Table Z Troubleshooting Chart For Air Conditioners

Table Z
Troubleshooting Chart for Air Conditioners
Type of Unit
Complaint
With open-type compressor
Electric motor will not

start
Unit cycles on and off
Coil frosts
Cause
Possible Remedy
Power failure
Check circuit for power source
Compressor stuck
Locate cause and repair
Belt too tight
Adjust belt tension
Manual reset in starter open
Determine cause of overload and repair.

Reset overload cutout
Thermostat setting too high
Lower thermostat setting
Low voltage
Check with voltmeter, then call power

company
Burned-out motor
Repair or replace
Frozen compressor caused by

locked or damaged mechanism
Remove and repair compressor
Intermittent power interruption
Tighten connections or replace defective

power supply parts
High-pressure cutout defective
Replace high-pressure cutout
High-pressure cutout set too low.

Overload opens after having been
reset
Raise cutout pressure. Check voltage and

current drawn
Leaky liquid-line solenoid valve
Repair or replace
Dirty or iced evaporator
Clean or defrost evaporator. Check filters

and fan drive
Overcharge or refrigerant or
non-condensable gas
Remove excess refrigerant or purge

non-condensable gas
Lack or refrigerant
Repair refrigerant leak and recharge
Restricted liquid-line strainer
Clean strainer
Faulty motor
Repair or replace faulty motor
Filters dirty
Clean filters
Not enough air over coil
Clean or remove restriction from supply

or return ducts or grilles
Defective expansion valve
Replace valve
AII-51
Table Z
Troubleshooting Chart for Air Conditioners (Continued)
Type of Unit
Possible Remedy
Cause
Complaint
With open-type compressor Unit runs but will not Unit not fully charged
cool
(continued)
Recharge slightly, then check for leaks in

the refrigerant circuit, then fully charge
Leaky suction valve
Remove compressor cylinder head and

clean or replace valve plate
Expansion valve not set correctly
Adjust expansion valve
Strainer clogged
Remove, clean, and replace valve
Air in refrigerant circuit. Moisture Purge unit of air. Clean orifice and install
silica gel dryer
in expansion-valve orifice
No air blows from

supply grille
Flash gas in liquid line
Add refrigerant
Ice or dirt on evaporator
Clean coil or defrost
Blower belt broken or loose
Adjust belt tension, or replace belt
Blower bearing frozen
Repair or replace bearing and lubricate as

directed
Discharge pressure too Improper operation of condenser

high
Correct airflow. Clean coil surface
Air in system
Purge
Overcharge of refrigerant
Remove excess or purge
Discharge pressure too Lack of refrigerant

low
Repair leak and charge
Broken or leaky compressor Remove head, examine valves and replace

those found to be operating improperly
discharge valves
Suction pressure too Overfeeding of expansion valve
high
Suction pressure too low
Regulate superheat setting expansion valve

and check to see that remove bulb is
properly attached to suction line
Expansion valve stuck in open

position
Repair or replace valve
Broken suction valves in

compressor
Remove head, examine valves and replace

those found to be inoperative
Lack of refrigerant
Repair leak and charge
Clogged liquid line strainer
Clean strainer
Expansion-valve power assembly

has lost charge
Replace expansion-valve power assembly
Obstructed expansion valve
Clean valve and replace if necessary
Contacts on control thermostat Repair thermostat or replace if necessary

stuck on closed position
AII-52
Table Z
Type of Unit
Complaint
Cause
W i t h h e r m e t i c m o t o r - Compressor runs contin- Air over condenser restricted

compressor combination uously; good refrigeration
effect
(continued)
Possible Remedy
Remove restriction or provide for more air
circulation over the condenser
Compressor runs contin- Thermostatic switch contacts Replace thermostatic switch

badly burned
uously; unit is too cold
Thermostatic switch bulb has Secure bulb in place
become loose
Thermostatic switch improperly Readjust thermostatic switch
adjusted
Compressor runs contin- Extremely dirty condenser
uously; little refrigeration
effect
Clean condenser
No air circulating over condenser
Provide air circulation
Ambient temperature too high
Provide ventilation or move to a cooler

location
Load too great
Analyze load
Compressor runs contin- A restriction that prevents the

uously; no refrigeration
refrigerant from entering the
evaporator. A restriction is
usually indicated by a slight
refrigeration effect at the point of
restriction
Locate the possible points of restriction, and

try jarring it with a plastic hammer, or
heating to a temperature of about 110
degrees F. If the restriction does not open,
replace the unit.
Compressor not pumping. A cool Replace the unit

discharge line and a hot
compressor housing would
indicate this. The wattage is
generally low.
Short of refrigerant
Compressor short cycles, Loose electrical connections
poor refrigeration effect
See manufacturer's instructions

Locate loose connections and make them
secure
Defective thermostatic switch
Replace thermostatic switch
Defective motor starter
Replace defective motor starter or relay
Air restriction at evaporator
Remove air restriction
AII-53
Table Z
Type of Unit
Cause
Complaint
With hermetic motor- Compressor short cycles, Dirty condenser

compressor combination no refrigeration
(continued)
Possible Remedy
Clean the condenser
Ambient temperature too high
Provide ventilation or move to a cooler

location
Defective wiring
Repair or replace defective wiring
Thermostatic switch operating

erratically
Replace thermostatic switch
Relay erratic
Replace relay
Compressor runs too Poor air circulation around the

condenser or too high ambient
frequently
temperature
Increase the air circulation around the

condenser. In some localities the
temperature is extremely high, and nothing
can be done to correct this
Load too great. Worn compressor. Analyze end use. Replace unit or bring it to
Generally accompanied by rattles the shop for repairs
and knocks
Compressor does not run
Motor is not operating
If the trouble is outside the sealed unit, it

should be corrected; for example, wires
should be repaired or replace and
thermostatic switches or relays should be
replaced. If the trouble is inside the sealed
unit, the sealed unit should be replaced.
Compressor will not run If the cabinet has been moved, Wait an hour or so, and then attempt to start
(Assume
that
the some oil may be on top of the the motor by turning the current on and off
many times. On some compressors, it may
thermostatic switch and piston
relay, and the electric
be necessary to wait 6 or 8 hour
wiring and current supply
are in good condition and
operating normally)
Compressor may be stuck, or some Replace the unit
parts may be broken
Connections may be broken on the Replace the unit. Sometimes after sealed
inside of the unit, or the motor units have been standing idle for a long time,
winding may be open
the piston may be stuck in the cylinder wall.
It is sometimes possible to start the
compressor by turning on the current and
bumping the outer housing with a rubber
mallet.
Compressor is unusually
hot
Condenser is dirty, or there is a Clean the condenser; increase the air

lack of air circulation
circulation
AII-54
Table Z
Type of Unit
Complaint
With hermetic motorcompressor combination

(continued)
Cause
Possible Remedy
Unusually heavy service or load
If possible, decrease load. Perhaps another

unit is required
Low voltage
Too small feed wires could cause this. If

the wires feeding the refrigerating unit
becomes warm, it is an indication that they
are too small and should be replaced with
larger wires
A shortage of oil
Add oil if possible; if this is not possible,

the unit must be replaced. A shortage of
refrigerant will cause a shortage of oil in
the crankcase of the compressor
No refrigeration after Generally, during a long shutdown,

starting up after a long an amount of liquid refrigerant will
get into the crankcase of the
shutdown or on delivery
compressor. When this happens, the
compressor operation will cause no
noticeable refrigeration effect until
the entire liquid refrigerant has
evaporated from the crankcase.
Allow the compressor to operate until its

internal heat drivers the liquid refrigerant
from the crankcase. Under some
conditions, this may take as long as 24
hours. This time can be shortened by
turning an electric heater on the
compressor and raising the compressor
temperature, not exceeding 110 degrees F.
Compressor is noisy
Mountings have become worn or

deteriorated. The walls against
which the unit is placed may be of
an extremely hard surface and may
resound and amplify the slight noise
from the compressor into the room
Replace the rubber mountings. Place a

piece of sound-absorbing material on the
wall against which the unit is placed, or
move the unit to a new location.
Shortage of oil and/or refrigerant
Add oil and refrigerant if possible. If it is

impossible, the unit must be replaced.
The sealed unit mechanism has Replace the unit

become worn
After each defrosting Slight shortage of refrigerant
there is a long on cycle
before refrigeration is
again normal
Add refrigerant if possible; if not, replace

the unit
Condenser is dirty
Clean the condenser
Thermostatic switch bulb is loose
Secure the bulb in place
There is a restriction between the Attempt to remove the restriction by

receiver or condenser and/or the jarring with a plastic hammer or by heating
evaporator
the possible points of restriction to about
110 degrees F. If this does not correct the
trouble, the unit must be replaced or
brought to the shop for repairs
AII-55
Table
14-30.Electrical
Troubleshooting
Loads
Table
14-30(B).Testlng
14-18(G)
Controls
and
Paths

Table Z Troubleshooting Chart For Air Conditioners

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Table Z

Troubleshooting Chart for Air Conditioners

With open-type compressor

Electric motor will not

Unit cycles on and off

Check circuit for power source

Locate cause and repair

Belt too tight

Adjust belt tension

Manual reset in starter open

Determine cause of overload and repair.

Thermostat setting too high

Lower thermostat setting

Check with voltmeter, then call power

Frozen compressor caused by

Remove and repair compressor

Intermittent power interruption

Tighten connections or replace defective

High-pressure cutout defective

Replace high-pressure cutout

High-pressure cutout set too low.

Raise cutout pressure. Check voltage and

Leaky liquid-line solenoid valve

Dirty or iced evaporator

Clean or defrost evaporator. Check filters

Remove excess refrigerant or purge

Repair refrigerant leak and recharge

Restricted liquid-line strainer

Repair or replace faulty motor

Not enough air over coil

Clean or remove restriction from supply

Defective expansion valve

Recharge slightly, then check for leaks in

Leaky suction valve

Remove compressor cylinder head and

Expansion valve not set correctly

Adjust expansion valve

Remove, clean, and replace valve

No air blows from

Flash gas in liquid line

Ice or dirt on evaporator

Clean coil or defrost

Blower belt broken or loose

Adjust belt tension, or replace belt

Blower bearing frozen

Repair or replace bearing and lubricate as

Discharge pressure too Improper operation of condenser

Correct airflow. Clean coil surface

Remove excess or purge

Discharge pressure too Lack of refrigerant

Repair leak and charge

Broken or leaky compressor Remove head, examine valves and replace

Suction pressure too low

Regulate superheat setting expansion valve

Expansion valve stuck in open

Repair or replace valve

Broken suction valves in

Remove head, examine valves and replace

Repair leak and charge

Clogged liquid line strainer

Expansion-valve power assembly

Replace expansion-valve power assembly