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How much should a replacement central air conditioning unit cost in the DC area? We have a 14-year old central air conditioning unit that is leaking refrigerant, making the coils freeze up. Our HVAC service company has quoted us $3200 to replace the current unit with a 2.5 ton, 13 SEER system from Trane. We're in Montgomery County, MD. Is this price high? Or is it in line with what it would normally cost with a AC replacement. I ask because the other prices charged by this company have typically been high, and since we're in a heat wave we have found it very difficult to get other companies to come out an give us an estimate. Thanks!

what causes a central air conditioning unit to freeze up? I have a central air conditioning unit that is probably 12 years old or so.I recently had a situation where my central air would run constantly without shutting off.The air temperature in my house was 80 degrees and it was still running.Well,I also recently found out that the coils in the ac unit were completely frozen solid along with the hoses that ran from outside at the unit,all the way inside to my furnace.Id like to know what causes these coils and pipes to freeze and how does one keep it from happening again?

How Long do central air conditioning capacitors last for? Do central air conditioning capacitors break frequently? Whats the average life span for one?

Does central air conditioning need to be charged before it starts cooling? I have central air in my new construction condo and while the heating works fine, I recently flipped the fuse switch that powers the air conditioning. However, I can't seem to get any cool air blowing out. I was wondering if it takes a couple of days for it to 'charge up' before I start to notice any difference.

How can I get our central air conditioning to distribute air evenly? Bedroom bakes in early hours.? We have central air conditioning in our house (2000 sq/ft between 1st and 2nd stories, 1000 sq ft basement, located in Colorado). The air feels reasonably good in all rooms except that the Master Bedroom, situated on the SW side of the house, stays considerably warmer, and really cooks around 2-4 a.m. We have a vaulted ceiling which is at its highest point just outside the Master Bedroom door (the bedroom's ceiling isn't vaulted, and is 9ft. high), but it's not all that hot at that point; but as soon as you walk in the bedroom door, you notice the temp change. The majority of the house's vents are slightly to fully open, to allow good overall airflow, but I can't figure why that bedroom stays so warm.

Is there a solution to fixing a water leak from a central air conditioning unit? My central air conditioning unit in the basement is leaking water, is there a way I can fix it without calling for service?

Why does my house smell like chlorine after I turned on central air conditioning? We moved into a new house in December and turned on the central air conditioning for the first time last week. Now my house smells a bit like chlorine. I believe this is due to the refrigerant. But will the smell go away after a while, or do I have to do something about this?

I live in a 3rd floor apartment and want central air conditioning. Is it practical/possible? Every year, we have put in and take out 4 air conditioning units in our 3rd floor apartment for the summer. Then for the winter, we have to store them on our porch or basement and hope they won't rust to the point of no return. We want central AC. But is it practical? How much should it cost?

Will my insurance company now cover the cost to replace my central air conditioning? I just received my renewal bill for my home insurance from Farmers Insurance Group. It went up almost fifty dollars. And reason stated for increase was due to reconstruction cost for my central air conditioning. I had the air conditioning unit for over ten years. If it goes out, does this now mean my insurance company will cover the cost to replace it. Afterall, my insurance went up because of it.

Permit for a new central air conditioning? Hi there, I am located in Southern California - Orange County. Do I need to get a permit to have my central air conditioning unit replaced? Do you know how I go about getting this done? The unit was actually installed already but the rumor on my block is that our home owners association is after me for a permit... The unit was installed last month... I have no clue what to do here... any ideas?

How Do I Add Central Air Conditioning to A 100 Years Old House? My house is 100 years old and has forced hot air heat. The gas furnace is a 90% efficiency and 5 years old. I have a 7 years old central air condition system that is used but in very good shape. Does anyone know if I can somehow combine the two. I am very cost conscious, so I would like to do it myself. Please off any and all suggestions. Thank you

Adding central air conditioning to a house with baseboard heating? I was interested in adding a central air condition system to my house. We have no existing ductwork because we have basboard heat. How would the system be added and is there a ballpark estimate for the work? I live in a split level built in 1960 with about 1560 square feet. Any help is appreciated.

why do we have a square shaped duct for central air conditioning system? and not a circular shaped? why do we have a square shaped duct for central air conditioning system? and not a circular shaped? is there any technical reason behind? thanks in advance

Central Air Conditioning Maintenience? My central air conditioning unit.. Is the fan supposed to force air up and out of the unit of into the unit?

Central air conditioning smells like the heat is on? The central air was on and it started to smell like the heat had been turned on for the first time. I changed the air filter in the hallway then I checked the thermostat & it was the air conditioning that was on not the heat. (I thought my husband maybe had turned the heat on before he left for work) I opened the closet where the inside unit is and I found water on the floor. A few weeks ago ice formed on the copper pipe inside so I blew out the white pipe (the one that carries the water to drain outside) and I flushed it with bleach & water. It cleared up the clog/bacteria or what ever it was and the water drained like it should. It's been working fine ever since then until tonight. I'm scared to turn it back on. The inside and outside unit is only a little over a year old. Please help if you can. Thanks!!

Adding central air conditioning? My sister and I just rented a house for college. The house has central heating. Approximately how much would it cost to get air conditioning added to it? Would there have to be an entirely new unit put in?

Outside central air conditioning unit on, blowing air, sometimes a lot, sometimes not, sometimes hot? I have an outside central air conditioning unit, it is approx. 80 degrees outside and extremely humid, also very hot inside the house with fans running. The air is set to 70*, yet the air coming out of the vents feels to be room temperature and is NOT cooling the house down. Approx. two months ago, the landlord had a technician come out, and he said we had a slow freon leak, and although he filled it with freon, I was told he did not fix the leak. What is causing the air conditioner to do this? I cannot go in 100* weather without air conditioning. Any help would be appreciated :) and thanks in advance!

How much does central air conditioning cost? My future husband and I just purchased our first home. The home is a small cape cod-936 sq ft. It already has forced air, a brand new furnace, and all the duct work is already in place. With that in mind, what would it cost to add central air?

How do I get my central air conditioning unit ready for summer? Do I need to turn it on? Should it already be connected to my thermostatat? I just bought the house, and I've never had central air before.

What is the reason for a slow or stopped central air conditioning outside cooling fan with a loss of cold air? The recent problem seems to be related to the outdoor cooling fan. The air conditioning system seems to be working properly, but there is a loss of cooling of the air coming from the indoor air conditioning vents. I inspected the outside unit, and yesterday the cooling fan was stopped with a humming/grinding sound. The capacitor looked good (no bulging), but I'm not an electrician and I have no way (or the knowledge) to test voltages and amperages and such. Anyway, I blew on some dust/dirt/cobwebs around some of the wires, and started the system back on and the fan moved at normal speed and the system worked and cooler air came out. However, today, the indoor temperature wasn't maintained and I went outside and the cooling fan was running much slower (but it was running). After I turned off the system, I felt the metal cover of the outside unit, and it was very hot, and it seemed that the source of the heat came from directly above the cooling fan motor. Please contact me!

My central air conditioning unit has stopped working? My central air conditioning unit has stopped working. The furnace is blowing regular air. The fan is not turning. I have checked the circuit breaker and it's fine. I turned off power and turned it back on. I called Sears for service they said it would be $93 to send someone out!!! The AC and furnace is 2 years old and it has 1 year for labor and 5 years on parts. It is a Kenmore NAC018AKC3

How does central air conditioning work? I thought i fixed my central air, but I heard water circulating and it sounds like it is coming from inside my furnance and I noticed that there is water underneath the furnance, that cant be normal right? Where would the water be coming from? I thought i fixed my central air, but I heard water circulating and it sounds like it is coming from inside my furnance and I noticed that there is water underneath the furnance, that cant be normal right? Where would the water be coming from and why would I hear it from my furnance, will this break my furnance

Whats the proper way to clean one of those re-useable central air conditioning air filters? I have one of those re-useable central air conditioner air filters (the ones that go under the air handlers) I have been cleaning it out with my water hose every month or so. Is this the proper way? What happens if I place it back a little wet?

Do I have a central air conditioning problem? I just purchased a brand new home in south MS where we have very hot and humid summers. This is my 1st home and I know absolutely nothing about Central Air other than how to change a filter. I keep my AC off from 9 am - 4 pm, due to extremely high power bill - $240 for 1100 sq ft home, I DO NOT use a lot of power. I have heard from different people that you should keep your AC off when not home to save power and I've heard the opposite that you should keep it running because it uses a lot of power to lower a drastic amount of temperature. Which raises another question the disc on the power meter takes anywhere from 4-9 seconds to revolve when AC is on, when off it takes about 30 seconds to revolve, is this normal? As an example today I got home at 4:15 pm, AC is off, disc revolving slow, inside temp. is 83 degrees. It is now 2 hours later, disk is going 9 seconds to revolve, temp. is 81 degrees. Other day it took 3 hrs to go down 1 degree. I am concerned there may be a problem w/ AC.

How can I effectively cool my upstairs if my central air conditioning is not doing the job? My upstairs does not cool well with my central A/C. I have thought about using the attic fan at night, with the A/C running to push the hot air out of the upstairs and the attic. Will this help speed the cooling of the upstairs? What about adding window units for supplemental A/C? Any other tips?

What questions should I ask when getting central air conditioning installed? I need to get central air for my condo (it's split level condo, ~1,500 square feet but a high loft / cathedral ceiling), and want to know if there are any good questions I should ask the contractors I get quotes from. I want to make sure I'm not getting hosed and get a fair price. Plus, if anyone has a ballpark guess of what this should cost, please let me know.

Whats the proper way to clean one of those re-useable central air conditioning air filters? I have one of those re-useable central air conditioner air filters (the ones that go under the air handlers) I have been cleaning it out with my water hose every month or so. Is this the proper way? What happens if I place it back a little wet?

How much would it cost to add central air conditioning to a 1000 to 1500 square foot home in So California? I am looking to buy a home and would like to see how much central air would cost if the house did not come with it already.

how much is it to put in central air conditioning and a furnace in a 2200 sq ft house with no air ducks.??? I just bought a house 22oo sq ft, i have no central air and it has base board heat. i want to have furnace and central sir installed, does anyone know a round about price?

In a central air conditioning unit, how far should the outdoor compressor and condenser coil be from the house? My neighbor is remodeling his house and putting in central air conditioning. I am concerned about how close he is placing the box to MY back door. How far should the box be from MY house if my neighbor is putting it in HIS backyard? He wants to place it on his property but less than 4 feet from my back door (which is always open in the summer) and less than 2 feet from the downstairs bathroom window. I asked him to consider moving it, but he very rudely told me to "deal with it."

New Central Air Conditioning is blowing humid air- is this normal? We just redid the a/c system in our condo.. new duct work and all- everything is brand new. We have a humidity meter, and i put it directly over the vents, b/c im trying to find out why my allergies are bad, and was advised to keep humidity down in my house. Our humidity ranges from 45-60 in the house, but the vents emit something different and Im trying to conclude if this is normal before we go investigate. The A/C is down in a crawl space, and it is somewhat damp. The Ductwork might need to be sealed up also (hubbie hasnt gotten to it yet). When the A/C is "ON" and circulating- the humidity ranges from 60-65%. When the system is on "Circulate" (which is a feature i really wanted to keep air running through our IQ Air hepa system) it is REALLY humid, registering around 75-80% (WET) on our meter. Im guessing the coils are wet, and the air circ's over and brings moisure with it upstairs. What, if anything, can we do about this? System is American Standard 16 Seer w/ Air handelor. Also im trying to conclude if the moisture coming up is normal, or if its from improper install? Or, maybe from leaks in the ductwork bringing moist nasty basement/crawl space air with it? Crawlspace is a poured foundation, and is pretty clean, just somewhat damp/humid. (responding to why A/C is in crawl space) We are in a condo, and its a clean, dry crawl space. The humidity registered less down there then inside my house - HTH. When we bought the place, the a/c was down there, there is no way (easily) to put in our condo and no space.

In Texas, is land lord responsible for providing window units in home with no central air conditioning? I am renting a house in Texas that does not have central air conditioning....is there some kind of 'tenant law' that says my land lord is supposed to provide the window units? Where can I go to find proof or back-up of this?

How does Central Air Conditioning work best -- shut vents & doors in unused rooms or leave vents/doors open? My hubby and I disagree on this one. Which will BEST cool off the frequently used rooms in our 2-story townhouse: 1. Close all the vents in every room we never use and close the doors to those rooms as well? - The theory here is that if we close off the UNUSED rooms, the air conditioner will only have to work to cool off the rooms we DO use. Of course, we leave all the vents in the constantly used rooms wide open, as well as the doors! or... 2. Leave ALL the vents and doors OPEN throughout the house. - The theory here is that the air conditioner is wasting effort trying to send air to the vents that are closed, which causes the cool air to back up in those air conditioning ducts, where it sits for nothing.

why Central air conditioning unit unable to reduce house temp to desired temp? Ie. (outside temp 85) inside temp 78 desired temp 72 unit unable to get to 72 until night time when cools outside Unit runs constantly does put out cold air. Had outside fan replaced 1.5 years ago and they said pressure in units good

How much should it cost to repair my central air conditioning unit? The a/c unit is 7 years old and is leaking freon. Last summer (2nd year I have lived in this condo) I had someone come out because it was blowing warm air instead of cold. He said it was leaking and added more freon. This year I have the same problem and a different company recommended repairing the leak (which is located where the pressure release valve connects to a copper tube right at the unit). They said if I continue to just fill up the freon then it will eventually burn out the motor (he compared it to running a car without oil). He is charging $480 for the whole job. Am I getting ripped off?

should i block central air conditioning vents in unused rooms? will there be more air coming from the other vents?

How much will a new central air conditioning unit cost??? I have a 1000 sq ft house with a full basement. I have windows in every room (if that matter) I really need as cheap as possible. I currently have a central air unit and the thing above the furnace has gone out. Also, I have a gas furnace. Can i replace just the thing above the furnace???? It is a really old carrier unit. Also, where is the best place to go for a new unit? I've heard sears isn't doing so great anymore... Lowes? Menards? Home Depot?

Central Air Conditioning -- is it that much cheaper to keep it at 78 instead of 72? How much electicity will I save by sweating it out and leaving my central air at 78 instead of a comfortable 72?

Do I need a permit of any kind to install a central air conditioning unit myself? Right now its winter in Michigan and there are some great buys on central air conditioners. I plan on installing one myself in my own home. Do I have to contact any city or state departments? Thanks

Can I paint a central air conditioning outdoor compressor unit? It's a Carrier central AC unit and the compressor in the backyard looks like hell. The paint is peeling off in huge chunks and there's lot of rust. It looks pretty awful. I'm wondering if I can make it look newer with a fresh coat of paint? If I were to do that, what kind of paint would I use? Something that can withstand high temperatures? And how to apply? Spray? Is this a DIY job?

How will does it cost to install central air conditioning? What is the expected cost range to install central cooling in the attic of a one storey 900 s.f. house on concrete slab. The ductwork would have to run through the attic and the condenser unit would be outside. This house is in the Dayton Ohio suburbs. There is no ductwork in this house, no previous cooling system, and floor radiant heating system. If you want to submit a proposal too, feel free. Thanks!

Why do I smell a chemical-like odor when I turn on my central air conditioning? Two years ago I put in new central air with a heat pump (although I don't use the heat pump) and it worked fine. A year ago, when I turned on the unit, I smelled a chemical odor that made me sick to my stomach. I had it serviced by the company that put it in and the technician told me to changed the filters. I tried new filters but no luck. This year I changed the filter again and turned it on. Once again the smell came out and I felt sick. Any ideas on what may be the problem?

How much energy does central air conditioning use as opposed to window units? Does central A/C really save that much more energy than window units? If so, about how much in energy costs per year for a normal size house?

Desperate in converting central air fan to central air conditioning. How? & How Much? I was told that I have a central air system with only a heater and a fan and not one with A/C. I do not have one of those outdoor cabinet that comes with the A/C central air. I need to keep the house cool throughout the day and was wondering what needs to be done to get A/C in my system and roughly how much does it run? My house currently has two central air systems. One on the top floor for two bedrooms and the other one for the downstairs. Total living space 3500 sq ft. Please help its getting hotter everyday.

Is it cheaper to run central air conditioning all the time, or turn it on and off? I have heard that setting the thermostat at a specific temperature (about 78 degrees) and setting it to automatically stop blowing cold air when it reaches that temp is cheaper then turning it on and off all summer long. I've heard that starting the air conditioner takes more energy then letting it run steady. We only want the upstairs bedrooms cooled down at night and we are trying to figure out the cheapest way. Thank you.

why does my central air conditioning unit start to blow hot air after it has been blowing cold? it blows hot air after about an hour of blowing cool and when i turn it off for about 15 minutes then turn back on it blows cool. this continues through the day.

Help, my central air conditioning is leaking back into the house? My upstair central air is leaking. I went to look at it and there are two pvc pipes up there. One is connected to the blower unit and the other is connected to the drain pan. The one connected to the unit is leaking at the connection to the unit and dripping on the outside of the unit and some is missing the pan and dripping onto the ceiling. My question is right next to this pcv pipe is 2 large hex plugs. Can I remove these to see if there is a clog? Can I dismantle the pcv and see if there is a clog there too? Should I blast water into the the other end to see if something dislodges? Any other suggestion are greatly appreciated, thanks John

How much to purchase and install central air conditioning? I have an 1800 sq ft. split level. House already has ducting for gas forced air heating. Can anyone give me a very rough guess as to how much I would be looking at for purchase and installation?

Central Air Conditioning? I looking to get central air conditioning for my 2000 square foot home (one story ranch with attic, slab foundation) on Long Island. Can anyone recommend a brand and tell me how much this would cost approximately? Thanks. We have oil heating

How much electricity does central air conditioning use? I live in middle-east in an apartment that has central A/C. As per the maintenance staff, my electricity consumption is NOT dependent on the usage (or otherwise) of my flat. Is this true? How do i cross check?

How can I save energy with central air conditioning? I just moved into the new apartment where I have to pay utilities separately and we have central AC, so I need advice how to save money. Is it cheaper if I keep it off when no one's home and then turning it on again later? And does the temperature play a role in this too? Is there a difference if I set it at 75 or 65 degrees for instance?

What temperature should the airflow out of my central air conditioning room vents be ? The house thermostat is set at 75F but actual room temperature is 80F. The temperature of the air flow through the room vents is 70F - shouldn't it be lower than this? Freon is at the correct pressure, a coil has just been replaced and roof vents also replaced. I'm in Alabama with outside temperature around 90F and quite high humidity (and sitting near a room vent!).

Why is my central air conditioning unit getting louder and louder? Wow...it's been over 105 degrees here in the South for the past several days, and my air conditioner has run almost non-stop, day & night. Over the past 2-3 days, the fan (via a floor intake) is getting louder and louder to the point that it is ridiculous. It's not squealing (belt), and it's not grinding (bearings)...it's just super loud and sounds a bit buzzy (if that makes any sense). It still blows strong & cold, just keeps getting louder. It's to the point that you can't hear the stereo or tv without turning it waaay up. Any ideas as to what it might be and how to fix it? THANKS!!

What do you think about heat pumps? Do they cool as good as other central Air Conditioning? I am looking to buy a house and I have noticed that some are listed as having a heat pump for air and heat. I had never heard of a heat pump before but I have done some research on them now. I am wondering if anyone that has a heat pump would tell me some pros and cons about using them for cooling and heating. Thanks!

How expensive is it to add new central air conditioning and new windows(17)? how expensive is adding in new central air and new windows (17 of them)?

Does anyone know what the approximate cost of having central air conditioning installed? We currently have a forced-air heating system in place, and have been told this is good news for having AC installed.

Annual maintenance for a central air conditioning system? What annual maintenance is recommended for a central A/C and how much does it cost? Is it better to get it done early in the spring, before the A/C is even needed at all, or is it better to get it done in the early summer, when it starts to be needed, or is it better to get it done in the fall, after the cooling season is over?

Central air conditioning does not work well.? My wife and I just bought a duplex with central air in both sides (seperate units). Unfortunately our AC seems to not work well. It was 78 degrees in the house, about 77 degrees outside. We set the AC to cool to 75, and it took about 45 minutes. Sounds like a massive waste of electricity to me. Since I have installed AC units before (with my father) I know a little about them. I changed the filter and checked the registers. Only cool air is blowing out when it comes on. I'm hoping its not a freon issue, since I remember charging units, but I cant remember which of the three hoses on the gauges go to the unit and which one goes to the tank. Any suggestions/thoughts? Thanks!