HVAC Systems Fail to Cool, Cause Worry
Homeowners are experiencing issues with their HVAC systems, including insufficient cooling, potential refrigerant leaks, condensation problems, and damage from improper installation. These issues lead to discomfort and financial concerns.
SOURCES (60)
“Hello, and thanks for any advice. History of this unit its a trane xr 3 ton about 4 years old. It worked just fine no issues, then last fall we decided to replace the furnace itself. Technician had to evacuate system and remove ac coil…”
“Looking online has got me worried about a refrigerant leak. Should I be concerned? submitted by /u/leastcreativeusrname [link] [comments]”
“We have been having issues with our HVAC system cooling but not well, 4°-6° difference in return and intake. We have had 4 different techs out already, just background info. I noticed that if I set my thermostat to 75° the unit will run at 76° and not seem to get down to 75°, so it's always running. But if I put my thermostat up to 78° the unit will get down to 79° and keep on running. Doesn't seem to matter what temp I set it at it always stays just above so the system is always running”
“My AC is still blowing cold air, but I noticed some light icing on the outside unit’s coils. I’m not sure how serious it is, but it doesn’t seem like something that should be happening, especially since we replaced the entire HVAC system about 2.5 years ago. Sorry for the potato quality video. It’s all I have at the moment. Does this look normal, or is it something I should have checked out? Any insight would be appreciated. submitted by /u/Stinkypottss [link] [comments]”
“Family friend came over -checked attic to make sure the water was flowing properly (good) -swapped capacitor - Checked refrigerant( good levels) The new issue I’m having is that the A/C cuts off. Idk what to do submitted by /u/ConstructionPrize459 [link] [comments]”
“My AC unit stopped working, so I removed its plastic shell to more easily clean the dust off. Then I noticed this goo that seems to be dripping down from the electrical panel. Does anyone know what this could be? Is it harmless, a minor problem a professional can repair, or a sign that I should (safely) dispose of the unit? Thanks in advance! P.S. Yes this is a portable unit; yes it’s single hose; yes I know that’s terribly inefficient. If it‘s kicked the bucket, then I’ll go looking for a dual-”
“4 year old central unit is blowing warm air and running non stop for the past hour. If I turn it off, the temperature in my home will probably reach 90 tonight. Is keeping it running as is going to hurt the unit? I am located in a very hot desert climate and have 4 pets in my home. I can endure the heat but feel bad for my pets. I just scheduled an AC technician for tomorrow morning. Please advise submitted by /u/Theresnolight5 [link] [comments]”
“My house has 2 units. Upstairs is from 2009. Downstairs went out and was replaced last year. Both units get serviced every 6 months. Upstairs unit struggles to cool to desired temperature. For example, it may be 93 degrees outside and I try to set it to 71 degrees upstairs but the unit never actually gets to that setting - instead it may go up to 74 or 75 degrees. Rather than push it, I then bump it up to 74 to keep it steady for fear it may break the system. Is it just expected that this is the”
“Hi Everyone, I am replacing my AC but have got two separate quotes one with coils one without new coils. It is about a $2000 difference. The company has said that if the coils are done later its going to be more expensive as my AC unit is not accessible and is a rooftop one. I am leaning to just getting both replaced but just wondering if there are any other thoughts on only replacing the outside unit and not the coils? The home is about 12 years old now. I also want to know if a warranty is wor”
“We have been having issues with our upstairs being very hot. We rent, the a/c unit was changed about a month ago but it didn't help the temps upstairs. The airflow is barely existent. Last night a tech explained the ductwork is very badly done, there aren't nearly enough return air vents (there's 3 in a 2200sqft house), and the windows are shot but one thing he suggested was switching from the very restrictive fancy filters currently being used to the cheapest fiberglass ones we can”
“Does anyone have experience successfully claiming AC replacement for evaporator coil leakage issue with Statefarm under their Home Systems Protection plan? I understand evaporator coil leakage is categorized as pinhole/deterioration/corrosion type and wondering if HSB still considers this as sudden breakdown of the equipment given that AC stopped working suddenly. Thanks much! submitted by /u/onering2rulethmall [link] [comments]”
“Our AC went out yesterday and they havent given us a time that theyre gunna fix it yet, we're on the top floor of 3 stories, I am aware of rising heat and crawl space heat radiation. We only have West facing windows but we do have 100% blackout double layered curtains on all the windows, we left the windows open til 9am, had fans in the windows but it only ever got down to about 82° inside and now its almost 2pm and its 86° inside (94° outside) and peak temps arent for another 3 hours so Im”
“I have a 22 y.o. 3300 sf rancher with basement. The original AM STD heat pump system died 2 yrs ago with the EVAP coil in the air handler letting R410 leak out (ALWAYS when it's 90° outside). The outside compressor AMSTD GOLD 3T mfg 2012 seemed ok so I went with an ADP generic A coil inside. It has 10 more years warranty and seems to be doing fine. I asked the local AMSTD wholesaler about replacing the 14 y.o. outside coil/compressor/ fan unit and they said, since R 410 is now history here i”
“hi friends! it’s been in the 90s here in West Virginia along with very strong humidity, I have my thermostat set to 70, and it gets up to 77, 78 on these hot days 🥵 I have a home warranty, I’ve had them out here once this summer to check on things and the capacitor was replaced, that seemed to help a little, should I have them come back out? when looking at my unit it is older than 20 years, so I know that could be a factor, the HVAC company that gave me a quote for replacement as well told me”
“My thermostat is set at 71 and the outside temperature has been between 85-90. The thermostat is reading 76 and it will not cool down. We had a professional come take a look at the AC unit and they cleaned the pipes and checked all units and said everything was working fine. The filters were also just changed. They said it could be because our AC units are in the attic with no ventilation so it could be 140 or so on the 100+ days. We had a few days in the 100s (NJ) and they said if the AC is at”
“Sorry for TL;DR Location: La Quinta, CA (desert — regular 110°+ summers). Rooftop package… actually split system, condenser on a flat roof. Home is a second property, currently unoccupied. System: • Outdoor: original 2016 York condenser, 5 ton, R-410A (model YCS60B21SA) • Indoor: Aspen evaporator coil + furnace, replaced last year (2025), R-410A (coil model CE60A34-210R-004) • So the indoor side is ~1 year old; the outdoor unit is ~10 years old. What happened: System started losing cooling at pe”
“I thought surely someone must've asked this before, but I can't find it if so. submitted by /u/-lousyd [link] [comments]”
“I just moved into a new rental home and it seems like my AC is struggling to keep the house cold. I had it set to 74-76 the past few days and it doesn't get below 79 degrees during the day no matter what. The blinds are also all closed to prevent extra heat from getting in. At this point it seems like I'm just wasting energy and money since it's always trying to cool the house nearly all day. I took pictures of my AC closet and the unit in my backyard in hopes you guys notice somethi”
“I'm a 38 year old Canadian who never had AC at home, so I know nothing about it. For the past 14 years, I managed to cool my apartment with a window fan, but my situation has changed that the humidity has been really affecting me mentally this year, along with excessive sweating due to my mediation and the fact I'm home all day. Anyhow, here are the facts: My apartment is around 120 sq. feet (it's a converted garage). I am unsure whether to get a 5,000 or 6,000 BTU. I would prefer so”
“Hi. I live in an apartment and it’s 90 degrees ish and humid outside. My hvacs can’t keep up with the heat. Is there any was to try and cool my place down. I have a dog and I’m worried about him while I’m at work. submitted by /u/Liefinthewind17 [link] [comments]”
“Outside temp was around 90 degrees. Inside temp is 88 vent temp is 82. My technician told me numbers looks good but house is not cooling down. submitted by /u/HeleWale [link] [comments]”
“Purchased a home three months ago, the Della 18,000 BTU minisplit that handles the open concept living room and kitchen has been giving me fits. Was only able to cool the room to about 80F during peak hot days here in middle Tennessee, until about a week ago I wake up and it’s leaking water out the front. I go outside and see that both copper lines are encased in ice. Had a tech come out “identify and fix the leak” and refill the freon for around $400. The inside of the house is fine but the out”
“Just had a condo fan coil inspection and they left a note that the actuator is open. I haven’t had any issues with the temperature at all. Is this something I need to address immediately? submitted by /u/KHiltrud [link] [comments]”
“Putting an ac in my parents’ house, which brand do you prefer/recommend? I’ve installed both while in the field, however I’ve never had ac in my house, so I don’t know which brand works better. Thanks for the help! submitted by /u/Ok-Pension-1832 [link] [comments]”
“Came home to the house at 80 degrees. Checked the ac and it looks like the fan motor or something is dead. Is this fixable? submitted by /u/saxplayer13 [link] [comments]”
“Just bought a house but the primary bedroom and living/dining room area don’t get cool. The return is on the wall at floor level below what I believe is the heater (photo in post). Our inspection said the ac unit and heater was “at life.” The return is full of dust and hair that we’ll need to vacuum and it also has an open space to the tub (photo in post with orange arrow). The inspector wrote “Air flow was weak / inconsistent / no flow at one or more registers. We recommend further evaluation b”
“Hello, Looking for advise on how to handle a very noisy evaporator coil. The unit is located in the garage and shares a wall with the living room. The return is on the bottom left of the unit (2nd picture). Third picture is the living room wall for the return. Any advise is appreciated! Thank you https://preview.redd.it/ehm1x7bv8bdh1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=60743fcab8ca1abb084bdef5d471092723a84ebe https://preview.redd.it/n316l7bv8bdh1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&”
“Moved into my house summer of last year. My son’s and guest room were warm, my room was fine. We got the windows done last year and added insulation couple months ago. My upstairs (including my room) is now warmer than it was last year. Right now it’s 7 degrees higher than downstairs (the heat wave it felt so stuffy). HVAC came through and adjusted the dampers, but it’s not better. From an HVAC stand point, the unit is fine. Is there something they are missing or i should check? I just don’t und”
“Our HVAC system is 6 years old and we are being told that our evaporator coil needs replacement. We wonder if a second opinion would be useful? We have a 3,000 sq ft home with a large 2 story living room and cat walk, so an immense amount of heat rises. We have owned this home for 4 years and in the summer, the upstairs is always 4-5 degrees hotter. We get it serviced and have been told it is normal. This year it was significantly worse and basically stopped cooling upstairs, it's now 10 deg”
“Hi! Coming here to see if anyone knows/have encountered anything similar? I live in toronto ontario in a condo apartment, and with the heat wave today going up to 40C in the city I noticed that my unit was not cooling, and was stuck at 25C (i usually have it set at 22C). I opened the unit to see whats going on and everything seems to be running fine, no water overflowing in drip pan either, but a mysterious orange cube appeared. I included some photos of the unit but wondered if anyone knows whe”
“Hi folks, our ac unit has been struggling during the hot summers for the past 5 years. During the past year, the Freon was replaced, the compressor was replaced, the indoor unit was replaced. It was stable for a year and then it started to struggle again. This time it was all electricals. The capacitor last year, this year a blown fuse. Currently, my fuse was replaced and 5 days after, the outdoor unit failed again. I tried replacing the capacitor to no avail and I haven’t had a chance to replac”
“Ok bear with me. Total HVAC noob here. We were told the house has central air. There are vents in all the rooms. They blow air but it’s not cooling the house down. Even when thermostat is set to cool and 70 degrees. I’m confused because everything is telling me to check the outdoor unit, but there’s nothing outside of our house that resembles an AC unit. Just a couple of PVC tubes coming out of the wall. Help! Did we get scammed with an incomplete system? Or am I missing something submitte”
“I have a Gree mini split system (model no. MULTI30HP230V1CO) with three heads (model no. LIVV12HP230V1AH). They were hardly cooling at all after cleaning the filters and outside coils so I just had a tech out. He found one leak but suspected more, topped off with 12 oz of refrigerant and gave me this quote to finish the job. Would love any insight on the quote, I just blacked out the savings from the annual "maintenance plan." I plan to call around but my area seems limited in companie”
“We have 3 ACs in our apartment. A wall unit and two 10000 BTU portable ACs. We live in a second floor apartment with south and west facing windows. We CANNOT get our apartment to cool off. The wall AC used to be enough to cool down the apartment, so much that I would be wearing a robe in the middle of summer. One day that stopped being enough and we added the first portable AC. Soon we added the second portable AC to our master bedroom to keep it habitable. Now it feels like NONE of our ACs are”
“Caveat: I know absolutely nothing about hvac so please bear with me. My outside AC unit has suddenly stopped running in the middle of a brutal heatwave and I haven’t been able to get anyone to look at it yet so I’m trying to diagnose it myself before my kids melt. On the thermostat everything appears normal. It claims it’s trying to tell the AC unit to run. On the outdoor unit the capacitor appears to be intact and if I manually engage the contactor it starts right up and appears to run normally”
“Our a/c struggled with a recent heat wave - heat index was about 110, it got up to 90 in the house at one point. It was in my list to get serviced and checked out, but today it made a grinding noise, stopped working and smoked. This is the outside unit of our central air. It was added after the house was built so it’s separate from our heat (hot water baseboards). Any chance I might not need a whole new unit? If I do, does that mean I need a whole new system, including the part in the attic? For”
“I'm looking for thoughts on this AC problem. I live in a mobile home in AZ and have central air(traditional split system). During the hours when the condenser is not in direct sun the system will cool, but not as well as it should. Once it gets to roughly 9:30 AM and the sun has been directly on the condenser for a few hours, the cooling drops drastically to the point where the air coming out of the registers is 75 deg or even a bit higher. At that point I turn the system off and wait until”
“Have a small refrigerant leak I need repaired in a water source heat pump in my condo. Everything is self contained in my mechanical closet inside. VSAT is sitting too low at 28 and causes the AC coils to freeze below 73. Also needs about 2.5 lbs of refrigerant topped up. Its a Daikan unit. Have had 2 different techs from residential companies come out and confirm but they could not order the part and fix bc they do not service commercial units. 1 commercial company wanted $200 to do their own i”
“First, thank you all for doing what you do here! Not sure where else to turn after talking to several HVAC companies. The issue is what you’d expect, upstairs is a good 10-15 degrees hotter consistently, especially with the brutal summer temps. (And stays too cold in the winter). Our two floor HVAC system has no dampers in the duct work, according to the HVAC techs. There is a main return on the first floor with great suction, and two smaller returns on the second floor, only one of which passed”
“Hi guys I filmed this water dripping next to my ac units outside. Is this normal cooling water dripping or there is a leak somewhere? Thanks! submitted by /u/Traditional_Dig_8292 [link] [comments]”
Ac went out a year ago fixed it ran it fine for a week we replaced the motor and connectors then it decided to blow hot air and make this noise anyone…
“I noticed this afternoon that my AC was running, but what was coming out of the vents didn't seem particularly strong and less cool than normal. The house was about 8 degrees warmer than the thermostat was set to. I went out side and checked the unit, and it was off, however it kicked back on a moment later and came up to fill speed, no popping or buzzing. I removed the panel and checked and the capacitor seems to be in working condition(pic attached). No frost on the outside line. I raised”
“After our air conditioning runs for a couple days it starts to pool water on top of the furnace area where the ductwork connects to it. I've used a shop vac to suck out some water from the line but eventually leads to water pooling a couple days later. Also tried to use an air compressor to blow out the line because I assume its clogged and when I say line its pvc piping. Is there any easy fix for this issue? submitted by /u/Free_Instruction853 [link] [comments]”
“AC has been struggling to cool house all day. Temp on thermostat has not dropped from 77 all day. Is it normal for my AC to sound like this? Any advice would be appreciated. submitted by /u/ChinoGrifo [link] [comments]”
“Looking for any advice on this unit. Worked last year now this year don’t cool. Will turn on and run but nothing gets cold. New capacitor was installed by me. Any help appreciated just don’t wanna spend the money on a new unit. Thanks submitted by /u/Outside_League2941 [link] [comments]”
“I have a 2012 3.5 ton Lennox Elite AC that has a leaking evaporator coil. My first option is to replace the evaporator coil for $2,500. My second option is a whole new entry level 3.5 ton RunTru AC system for $4,800 installed OTD, which includes a brand-new air handler and condenser. I know a brand-new system is a total no-brainer, but I just want to make sure upgrading to a new, lower-end model is truly better than repairing a premium Elite system on its last legs. submitted by /”
“Tenant ran HVAC without filter. This is a pic of the return side of the eval coil. It's in the attic, and the only access to the dirty side is via a 1-inch filter box. I squeezed my phone through the filter slot to get this pic. Any more access requires removing a return plenum and space is very limited. Does anyone have experience using this flexible aerosol wand Nu-Calgon sells? Do you think that the eval foam cleaner, going through this wand, will be enough to clean the coil without pulli”
“Hi party people, My Lennox unit has been giving me issues ever since we moved in three years ago. We replaced the condenser coil in the attic that was under warranty and just paid for labor now the unit is low on refrigerant again and we had it refilled, but it’s still struggling to keep the house below 80°. We had a Hvac company take a look and they noted that refrigerant was low and said that doing the leak inspection and repair would cause north of three to $5000 and you’re better off just ge”
“Hello everyone, we have indoor Daikin AC units FXNQ50MAVE and an outdoor unit RXYSQ5P7V3B1. It is not cooling and showing a flashing “JA” and 0 on the display. We had 2 engineers over with one saying the 410 gas needs to be refilled, while the other engineer said the high side pressure switch has to be replaced. Who is right, or is it a different issue? We are confused and still without AC. Many thanks submitted by /u/Due_Practice4014 [link] [comments]”
“I am trying to figure put if this is a proper test or if I am just bashing my head against// a brick wall and need to throw this thing away With no proper ducting and no window outlet, if I turn a portable A/C on and move from FAN to COOL, Firstly, should I always hear the the click of the compressor kicking in? Secondly (there is no click), if I put my hand by the vents in front and behind, is there any reason why the hand in front wouldn't feel any A/C and the one behind wouldn't feel”
“Hello all, Just purchased a new construction home from Lennar in Texas. To my surprise when I went into my attic it was actually a pleasant temperature even though it’s 98 degrees outside. Looked around and saw this vent on my AC unit. Is this normal? Should I be concerned. Have found a few shortcuts here and there in the house but this has me worried??? submitted by /u/IllConsideration1248 [link] [comments]”
“im ground floor, north facing, so i'm peachy and not having any issues with temps. so im just curious, and do not have any stake in this. is this bs? a quick goog says 1-3 degrees is normal, but 8 degrees feels kind of batshit. these are newish build, 10 or so years old, nothing bigger than 1,000 square feet. decent build quality all things considered, but there are still noise and smell issues on occasion. we pay for our own electricity and each unit is metered separately. edit: this is a c”
“Hi guys, long story short I live in a doublewide mobile home, (had multiple techs/companies out to check unit, blows decently cold, never low on Freon, the only thing is, I physically can’t see my ductwork because it’s in the belly wrap of the home which is covering all the insulation as well. The vents all have about the same amount of pressure, if a specific vent doesn’t, then it’s a tad weaker than the rest of them. So to get to the duct I would have to cut the underbelly, move the insulation”
“My AC has never been able to cool the house on the hottest, most humid days; the house temperature is over 80 degrees. HVAC dude told me a central dehumidifier would fix it; it did not work. Every HVAC company that has been to my house says something different. In IL, HVAC folk don't have to be licensed. The builder won't help, and the city said they don't check things like new HVAC systems. I'm not sure what to do. What I know is that there is one central return with a high inta”
“So last Thursday my unit started leaking. Called a repair company we have been using for 13 years. They said it was just condensation and it would stop. Yesterday the leaking intensified despite the temp dropping and the unit not running as hard. We called the company again and now we have to wait a week for them to come back and check. So it will have been leaking for two weeks by then. I am convinced the white pipe pictured is the culprit due to a clog, it connects to the electric drain pump (”
“Just got this unit and it leaked overnight. My son’s dad said it didn’t leak or need to be drained when he used it. submitted by /u/ExactHovercraft6360 [link] [comments]”
“It’s summer. Weve noticed water leaking inconsistently. It’s a combination furnace and air conditioner so I couldn’t get any more detail details on it. I had to leave for work. The leak is not constant and goes away likely when the AC stops? submitted by /u/formerwrestler [link] [comments]”