My a/c is skizoid. For awhile it is cold, then hot, then I turn it off and then it gets cold again What gives?

Question

its not frion. I'm not sure how to tell its the compressor.

Anymore ideas?

Answer 1

If no air comes out when it is hot, pull off the air filter and see if it is icing up. If so, probably low on refrigerant.

About $100 to $200 in US to get technician to refill. He should look for a leak. Depending on where leak is, might fix in original service charge, up to $2k or $3k to replace major components.

If air still blows, then probably compressor is running intermittently. Likely problem with electronics, especially the thermostat circuit.

Either way, it will likely get worse until it doesn't work at all, and may be damaging the unit and costing lots of electricity. Definitely a service call to get it fixed.

Edit: how long do you leave it off to get it to start working again? If 2 hours, then probably icing. If 1 minute, then controls problem. Is it blowing the circuit breaker? Did you inspect for icing inside the unit in the house? How do you know freon is OK? Low freon will still show pressure on the pressure side. How much cooler is the air coming out than the intake air (room temp)?

Answer 2

Sounds like your unit may be overworked and freezing up. It may be undersized for your home, or it may not be functioning properly.