Air conditioner not cooling

[Ana Vhan]

On my rental in the arizona area, I missed renewing the warranty which I was hoping would take care of the AC unit fixes. 

Now, the tenant has reported that the unit is working but its not cooling the place. 

I have asked an AC person to look at it. But I am concerned about the cost. 

A couple of questions, 

1. What AC problems can be caused due to poor handling by tenants? for ex. not changing filter regularly. Any other? Which types of AC costs can I ask the tenant to cover? (we do have a clause in the lease for regular upkeep of AC )

2. Almost all warranty wait period is 30 days. If I purchase the warranty, is there anything I can install temporarily during the wait time? 

Thanks,

Ana 

[Randall Alan]

Quote from @Ana Vhan:

On my rental in the arizona area, I missed renewing the warranty which I was hoping would take care of the AC unit fixes. 

Now, the tenant has reported that the unit is working but its not cooling the place. 

I have asked an AC person to look at it. But I am concerned about the cost. 

A couple of questions, 

1. What AC problems can be caused due to poor handling by tenants? for ex. not changing filter regularly. Any other? Which types of AC costs can I ask the tenant to cover? (we do have a clause in the lease for regular upkeep of AC )

2. Almost all warranty wait period is 30 days. If I purchase the warranty, is there anything I can install temporarily during the wait time? 

Thanks,

Ana 

@Ana Vhan

We own 40 air conditioners between all our properties.    let’s start off with the typical AC call is about $150 for me.  The most common issue is that the outside units use capacitors to help crank on the AC and when those go out, they have to be replaced.   so a $90 service all and an $80 capacitor fixed well over 1/2 of most issues.

There are lots of issues that aren’t even that complicated… Batteries in the thermostat going dead, drain lines, getting clogged with dirt and goo, drip pans that get full from the unit sweating too much or not draining properly, bad thermostats, etc.

Occasionally, you will get either a leak, or a bigger part that goes bad that will cost in the $200 to $500 range… fans and motors going out, etc.

Home warranties are worthless… they will take 3 weeks to fix your AC.  They are terrible!  Would never recommend one!    You can’t leave a tenant hanging that long, especially in a hot state in the summer!  You can buy a portable AC unit the tenant could limp by on… they are around $300-400 at Home Depot.  One will not cover a whole multi-room house though.   You need to step up as a landlord and fix the tenant’s problem.  That is your main role as far as they are concerned.  There should not even be the thought of “how do I wait 30 days before I call for service” going through your head!  Make the call.  Fix the issue.  It’s as simple as that. 

The crux of your post seems to be how can I charge my tenant for this?   I would simply have your AC guy report back to you what they found. If they come back to you with something like the filter was completely clogged up and it caused the unit to freeze up, then you could have that conversation with your tenant. Outside of changing the filter, there isn’t a lot a tenant can do to damage the unit (presuming they don’t physically abuse it.).

We had one of those special tenants that only closed 1/2 of the latches on the filter cover… Leaving a huge gaping hole, where air could go in behind the filter…<insert eye roll here!>. That proceeded to clog up the drain line, which normally would mean water would the collect in the emergency pan till the float switch turned it off. But in the installer’s infinite wisdom, they thought using duct tape to hold the overflow sensor onto the pan would be a good idea in 180° Florida attic. The float switch just simply rolled backwards as the water rose and then water started to come through the ceiling. Our tenant didn’t bother to turn off the AC, and then the ceiling collapsed in where it had soaked up too much water. Those are the tenants we love the most! 

Usually the only super expensive repair on an AC unit is when the compressor goes out. This is really a rare occurrence.  The typical AC will last the better part if 2 decades.  Compressors are typically warranties for 10 years.  So expect the simple fix for a typical AC repair… usually under $300. 

All the best!

Randy

[John Underwood]

Quote from @Randall Alan:

Quote from @Ana Vhan:

On my rental in the arizona area, I missed renewing the warranty which I was hoping would take care of the AC unit fixes. 

Now, the tenant has reported that the unit is working but its not cooling the place. 

I have asked an AC person to look at it. But I am concerned about the cost. 

A couple of questions, 

1. What AC problems can be caused due to poor handling by tenants? for ex. not changing filter regularly. Any other? Which types of AC costs can I ask the tenant to cover? (we do have a clause in the lease for regular upkeep of AC )

2. Almost all warranty wait period is 30 days. If I purchase the warranty, is there anything I can install temporarily during the wait time? 

Thanks,

Ana 

@Ana Vhan

We own 40 air conditioners between all our properties.    let’s start off with the typical AC call is about $150 for me.  The most common issue is that the outside units use capacitors to help crank on the AC and when those go out, they have to be replaced.   so a $90 service all and an $80 capacitor fixed well over 1/2 of most issues.

There are lots of issues that aren’t even that complicated… Batteries in the thermostat going dead, drain lines, getting clogged with dirt and goo, drip pans that get full from the unit sweating too much or not draining properly, bad thermostats, etc.

Occasionally, you will get either a leak, or a bigger part that goes bad that will cost in the $200 to $500 range… fans and motors going out, etc.

Home warranties are worthless… they will take 3 weeks to fix your AC.  They are terrible!  Would never recommend one!    You can’t leave a tenant hanging that long, especially in a hot state in the summer!  You can buy a portable AC unit the tenant could limp by on… they are around $300-400 at Home Depot.  One will not cover a whole multi-room house though.   You need to step up as a landlord and fix the tenant’s problem.  That is your main role as far as they are concerned.  There should not even be the thought of “how do I wait 30 days before I call for service” going through your head!  Make the call.  Fix the issue.  It’s as simple as that. 

The crux of your post seems to be how can I charge my tenant for this?   I would simply have your AC guy report back to you what they found. If they come back to you with something like the filter was completely clogged up and it caused the unit to freeze up, then you could have that conversation with your tenant. Outside of changing the filter, there isn’t a lot a tenant can do to damage the unit (presuming they don’t physically abuse it.).

We had one of those special tenants that only closed 1/2 of the latches on the filter cover… Leaving a huge gaping hole, where air could go in behind the filter…. That proceeded to clog up the drain line, which normally would mean water would the collect in the emergency pan till the float switch turned it off. But in the installer’s infinite wisdom, they thought using duct tape to hold the overflow sensor onto the pan would be a good idea in 180° Florida attic. The float switch just simply rolled backwards as the water rose and then water started to come through the ceiling. Our tenant didn’t bother to turn off the AC, and then the ceiling collapsed in where it had soaked up too much water. Those are the tenants we love the most! 

Usually the only super expensive repair on an AC unit is when the compressor goes out. This is really a rare occurrence.  The typical AC will last the better part if 2 decades.  Compressors are typically warranties for 10 years.  So expect the simple fix for a typical AC repair… usually under $300. 

All the best!

Randy

 I agree that a starting capacitor is a very common problem.

Sometimes they coolant gets low from a small leak and causes the coil to freeze over.

If it's a split unit I would see if the pipe that has the insulation on it from the outdoor unit is cold or cool.

Also see if the outdoor fan is turning. It has a starting capacitor also.

Is the airhandler fan working and blowing warm air out of the vents?

[Ana Vhan]

Wow!! You guys Randy and John, thank you so much. Very much appreciate your inputs. Thank you for taking time to respond in details. 

Randy, you are correct. It's very hot in the area right now. I have a guy already setup to come and look at the issues. I am a remote landlord and I am noticing that my tenant is not keeping up with the regular maintenance in general. So wanted to get myself familiarize with issues that arise from a tenant negligence. I am not trying to go after a tenant to make them pay for this repair. I do want to be a responsible landlord but not visiting the property yourself make it challenging. 

Thanks again. 

[Ana Vhan]

Since we are on this topic and you both are so knowledgable in this area, I have one followup question. 

Other than changing filters, what other regular maintenance should be done with ac unit and at what frequency? 
Also, any special maintenance in area like arizona as well as in cold areas like washington. 

Appreciate your response. 

Thanks! 

Ana

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Ana Vhan:

Go to YouTube and search "air conditioner troubleshooting" and you will find ton of videos that show you how to diagnose yourself, as well as preventative maintenance tips. Find a good one and share it with your tenants so they can better operate, maintain, ir diagnose with you.

[Patrick Crehan]

I pay for a service with my local heating and cooling people to come out annually and tune up the AC and furnace. It costs me 180 dollars a year total for both units combined. And I just have my tenants schedule with them at their own convenience. If the filter needs replaced, they replace it. If there is something wrong with the unit then I am alerted. I will pay 180 dollars annually for peace of mind. 

[Ana Vhan]

Patrick, 

That is interesting idea. I am going to check with my local guys and see if they have any such program.

Thanks!

[Craig Janet]

Not a whole lot of maintenance with AC units. Just change the filters regularly (which you should always assume the tenant will not do). Make sure there isn't any debris such as leaves grass clippings, anything growing around the outside unit that will restrict airflow. Pour bleach down the drain pipe because the line will eventually clog up and the water can cause a lot of damage. 

[Richard F.]

Aloha,

Lots of AC's "aren't working" lately. The fact is, the most any AC can cool is approximately 20 degrees below ambient. I've heard AZ has been pretty warm lately...

Also, for regular maintenance, you definitely need to wash out the condenser unit, any dirt, algae, damaged and missing fins, will affect performance. Same for the evaporator in your central system's plenum, they can also get clogged and need periodic cleaning (not as much as the exterior condenser, however). Depending on the system and how condensate is drained off, tablets can be dropped into the drain pan to prevent algae from growing and blocking the drain line.

[Account Closed]

Quote from @Ana Vhan:

On my rental in the arizona area, I missed renewing the warranty which I was hoping would take care of the AC unit fixes. 

Now, the tenant has reported that the unit is working but its not cooling the place. 

I have asked an AC person to look at it. But I am concerned about the cost. 

A couple of questions, 

1. What AC problems can be caused due to poor handling by tenants? for ex. not changing filter regularly. Any other? Which types of AC costs can I ask the tenant to cover? (we do have a clause in the lease for regular upkeep of AC )

2. Almost all warranty wait period is 30 days. If I purchase the warranty, is there anything I can install temporarily during the wait time? 

Thanks,

Ana 

What they say in the posts above is right on

When it's 117 degrees outside, don't make your tenants wait for a warranty fix. People die from the heat here.