Window AC Unit

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Dexie123

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Hi all.

Friend of mine has an AC window unit 120volts. All the power in his house works fine except for this AC. It sounds like the compressor is trying to kick on but it won't do it. When it's doing this all the lights in house dim (not unusual).

It's a relatively new unit (Less than 5 years old). He lives far from me so I told him to check for the proper voltage on the socket. Was thinking if it wasnt' getting the proper voltage it wouldn't kick on. (He lives far away so can't check it myself)

Any thoughts on why this would happen? I'm more of a "it's got voltage there so it's not electrical" type guy!

Thanks
 
jwelectric said:
How about the unit is shot
Click to expand...

Well away of that being a possibility. Your sarcasm is well appreciated!

Anyway, I am just wondering before I tell this guy to get a new ac that I've exhausted other options regarding power. Hence, this post.

:)
 
No sarcasm is intended that is just my answer.

When the unit tries to come on the lights dim sounds like the unit has a hard current draw.
If this took a few seconds to happen then I might think a high head pressure but you said, ?It sounds like the compressor is trying to kick on but it won't do it. When it's doing this all the lights in house dim (not unusual).?

This sounds like a locked compressor to me.

This is a 120 volt circuit so plug a lamp in and see if the bulb burns. This way he doesn?t need a meter. If the bulb burns bright then what would you think?

My answer is as follows
How about the unit is shot
.
 
His profile says electrician; if so, he should know that, despite having a 15a plug, an AC unit should have its own circuit run.

Nuff said.
 
It could just as easily be low voltage due to excessive voltage drop. I'd prove or eliminate that first. Troubleshooting is a process of elimination. Start on what's easiest to rule out.
 
Do as Jim suggested. Try running an extension cord TEMPORARILY to a receptacle down near the breaker panel. If you still have the problem, dump the unit as Mike suggested. If not, the circuit you are trying to use does not have the capacity to run the unit. Many of these newer units near a dead short on start-up for a split second (part of the trade off for a higher efficiency). I recently had a new installation where there were 3 central AC units (two 4-ton and one 3-ton) on a 300 amp service. When the units kick on they dim the lights for a split second.
 
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