Each unit at Briargate has a forced air heating
unit that may also be connected to an air conditioner.
The heating unit gets it's heat from the central
boilers.
The maintenance of the heating unit is at the
owner's expense. Be sure to
change your filters on a regular basis.
Troubleshooting Problems
with Your Air Conditioner
Problems with air conditioning units are a common
complaint we hear at Briargate. We have put
together this sheet as a helpful resource to those
owners and residents that wish to troubleshoot
common problems with their AC units. This is not
meant to take the place of a licensed HVAC
contractor. It is assumed that if you are
troubleshooting problems with your AC unit that you
have
some familiarity with furnaces, blower motors,
electricity and their dangers. If you are
unfamiliar
with this equipment, then call an HVAC contractor.
Always turn off the power to any furnace, air
conditioner or mechanical equipment before
inspecting or performing any type of service.
1. If you have an electronic thermostat,
install fresh batteries. Even if the display works,
the
thermostat may not have enough power to turn on the
air conditioner with weak batteries.
2. Check your electrical breaker panel inside
your unit to make sure none of the circuit breakers
have tripped. Verify the air conditioner breakers
are turned on.
3. If the fan inside the condenser unit on your
balcony doesn’t switch on when your air conditioner
is running there may be a problem with the
fuse/circuit breaker on the wall above your
condenser. Open the cover of the circuit
breaker/fuse disconnect and visually verify the
fuse or circuit breakers are turned on. The fuse
type will have the word“ON” at the top if they are
turned on. Do not pull out the fuses or disturb the
circuit breakers because they are energized with
electricity and are very dangerous. Call a licensed
HVAC contractor if you suspect there is a problem
with the circuit breakers or fuses. If you believe
the circuit breaker/fuse is fine but the
fan/condenser still doesn’t come on, you probably
need a new compressor and will need to call a
licensed HVAC contractor. Do not remove the cover
of the condenser unit.
4. If the air blowing out of your vents is warm
or room temperature, turn off one of the valves
on the water lines entering your furnace unit. This
is the hot water line that your furnace uses to
heat your condo in the winter and if the hot water
valve is stuck open then it could be cancelling
out your cooling. Wait a few minutes and see if you
start getting cool air out of your vents. If
this fixes the problem leave the valve closed
during the summer months. Remember to turn it
back on when you need heat in the winter.
5. If that doesn’t fix the problem then check
your filter and the coil inside the furnace unit.
Turn off the power to your furnace unit with the
small switch on the side of the unit. With a
screwdriver, open up your furnace and see if the
coil inside is frozen up with white ice like an old
freezer. This may indicate
that you need a new filter or it could just mean
the unit has been running a long time. If it’s
frozen turn it off and leave it for several hours
unit it thaws. If it’s been longer than 60 days
since you changed your filter then replace the
filter. Do not run your furnace without a filter or
the coil will become clogged with dirt and will
cause the coil to freeze up.
6. If there was no air coming out of your vents
and the fan in your AC unit doesn’t turn on then
there may be a problem with the blower motor. You
can try rotating the fan blades a couple
times to see if the blower motor is stuck.
Important: only perform these steps is you are
familiar
with furnaces, blowers and motors. Be absolutely
sure the power is shutoff to the furnace and
use gloves because the blower blades are sharp.
Sometimes a rap with a hammer can free a
stuck motor if the blades won’t turn. There
are several other electronic components besides
the blower motor that can cause it not to come on.
Contact a licensed HVAC contractor to
troubleshoot the problem.
7. Put the cover back on the furnace. Make sure
it fits snugly and you replace the screws (the
unit won’t run if the cover is not on tightly).
Turn the power switch back on.
8. If you air conditioner still isn’t working,
call a licensed HVAC contractor.
Maintenance of Your Condensate Pump
Most condos at Briargate have a small air
conditioner condensate pump that
looks similar to the one pictured that pumps water
generated by condensation
in your furnace into your washer drain. You should
regularly clean these units
to ensure they are operating properly according to
the manufacture’s
instructions. If these units fail, they can flood
and cause water damage to the
unit below yours. Keep the tubes clean and free of
obstructions. Also verify
the o-rings that hold the tubes on are secure. You
may also need to have an
HVAC contractor clean the pan inside your furnace
and make sure the drain
connected to the intake tube of the condensate pump
is free of debris.
If you suspect that your AC unit may be leaking
water into the unit below, you can remove the vent
screen from your furnace air intake vent and
observe if there is water directly below your
furnace.
Important Note to Service
Technicians About the Timer on Your Furnace
Your heating unit is equipped with a timer
control that circulates hot water through the
furnace coil
once a day for a period of several minutes. The
timer opens the heating coil hot water valve to
circulate water that would otherwise be sitting in
the coils all summer. This prevents the buildup of
sediment, allows the building water system to
operate more effectively and helps mitigate damage
that stagnant water might cause to the heating
coil. Keep in mind that this building is equipped
with
a combined heating and domestic hot water system.
No chemical treatments of any kind shall be
introduced into the system.
IMPORTANT! A malfunction of the timer control
or changing the time settings can greatly reduce
the
air conditioner efficiency. If you are experiencing
problems with your air conditioner not cooling well
try closing the manual hot water shutoffs to the
furnace during the summer. If this fixes your air
conditioner problem it indicates a problem with the
timer device and you should contact a service
repair company. Some service technicians may not be
familiar with this after-market timer unit on
your furnace. We recommend you provide this
information to anyone servicing your furnace.
