on social media during a heat wave by people with limited funds who are sweltering in their homes begging for free AC portable units because they and their children are suffering so. We who have AC are very lucky. I’m glad yours was quickly fixed.

" If the leaking point isn't found and repaired, the system will continue to lose coolant and cease functioning. Recharging a leaking system is a temporary band aid at best. An expensive band aid. "

Yep true. My niece had just had a knee replacement so she needed that AC in this heat and will address future repairs once she has fully recovered. Probably just a slow leak over time and hopefully the repair guy checked for the leak source. Today (10 days later) she's cool.

JoanM, I'm not an HVAC tech but I think capacitors can be expected to last well more than a few years. Maybe something else is causing them to fail or the company you're using is putting in low quality parts.

Good luck.