# A/C (5 yrs. old) now only producing fan air, no cool air



## usgs (Aug 6, 2017)

Five years ago I bought a costly through-the-wall Frigidaire A/C, model FRA106HT1. This machine fits into a special metal sleeve in the bedroom of my tiny, top story apartment in which the windows and the sliding glass door to the balcony all face due West (so I get hot Summer sun from 12 Noon 'til sunset)-- the apartment building will only take these expensive through-the-wall machines which cost more than standard window air conditioners. Also, all the windows in the building are those awful, tall LEFT-RIGHT sliding ones which won't accept a regular window A/C. My machine worked fine before this year. Earlier this year it began to produce only fan temp air, not cool air. I thought that maybe the machine needed a shade outside on my balcony which is in that hot sun and has no tree shade. I draped a cheap plastic, roll-up porch shade over the top of the metal sleeve and onto the tops of two cheap plastic patio chairs. But that caused the problem of heat not easily escaping from the back. I then removed that draped shade and there was better performance especially during and after nights which were cool. Yesterday though the machine is no longer producing cool air, only fan mode air. I notice early this year and again now that there's no water pooling on both sides of the back of the machine outside on the balcony. In the first 4 yrs. of ownership and operation, that water was always there in the Summer because I run the machine ALL THE TIME, DAY AND NIGHT. [And because a drug addict non-stop smoker living directly below me and constantly smoking under my balcony, I had to keep my windows closed with the A/C running in Winter due to the fact that the apartment building is way over heated which keeps me from sleeping-- I like it cold for sleep time.] Now there's no water and I wonder what this means. Is the absence of the water a symptom of a failure in the machine? Is something clogged up not allowing the water to pool in those 2 areas? [No water is dripping into the bedroom which is the only place I have for the A/C.]

Any thoughts about this and what has to be checked or what's maybe shot now? Could it just be that the thermostat is faulty and now shot?


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## Snoonyb (Aug 7, 2017)

The water is condensation and is not a symptom of your problem, but a condition of it.

You need and HVAC mech. because the compressor is not operating.


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## usgs (Aug 7, 2017)

Snoonyb said:


> The water is condensation and is not a symptom of your problem, but a condition of it.
> 
> You need and HVAC mech. because the compressor is not operating.



Thanks Snoonyb for your interest and help in this matter.

I presented the exact same story in another forum where a reader wrote this:

"If there's no condensate (water) being generated then most likely there's a leak in the closed refrigerant section and THAT's why you're getting no cooling. The condensate doesn't cool the motor but it does help to cool the condenser adding to the overall efficiency of the unit.

Unfortunately, it's rarely cost effective to troubleshoot these machines and they aren't made for adding additional refrigerant. I suspect the most economical thing to do is a simple replacement of this unit."

_[End of this other person's thinking on this.]_


So is it worth taking the machine to a repair shop so that the compressor can be fixed? Is that kind of repair costly? Can you say if the machine would likely require minor or major disassembly for that repair?


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## oldognewtrick (Aug 7, 2017)

Amazon has your unit in stock for 569. Parts and labor could possibly come close to that depending on the problem. Without being able to run diagnostics on your a/c unit we have no idea if the cost of repairing vs replacement would be the best option.


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## Snoonyb (Aug 7, 2017)

Your unit may be able to be recharged on site, by a competent repair person, however, finding one is a crap-shoot, and the alternative is removing the unit from the housing ( the housing remains in the wall) and transporting to a repair facility, repair, and transporting back and reinstallation is on you.

Understand this, virtually any window unit can be installed thru-wall. It's just a matter of framing the hole, installing the can (the outside casing) and inserting the mechanical part then plugging it in.

Framing the hole is the big part, the rest is simply remove and insert.


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## BuzzLOL (Dec 28, 2017)

First you need to see where the problem is... may only be a bad switch isn't turning the compressor on... 

However, these things are made to last about 20 years assuming running occasionally for 3 months of the year... You running it continuously for 5 years may have worn it out... We had same problem in Vietnam where it's hot 11 months out of the year... Window/wall A/C only lasted about 3 years...


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## Bitters (May 2, 2018)

You do realize that post is 10 months old ???


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## Gary (May 2, 2018)

Ya'but it's getting warm out again. My only advise is check the unit (Before) you purchase. Make sure the fittings are mechanical, not glued together. That's the advise I got when I talked to a local HVAC guy after our 2 year old unit died. Repair part unavailable, sealed unit.


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## Dennis Palmer (Jun 12, 2018)

I think their compressor might be defective. If the AC compressor stop working properly then cooling cycle can’t start and the AC fails to cool.


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## Green8 (Jun 12, 2018)

Reasons Your AC Compressor Stopped Working

Dirty condenser coils
Blocked suction lines
Low refrigerant charge
Incorrect suction line size
Too much refrigerant
Electrical problems
Contaminants in the system
Insufficient oil lubricant


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## Minecraft Steve (Jun 13, 2018)

Even if we understand in general, we are not experts in everything, so it is worth hearing the opinion of a professional familiar to us, that we rely on his common sense and integrity.                                                                                                                            I have an electrician whom I like to hear, in such cases, and even if I end up doing something else, it helps.                                                                                                                    It is a problem of what is more economical, repair or new, and you should hear reliable assessment of the cost of repair.                                     This site is excellent and there are good people who are very helpful, but there is no substitute for a good professional, you trust him, who will diagnose and recommend the cost of repair is estimated + -


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## WyrTwister (Jun 14, 2018)

I am blessed that I usually can do my own trouble shooting and repairs .    

Wyr
God bless


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