I need my home air conditioning unit to go out. What's the best way to help it do that?

Question

It's a unit from probably around 1970's

Answer 1

Cross the wires leading into the compressor.   Put a bridged fuse in the disconnect and run like h**l.

Answer 2

Assuming you mean to cash in on a home warranty?  lol

Make an inconspicuous hole in some of the freon tubing.  Perhaps at the connections to the compressor or evaporator which is a typical place for the tubing to fail anyway.  

Answer 3

It sounds like insurance fraud to me.

If it is rental you should have to pay for any damage you do.

Answer 4

If you mean "damage" as "go out" - then if you DO decide to puncture the tubing there are two points you REALLY need to be aware of:-

1. IF it looks like it was deliberate - then not only is there a fraud issue - BUT in many countries, the fines for deliberately venting Freon/R12 is frightening - be VERY careful that an insurance assessor doesn't tip them off to illegal venting - they WILL crucify you if it seems you have vented Freon.

The other point is not likely to be AS important - but if the venting Freon comes into contact with flame / hot surface it makes an EXTREMELY toxic gas called phosgene - as was used in the war. Inhale it and you will either die or have respiratory illness for the rest of your life.

If you just said it only works sometimes, and other times hardly at all, "doesn't really blow cold air - just moves it around" or "sometimes it seems to be working ok and then just cuts out - even though the room is still too hot". Intermittent AC faults on a 38 year old machine = replacement time usually.

NOT encouraging you to do this, but REALLY don't want you to rupture the refrigerant line - potentially VERY nasty indeed. It will also come out at a fair pressure - and be fantastically cold - if it sprays in your face, you better hope it misses your eyes - cold temperatures can destroy tissue just as well as hot ones.

Mark

Answer 5

What you are asking is illegal, and your question should be ignored.