Air Conditioning - AC not cooling...and I live in AZ.

:( I'm not sure of the proper terminology, so I'll try to just give the facts and keep it short.

I live in an apartment building, two stories, I live on the first floor. I honestly have no idea where the outside unit is.

I've never had any problems with my AC and even up through yesterday, it was perfectly fine.

We had a pretty bad storm last night and there's something like 25,000 folks w/o power. I have power, but is there anyway that a storm could somehow mess with the outside unit, but still allow the unit to run on the inside?

It stopped blowing cold air sometime during the night - it was a nice cool 70 degrees when i went to sleep...it's now a hot, sticky 89 degrees

When i turned it off and back on, it came on. There is air coming out of the vents, but not super hard and it's room temperature at best.

I can call apartment maintenance, but they've proven to be somewhat unreliable in the past and I'm going to be out of town all weekend and am not comfortable with them being in my apartment without me there. Is there anyway they can check the outside unit and fix any problems there without entering my apartment? If not, it'll just have to wait until I get home. But it's too hot to live without AC here;)

Any input would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Kira

If you have never noticed the outside unit then it is probably on the roof. Is it a flat roof? It sounds like the outside unit is not running. Have you checked your breaker panel to see if one of the breakers have tripped?

I haven't checked the breakers...I think I know where they are, but how do I "check" them? Just turn them off and on and then try the AC again?

Yes, Its going to be one of the larger breakers for the 220 circuit. Flip the larger breakers to off and wait a minute. Then flip them back on. There are also fuses out by the outside unit. I would leave that up to the complex if that is the problem.

Do you own or rent the apt? If you rent, call the landlord to have someone come out.

Just flip the breaker off, the back on.. if it pops back off, then something is wrong with the unit..

I rent, so I would have to call the office and have them send someone. The problem with that is that I'm not home all weekend and I don't like them going into my apartment when I'm not there because the last time they did, stuff went missing and they kind of created a mess. So I don't trust them.

I work for a commercial HVAC company, and the guys here seem to think that with the storm, it's probably something with a breaker or the outside unit since the inside is running and blowing air. And one of the guys from my work COULD come look at it - but they're concerned because they don't want to be climbing on the roof and stuff and then get in trouble with the complex:o

So I just thought maybe there was something I could do first before I have to just let the apartments in when I'm not there.

Like I said, I know where the breakers are. BUT I'm not sure if they're labeled clearly per apartment, if that makes sense.

It'll get fixed one way or another. I just have not had good luck with my apartment maintenance folks in the past.

Lullahdoodle,

Bad storms with non working A/C's the next morning are usually caused by blown fuses, tripped breakers, or whacked capacitors.

As far as security goes while you are not there.

Take pics of everything.

Stand in the middle of the room and take pics of all four walls, this will be a record if anything is moved.

Clear scotch tape on doors and drawers will alert if it has been opened as the tape will be broken.

Thank you all for your input! I called the apartment complex, basically told them to check the outside unit and the breakers and if they could fix it, then to fix it. They called me back and told me that a fan wire spliced in two (those were his words) and the fan motor was bad. And because I left the air on, the compressor overheated and in order to cool down the compressor, they had to shut off the AC inside my apartment, haul ice up to the compressor and cool it down. Then they could replace the fan motor. I have absolutely no idea what any of that means, but that's what they told me.:o

So basically, they couldn't find a master key to my apartment and I had to drive home in the middle of the work day, turn the unit off, then drive back to work. And they made it clear that since they can't get into my apartment because they can't find the key and they leave at 4:30 and aren't there on the weekends, I'll just have to see if it works when I come home and if not, I'll have to call them on Monday.:wall:

They don't consider it "emergency maintenance" so calling on the weekend will not get them out there. It's stupid.

Anyway, hopefully it works when I get home. Otherwise, I'm staying at my moms until it's fixed.

Anyone know if what they told me sounds plausible? At this point, I don't know that I completely trust anything they say:confused:

Wondering why they did not just pull the outside disconnect or breaker, replace motor, then have you plug in the disconnecct or flip the breaker and run it and see, when you got home? Did they replace the fan motor do you know? If so, have you tried to run your a/c?

Yes it is plausable, especially having experience with fixing things for apartment complex maintenance people.

The fact that ice had to be hauled to your unit indicates that there is no water available near you (or no one knew a water hose could be used to cool the comp) which could mean the coils are not cleaned on a regular basis.

While you did have to take some time from work, at least it is on track for getting fixed.

Problem I'm thinking about now is, WHERE IS THE MASTER KEY?

As a Dad, look at user name, I have to ask what the heck your doing living in an apartment with Moms house available?

If your paying $1000 a month plus utilities in an apartment, you could bunk at Moms for a year (helping out of course) and SAVE 12 - 15000$ in a year for a down payment on at least a townhouse.

Pay yourself by paying mortgage and not some fat cat who owns an apartment complex. DO you realize how much money you are wasting?

Preaching I know, sorry.

But, let me say young Lady that you are atypical of why this site is here. People who don't know, ask us before pros are called to be forewarned and (hopefully) gain enough knowledge to keep from getting screwed.

Bookmark this site.

Ecman,

I have no idea why they didn't do exactly what you said. My guess is either A) lack of knowledge or B) lack of motivation to actually do something that would be convenient for me:) And my understanding is that they were going to replace the fan motor. I'm still at work and haven't been home to run the AC, but that's the first thing I'm doing when I finally get out of here:(

Jaredsdad,

I don't mind the preaching:) But I've lived on my own since I was 18 (I'm pushing 30 now) and it doesn't really work for mom and dad or for me to have me living with them. Visiting is fine...living there, not so much.

I am saving for a house...I make plenty of money, save plenty of money (I'm not a big shopper or spender), and plan on buying a house by the end of next year. There's lots of reasons I haven't - I actually enjoyed living in apartments until this place.

And I'm a pretty smart, self-sufficient girl - I can change tires and the oil in my car, make small repairs around the house. But I have no idea when it comes to climbing on a roof and looking at an AC unit.

This site is bookmarked - because as a chick, and I hate to say it, people do try to swindle you constantly when it comes to repairs, etc. So you guys have definitely been helpful. And I thank you for it.

K

Well, keep coming. We come here to help people like you. And it is rewarding when you get a post reply that saved someone many bucks because they fixed it themselves.

My baby girl (19 3/4) is currently in Navy basic training and has been always taught to fix it herself.

Ecman, do you realize what an insurance liability it would be to tell tha apartment dweller to "plug this in" would be?

Remember the woman at McDonalds with hot coffee? CYA, CYA, CYA.

Ecman, do you realize what an insurance liability it would be to tell tha apartment dweller to "plug this in" would be?

Remember the woman at McDonalds with hot coffee? CYA, CYA, CYA.

I suppose. Yes. So I wonder what kind of outfit that is then that would say fix the thing, but then leave the lady hang till Monday, while it may indeed be fixed? And to think sometimes I drive 20 miles to unlock a door for someone who forgot their key. ("Hey lady. Wait til Monday and I'll unlock the door for you then." :D )

So basically, they couldn't find a master key to my apartment


Master key open a heck of a lot more than her apartment. Might open a whole wing if not all aprtments and it can't be found?

Apartment techs are like government techs, they don't want to work themselves out of a job. Real difference is apartment techs usually don't know much, one "real" tech (which is initself a strech) in charge.